For the person that down-voted me, it is estimated that Mao was responsible for several times as many deaths as Hitler. Estimates range from 40 million all the way to 100 million people.
You don’t have to be a Nazi to point out that ~100 million people dead because of Mao is worse than ~20 million dead because of Hitler.
Unless you value Chinese lives less than the victims of Hitler, it shouldn’t be an issue to see Mao as having been more evil, even though both were very evil.
To gain power of an entire country like China, Mao had to be very intelligent. Him not being informed of the consequences of his policies is highly unlikely. The consequence of claiming that he was ignorant is that it enables you to absolve him of some of his guilt. You are downplaying how bad he really was. This is not fair. Mao ruled China for 33 years and has caused more destruction in his own country than most rulers (if not all) in recorded history.
I’m not absolving anything. I’m not downplaying anything. I don’t care enough to make an argument one way or another. I’m simply saying that motives should count for something when making grandiose claims about who the worst person in all history is.
For the person that down-voted me, it is estimated that Mao was responsible for several times as many deaths as Hitler. Estimates range from 40 million all the way to 100 million people.
You don’t have to be a Nazi to point out that ~100 million people dead because of Mao is worse than ~20 million dead because of Hitler.
Unless you value Chinese lives less than the victims of Hitler, it shouldn’t be an issue to see Mao as having been more evil, even though both were very evil.
Most of Mao deaths, terrible though they are, were not intentional like those of his two peers.
To gain power of an entire country like China, Mao had to be very intelligent. Him not being informed of the consequences of his policies is highly unlikely. The consequence of claiming that he was ignorant is that it enables you to absolve him of some of his guilt. You are downplaying how bad he really was. This is not fair. Mao ruled China for 33 years and has caused more destruction in his own country than most rulers (if not all) in recorded history.
I’m not absolving anything. I’m not downplaying anything. I don’t care enough to make an argument one way or another. I’m simply saying that motives should count for something when making grandiose claims about who the worst person in all history is.