In the Mao days individual Chinese were a lot less exposed to the world and the society was horribly traumatized by, social chaos, revolution & WWII. I think individual Chinese now are much less taken in by “socialist” promises. I don’t think the guy who stood in front of the tank was a solitary thinker. That being said I think the Chinese are very nationalistic and would not take kindly to challenges that they view as belittling their culture or their national accomplishments. Xi will play the nationalism card whenever he senses he’s in trouble. It will work for awhile, how long I don’t know.
“In the Mao days individual Chinese were a lot less exposed to the world and the society was horribly traumatized by, social chaos, revolution & WWII. I think individual Chinese now are much less taken in by “socialist” promises. “
In some ways yes, and in many ways no.
What have most respectable polls in China showed about mainland Chinese attitudes regarding events in Hong Kong. Most mainland Chinese have NOT supported the Hong Kong protest movements.
The CCP has exploited the modern tools of technology to make their levers of control deeper and stronger, not weaker. The mainland Chinese may be more informed of the world, but I do not think they have become less humbled before the power of the CCP.