Why Patriotic Young Americans Begin to Believe in Communism?

Prof. Zhang Weiwei:
Jackson, it’s a great pleasure. We meet each other here in Moscow. And anyway, we still have about 10-15 minutes before the convening of the premier session. Let’s have a free chat. Basically, would you like to introduce a bit about yourself about whatever you call the Maga communism, which the idea fascinating? Please go ahead.

Jackson Hinkle:
Thanks for the meeting. It’s an honor to meet you and talk. And I’m from America and our country’s crumbling. The working class has terrible jobs.  Our infrastructure is falling apart. Our government is spending hundreds of billions on wars in Ukraine, Taiwan, Israel, and everywhere else. We’re letting all these 7 million illegal migrants come into our country in one year, so things are beginning to fall apart. What communists in America have come to realize is that even though we have no representation in the political establishment in the United States, we do have a strong class-conscious political sect that has materialized from the Trump campaign.
We as communists don’t necessarily endorse Trump for everything he does, but we recognize that the Trump movement, otherwise known as MAGA: “Make America Great Again Movement” is purely class conscious and has the ability to challenge the foreign policy establishment, the economic establishment, and hopefully, unroot all of these massive lobbying groups and entities from the establishment and reorientate our economy and our country in a way that actually works for the working people and gets us on track with countries like China.

Prof. Zhang Weiwei:
But in the case of Donald Trump, indeed, even for many Chinese, as we are from a socialist country, when he was supposed to now represent the working class, the oppressed ones, those who were suffering, they are represented by a super rich guy. So that’s really a paradox. But what about Mr.  Sanders, etc. they also claim to be left-leaning, will they represent part of the Trump, this MAGA movement.

Jackson Hinkle:
I think that Trump is a true political outsider. He was a businessman in New York, real estate mogul; Bernie Sanders, he came out of the political class in the United States, and though he claims to be a social democrat, in actuality, he went along with the NATO bombings of Yugoslavia. He’s very critical of Russia and their military operation in Ukraine. He’s hawkish against China. He aligns with the Democratic Party while claiming to support socialist measures and movements. But Trump, on the other hand, doesn’t really claim to be a socialist or anything, but in actuality, he’s policies support working class people.

Prof. Zhang Weiwei:
And from our reading of many opinion surveys, indeed, even in a country like the United States, if you look at the young people, their attitude towards socialism is changing. Now a lot of people, young people have sympathy and they try to understand socialism. Is this the real trend there in the United States? Or it’s just an opinion survey business.

Jackson Hinkle:
It is correct that a lot of people are interested in the term “socialism”, but young people in the United States have been misled as to what socialism is. They think that socialism is the equivalent of woke liberal ideology. So although they might call themselves socialists, they condemn the Soviet Union, they condemn China, they think China is an authoritarian totality.
So what we’re trying to do as MAGA communists is show the American youth that communism is good. You are correct about that. But China is the embodiment of it, and we should respect them and also try to work with them rather than go to war with them.

Prof. Zhang Weiwei:
Do you happen to know a Chinese phrase? It’s actually there in English， called “baizuo”? White left. Or what do you think of“baizuo”? It’s quite an interesting characterization.

Jackson Hinkle:
That’s my favorite word. That’s where we label the American young left. They’re very woke. They’re very big on the gender issues. But when it comes to the real meat and potatoes, the most important issues, economic issues, issues of power and war, they align with the establishment.

Prof. Zhang Weiwei:
Do you think there is? What do you would call the “baiyou”? White right?

Jackson Hinkle:
I don’t know that term, but I think what’s very clear to America is those individuals who are less concerned about race and gender and more consumed about economic issues in war, they’ve got a good head on their shoulders and they’ll take our country in the correct direction.

Prof. Zhang Weiwei:
And as many of our Chinese audience have followed with what’s going on in debate about the immigration, about this crisis between Texas and the central government, and the national guards will use. What’s your take? Will the United States experience this kind of domestic chaos and even kind of civil war?

Jackson Hinkle:
I think it’s very possible. The interesting nature of our government is that in certain states, you can have different laws and policies that conflict with the federal government. And when the federal government is pushing such policies that have such negative ramifications on the people, the states will take it upon themselves like in Texas to do something about it.
And in Texas, we’re beginning to see another really interesting development, which is some states are removing Donald Trump from the ballots where people can vote. So we’re reaching a fever pitch of this contradiction between the establishment and the working class. And I hope it doesn’t get bloody, but it might.

Prof. Zhang Weiwei:
I was a bit amazed when I read this statement by the Governor of Texas. He said that our founding father Hamilton said something about the fact that the federal government should protect the interests of the state. Now there was an invasion, so we have to mobilize our own forces. So you have to quote from Hamilton in order to justify your action. Does it mean there are still no clear-cut rules or regulations on what kind of central, local government relationships? It seems this constitution should be reformed.

Jackson Hinkle:
It’s up for debate. There is no clear cut, but it’s up for debate about states’ rights and these sorts of things. But what’s very clear is the current government, Joe Biden, and the “deep state” that he represents, they have thrown away every aspect of the constitution that seeks to protect average Americans. We have no free speech in America, which is funny because they’re the ones saying that China has issues. No, America is the most anti-free speech country on the earth. Joe Biden and his cronies, they have no regard for the Constitution.

Prof. Zhang Weiwei:
This idea of the “deep state” is interesting, because I have a perspective. I try to argue that the United States has a “deep state”, which has caused a lot of harm to the people, at least outside of the United States, and even to those inside the United States, to the American people. In the case of China and even Russia as well, we don’t have a “deep state”, but we have what we call Civilizational States, and we have “deep culture” and “deep people”. People have a lot of their own traditions and moral standards. We want to defend sovereignty, et cetera. So the idea of “deep state” versus “deep culture”, “deep people”, that’s my thesis.

Jackson Hinkle:
I think that’s a very astute commentary on the matter. It’s true, though. In America, our “deep state” differs from any other country, because these are people who are never elected to any position. No one knows their names in average America. They’re hidden behind the faces of people like Joe Biden. But in China and in Russia, those sorts of people exist, but they’re actually trying to help guide the country to further sovereignty. In America, it’s all about pushing for regime changes, coups, unipolarity, imperialism, maintaining all those systems. You’re right. They hurt a lot of people abroad, and they definitely hurt the American people.

Prof. Zhang Weiwei:
Great. Thank you very much.

Jackson Hinkle:
Thank you. Very nice to meet you.