TOTAS: The Death of A Mother - A Tragedy of Ideology

Now a lawyer in his 60's, Zhang Hongbing has long been troubled by something he has kept hidden in his heart. Raised in the shadow of Mao's China as a teen he was one of the most fiery and vocal Red Guards of his town - calling out anyone who would go against Mao's ideology or rule. One terrible night in the midst of the Cultural Revolution, he discovered a class enemy in the one place he never would have expected - his own loving mother. His actions that night and the resulting aftermath have haunted him for decades.

Today we are joined by Dr. Ping to review the details of the story as encapsulated in a chinese language documentary seen for the first time ever with english translation.

What are the factors which could turn a loving son into a militant ideologue willing to demand the execution of his own mother for thought-crime?

How could we tell if these psychological forces were to ever take hold of our society?

What are the way in which dehumanization may take shape in various ideologies?

We will explore these questions and more in tonights episode.

See Dr. Pings story here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HO2F4mYWeYM