“Red Dawns” and Skiing on Stolen Land, with Frank Dikötter | GoodFellows | Hoover Institution

The podcast examines the rise of Chinese communism, particularly focusing on Frank Dikötter's new book, "Red Dawn over China." It challenges the traditional narrative of a communist-led social revolution driven by land reform, arguing instead that the communists gained power through violence, unrestricted warfare tactics, and the crucial backing of the Soviet Union after WWII. The discussion also explores the parallels between Mao and Xi Jinping, with Xi's concentration of power and determination to reclaim Taiwan. Shifting to US domestic issues, the panel debates Donald Trump's political standing, the reliability of economic indicators, and the controversy surrounding land acknowledgments, touching on themes of historical conquest and cultural appropriation.