The Specter of Authoritarianism Returns to Chinese Campuses: A Look at the Inclusion of Xi Jinping in Elementary School Textbooks and the Resurgence of Dictatorship

English title: The Specter of Authoritarianism Returns to Chinese Campuses: A Look at the Inclusion of Xi Jinping in Elementary School Textbooks and the Resurgence of Dictatorship

English introduction: Elementary school textbooks in China have been thoroughly infused with the personal image of Xi Jinping and scenes of military parades, accompanied by content such as "Grandpa Xi says." This move breaks decades of political convention, sparking intense scrutiny and criticism, and is seen as a sign of the resurgence of authoritarian dictatorship and the dangers of brainwashing at a young age.

English article: When the highest leader of a country unapologetically inserts their large portraits and majestic photos of reviewing troops into elementary school textbooks, and has young children chant "Grandpa Xi" in unison, it is not only a failure of education but also a dangerous signal that China's political system is sliding towards blatant authoritarianism.

Recently, a set of textbooks and related materials for Chinese elementary school students, titled "Xi Jinping's Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era Student Reader," has caused a significant stir online. Upon opening these textbooks, which are supposed to impart general knowledge and scientific understanding, one is instead met with a fervent personality cult surrounding the current top leader.

From "Reform and Opening-up" to "Comprehensive Backwardness": The Privatization of Power by Authoritarian Dictators

In modern Chinese political history, aside from Mao Zedong, who launched the Cultural Revolution and harmed several generations, previous leaders such as Deng Xiaoping, Jiang Zemin, and Hu Jintao have not dared to directly insert themselves into basic education in such a fawning and concrete manner. However, today's China has seen its political boundaries completely torn apart.

Under the core leadership of Xi Jinping, Chinese politics is accelerating its retreat into Mao-style authoritarianism. This practice of placing personal will above the nation, party discipline, and the constitution is essentially the privatization of state machinery and educational resources, using the banner of "patriotism" to shape absolute personal authority.

Upon reviewing the textbooks, one finds that the language is filled with unconditional submission to the highest power. This forced narrative strategy of "recognizing the grandfather" deprives children of their right to independent thought, replacing modern civic education with feudalistic loyalty.

The Combination of Military Violence and Brainwashing at a Young Age: The Exposure of Dictatorial Essence

Even more startling is the visual symbolism in the textbooks. In a chapter titled "The Great Motherland," accompanied by affectionate phrases like "Grandpa Xi says," there is a grand scene of Xi Jinping reviewing the military from a red flag limousine.

The forced combination of cold-blooded military power and the violent state machinery with the innocent and naive elementary school textbooks reflects the deep-seated militarism and strongman worship tendencies of the current Chinese regime. The dictator attempts to sow seeds of fear and obedience in the minds of minors through this subtle visual bombardment, forcibly welding the concept of "party, country, and leader" into the cognitive foundation of the next generation.

This is not only an open challenge to modern civilized society but also an extreme insult to the intelligence of the Chinese people.

Warning of the Comprehensive North Korean-ization of Chinese Society

Today's China has seen its space for speech suffocated, its social vitality destroyed, and now, even a classroom desk and a children's book cannot escape the pollution of authoritarian rule.

The act of inserting oneself into elementary school textbooks is not a display of "closeness to the people" but rather a manifestation of the extreme lack of security and the attempt to maintain the legitimacy of rule through personal deification by the authoritarian dictator. This all-encompassing, all-age thought control is pushing Chinese society as a whole towards the abyss.

If this resurgence of fanaticism is allowed to continue, China will not only completely lose its possibility of moving towards modern civilization but will also pay a painful price in a new round of deification movement. The lessons of history are already bloody enough; today, China stands at a dangerous crossroads.