Jiang Qing, more easily referred to as Madame Mao, was a former actress who joined up with Mao and first established her Maoist credentials during the dark years in the Caves of Yenan in the mid-1930's.
When Mao later unleashed the madness of the Cultural Revolution, Madame Mao and her three powerful collaborators -- Wang Hongwen, Yao Wenyuan, and Zhang Chunqiao -- played a key role in fomenting and sustaining the extremism of the Red Guard cadres who roamed and ransacked the nation at will. The substantial power they wielded toward the end of the GPCR (it pretty much had lost its steam at the time of Mao's death in 1976) was derived primarily from their ability to manipulate the mass media, the arts, and the education system.
Madame Mao and her Gang of 4 could set a creepy precedent
Madame Mao was the undisputed head of the Gang. With her background in the arts and as Head of the Film Section of the CCP's Propaganda Department, and as a member of the Politburo, she was especially well positioned and equipped to mold and manipulate the turbulent political currents of the times.
More importantly, as the Wife of Chairman Mao himself, Jiang could wield the derivative prestige of the First Lady of the People's Republic of China. She and her fellow Gang members used that prestige to incite and direct some of the worst excesses of the Cultural Revolution and the Red Guards.
Suffice to say, any country that falls into the clutches of something resembling the Cultural Revolution's Gang of Four is in for grim times indeed. When a political clique grounded on nepotism, manipulation and control of the media and political culture, and the blind support of millions of rampaging young thugs establishes paramount political power, national disaster is apt to follow.
However dismal America's current political condition, it obviously differs in kind and severity from the murderous madness that prevailed in China during the GPCR. Nonetheless, there are certain ominous parallels that could find America facing the nightmare of a 21st Century Dynastic Gang of Four in the event Hillary Clinton, a latter-day Madame Mao, seizes power in the upcoming presidential election.
Perhaps the most ominous parallel is a leftist First Lady exploiting that position to achieve paramount political power to be shared only with a nepotistic clique of like-minded authoritarians. Additionally, the prospective American clique suggested below would be able to exercise influence and control over a captive media and culture comparable to that wielded by Madame Mao and her nefarious clique.
Could a new and nightmarish Gang of 4 be in store here?
This ghastly prospect first occurred to SR upon noting the appalling spectacle of Mrs. Clinton and the insufferable Michelle Obama appearing together at a recent campaign rally. The shamelessly hypocritical fawning of these nasty left-wing viragoes reached its nadir when Mrs. Obama condescendingly endorsed the former Secretary of State and First Lady as "my girl."
The alert observer will understandably wonder exactly what Mrs. Obama meant when she possessively described Clinton as "my girl." Did she mean that Mrs. Clinton, once a political rival of the Obamas, was now safely in the fold and would effectively extend the policies of the Obama administration? Or that she and Clinton had forged an alliance as political BFF's? Or that "my girl" Hillary was in the Obamas' pocket, like a New York City mayoral candidate would have been in the pocket of Tammany Hall? What Mrs. Obama meant, if nothing else, was that Hillary needs the Obamas' patronage, and she better not forget it.
If Mrs. Clinton is elected, we know for certain that husband and Ex-President Bill (who made Hillary's political career just as Mao made Jiang Qing's) will be lurking around the West Wing like a latter day American Regent. Anyone who knows anything about Bill Clinton knows he will never "go gently into that good night." That makes at least a Gang of Two.
Then there are the Obamas. Rarely has America seen a presidential couple (other than the Clintons, of course) that so enthusiastically and shamelessly exploited every perquisite and prerogative of the presidency as these two classless arrivistes. They will not lightly depart into anything resembling political or cultural obscurity, least of all if the Democrats retain the presidency.
We now know, after all, that Michelle Obama considers Hillary Clinton "my girl." And Mrs. Clinton has made it quite clear that she regards Mrs. Obama's enthusiastic support as an especially inspiring element of her otherwise lackluster and listless campaign. Meanwhile, President Obama has abandoned any pretext of "presidential" distance and dignity -- in sharp contrast from the politically apathetic George W. Bush -- and has campaigned with fierce partisan intensity in support of Mrs. Clinton.
In short, Hillary Clinton will be deeply indebted and beholden to both Obamas if she is elected. And depend upon it, the Obamas will not be shy about "calling in" their political chips. Both are still relatively young, energetic, and intensely political, and they will retain enormous prestige and influence among the Democratic faithful even if Mrs. Clinton becomes president. Moreover, Mrs. Clinton will be a deeply compromised and insecure president due to the legal problems that will linger even if she is elected, thus rendering her even more dependent upon the good will and support of the Obamas.
