Part 4/6:
A critical examination of Mao’s regime compared to other totalitarian regimes, such as that led by Adolf Hitler, reveals profound differences in how power is wielded and how victims are treated. Under Mao, there was an inappropriate expectation for victims to participate in their victimization by accepting guilt for perceived wrongdoings, a process starkly different from the outright annihilation seen during the Holocaust. This reveals a distinctive psychological element tied to the Chinese Communist experience of guilt and responsibility.