The Diplomat
People, composure and the difficult conversation held well.
Rory Stewart is a seasoned politician with experience in various government roles, known for his ability to engage with diverse perspectives. This interview highlights his focus on collaboration and understanding, as he navigates the challenges of governance and public service.
“It's an absolutely devastating time. I mean, we see 2 million people die, 36 million people more rehounded, either for supposed political crimes, sometimes just really accidents of birth. They were perhaps born into a landlord's family. You've actually seen more devastating moments in China if you just count the death toll.”
“Of seven or eight. He'd been told that his school teacher, who he'd liked very much, was actually the daughter of a landlord, and he was so shocked by his naivety in the moment that he believed in this lovely woman that he drew this hideous caricature of her and pinned it up to the blackboard.”
“That's part of it too. They think, well, if we don't remember it, we may end up repeating it. And so for those reasons, too, people want to keep it alive. And then for some people, it's so deeply personal. So in the case of the young man who denounced his mother, I mean, he was 17.”
“Yes, that it felt as if power was just much less constrained that it had been before. I mean, that might sound odd perhaps to people sort of looking at a system that has been run by the Communist Party for so long.”
Political Thinking with Nick Robinson — The Rory Stewart One
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