The Obamas continuing political influence in a putative Clinton presidency would be amplified by their political primacy with the Democratic Party's most critical and cohesive constituency -- the Afro-American community. One word from the Obamas indicating that a President Hillary has not been sufficiently deferential to black demands -- including the radical, afro-racist demands of the Black Lives Matter movement -- would severely undercut Clinton's prestige and popularity with black Democrats (which means the vast majority of blacks).
All these factors indicate that the Obamas will be able to wield enormous influence with a potential Clinton presidency, even if it is an entirely unofficial capacity. The same goes, only more so, for the restless political animal who would hold the unprecedented dual role of Former President and First Spouse, the politically irrepressible Bill Clinton.
So consider the prospect and gag upon it: Hillary Clinton. Michelle Obama. Barack Obama. And Bill Clinton. All sitting around a table in the West Wing, forging the Nation's policies and prospects. A Gang of Four from Hell that could be America's worst nightmare.
However dismal America's current political condition, it obviously differs in kind and severity from the murderous madness that prevailed in China during the GPCR. Nonetheless, there are certain ominous parallels that could find America facing the nightmare of a 21st Century Dynastic Gang of Four in the event Hillary Clinton, a latter-day Madame Mao, seizes power in the upcoming presidential election.
Perhaps the most ominous parallel is a leftist First Lady exploiting that position to achieve paramount political power to be shared only with a nepotistic clique of like-minded authoritarians. Additionally, the prospective American clique suggested below would be able to exercise influence and control over a captive media and culture comparable to that wielded by Madame Mao and her nefarious clique.
Could a new and nightmarish Gang of 4 be in store here?
This ghastly prospect first occurred to SR upon noting the appalling spectacle of Mrs. Clinton and the insufferable Michelle Obama appearing together at a recent campaign rally. The shamelessly hypocritical fawning of these nasty left-wing viragoes reached its nadir when Mrs. Obama condescendingly endorsed the former Secretary of State and First Lady as "my girl."
The alert observer will understandably wonder exactly what Mrs. Obama meant when she possessively described Clinton as "my girl." Did she mean that Mrs. Clinton, once a political rival of the Obamas, was now safely in the fold and would effectively extend the policies of the Obama administration? Or that she and Clinton had forged an alliance as political BFF's? Or that "my girl" Hillary was in the Obamas' pocket, like a New York City mayoral candidate would have been in the pocket of Tammany Hall? What Mrs. Obama meant, if nothing else, was that Hillary needs the Obamas' patronage, and she better not forget it.
If Mrs. Clinton is elected, we know for certain that husband and Ex-President Bill (who made Hillary's political career just as Mao made Jiang Qing's) will be lurking around the West Wing like a latter day American Regent. Anyone who knows anything about Bill Clinton knows he will never "go gently into that good night." That makes at least a Gang of Two.
Then there are the Obamas. Rarely has America seen a presidential couple (other than the Clintons, of course) that so enthusiastically and shamelessly exploited every perquisite and prerogative of the presidency as these two classless arrivistes. They will not lightly depart into anything resembling political or cultural obscurity, least of all if the Democrats retain the presidency.
We now know, after all, that Michelle Obama considers Hillary Clinton "my girl." And Mrs. Clinton has made it quite clear that she regards Mrs. Obama's enthusiastic support as an especially inspiring element of her otherwise lackluster and listless campaign. Meanwhile, President Obama has abandoned any pretext of "presidential" distance and dignity -- in sharp contrast from the politically apathetic George W. Bush -- and has campaigned with fierce partisan intensity in support of Mrs. Clinton.
In short, Hillary Clinton will be deeply indebted and beholden to both Obamas if she is elected. And depend upon it, the Obamas will not be shy about "calling in" their political chips. Both are still relatively young, energetic, and intensely political, and they will retain enormous prestige and influence among the Democratic faithful even if Mrs. Clinton becomes president. Moreover, Mrs. Clinton will be a deeply compromised and insecure president due to the legal problems that will linger even if she is elected, thus rendering her even more dependent upon the good will and support of the Obamas.
The Obamas continuing political influence in a putative Clinton presidency would be amplified by their political primacy with the Democratic Party's most critical and cohesive constituency -- the Afro-American community. One word from the Obamas indicating that a President Hillary has not been sufficiently deferential to black demands -- including the radical, afro-racist demands of the Black Lives Matter movement -- would severely undercut Clinton's prestige and popularity with black Democrats (which means the vast majority of blacks).
All these factors indicate that the Obamas will be able to wield enormous influence with a potential Clinton presidency, even if it is an entirely unofficial capacity. The same goes, only more so, for the restless political animal who would hold the unprecedented dual role of Former President and First Spouse, the politically irrepressible Bill Clinton.
So consider the prospect and gag upon it: Hillary Clinton. Michelle Obama. Barack Obama. And Bill Clinton. All sitting around a table in the West Wing, forging the Nation's policies and prospects. A Gang of Four from Hell that could be America's worst nightmare.
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