Weren't criticism and self-criticism[1] integral to overturning respect for traditional social superiors and making personal dignity more dependent on political compliance?[2]

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Struggle_session

[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-criticism#Communism

Do you know China is not just the mainland?

The mainland is at least 95% of "China", depending on which definition you use.

Are you asking what is the connection between China and Mao?

He is asking why are you overthinking this? People in China have put the cultural revolution behind them, it might be helpful for others to do the same when attempting to psychoanalyse present day Chinese behaviours.

Your weight, your age and how much you earn are not taboo subjects in China, so people will bring them up in casual conversations.

To localize the argument, aren't you claiming something like "the civil war ended in 1865 therefore historical black and white issues are no longer relevant in modern America"

Well, slavery is mostly no longer a relevant issue in the U.S.

Except it is. The text of the 13th amendment:

>Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.

"Except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted..."

Hundreds of thousands of Americans toil away in prisons as free labor due to "tough on crime" policies and the militarization of police forces. McDonald's, Whole Foods, Walmart, they all use prison labor where the prisoners get paid literally cents an hour and sometimes not at all.

There were big prison strikes and protests about it earlier this year - https://theintercept.com/2016/09/16/the-largest-prison-strik...

It's terrifying.

    > People in China have
    > put the cultural 
    > revolution behind them

You should solicit the opinions of some Hong Kong, Taiwanese and Singaporean Chinese about that.