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Hu Jintao Frogmarched from CCP Conference — Xi Brushes Hu
No doubt airbrushing is the wrong term for what just happened. Toilet-brushed perhaps.
Of note, the guy to our (visual) right of Hu as he is finally led away. His moment of indecision makes him seem like a Hu Jintao guy who suddenly realizes that he is now the newest Xi Jinping guy. Deputy human drama for this scene.
Published in General
Fear was that something else. “Am I next?”
It could be anything. It could be Hu’s declining health. It could be Xi flexing his muscles in front of the rest of the world, and particularly his nemesis, Jiang Zemin, who leads the Shanghai faction. All this is to say that I haven’t a clue what it means.
I saw this yesterday myself, and still not sure what to completely make of it. Obviously it was for public display. Was there a power struggle going on behind the scenes? Hu is a pretty old man; I can’t imagine he was a threat. And why the public disgrace? Xi could have done this privately. Something major by China may be afoot. Our defense systems better be up. My next thought is: so much for the Chinese respecting their elderly. Confucius would not be proud.
The other remarkable thing about the video – don’t know if anyone has mentioned this yet – is that not one of the 100+ people there watching even flinched. Either they were in on it or they knew not to speak out.
I figure the latter. This is what totalitarian states do to people.
And what does that red folder say? Are those his arrest papers? They can’t be his health papers.
Well, maybe it could be his health papers. Maybe he was long past due for a colonoscopy…joking. ;)
Perhaps a 9mm colonoscopy. The Chinese seem to prefer those.
It’s hard to see the line between those groups.
Manny, Hang On @hangon has provided some excellent historical context and analysis throughout this thread. I don’t have time to cite the comments, but just look through the thread and read them. I know enough about this period to know he is most likely right, but I still learned quite a few things I did not know. He filled in some blanks.
If “Honor thy father and mother” from the Bible doesn’t mean doing whatever they say, then “respect your elders” might just include executing them quickly and painlessly if they commit treason. (“Treason” in China being whatever the government wants it to be, of course.)
CIA rep responds to POTUS questions:
Who was arrested?
Yes.
Wait. Let’s try this: the person arrested was who?
Exactly.
I don’t get it. Ok, who ordered the arrest?
Xi did.
Who is she?
No. Hu is Hu and Xi had him arrested.
You know, I made over 1,000 arrests back when I was an undercover cop in Delaware after leaving the Green Berets and graduating early from law school…
Time for your nap Mr. President. This meeting is concluded.
You messed up a bit.
Should be:
Third base.
Police Squad was a rare TV jewel, pearls before swine so they cancelled it.
That and, if it had gone on very long, they would have used up all the episode time listing all the people who went to Stateville Prison.