Estrangement Ideology – Part 27. The Cultural Revolution and the Modern Denouncement of Parents
A salutary warming on how ideological conformity can lead to dire consequences.
This is number twenty-seven in a series of articles concerning Estrangement Ideology. Key concepts are introduced in Part 1. Tenets, Goals and Methods; Part 2. Transgressions, Moral Certitude and Traditional Values; and Part 3. The One-Sided Path to Redemption. Other parts can be found here.
While I was researching historical precedents to the intergeneration breakdown represented in this current series of estrangement articles, I came across the following Guardian article from March 2013:
For me, the story of Zhang Hongbing, a young man who denounced his mother during China’s Cultural Revolution, offers a haunting historical parallel to the ideological underpinnings of modern estrangement.
This is particularly so given the section of Part 3. The One-Sided Path to Redemption which discusses how the demands made on parents for unqualified accountability and sincere apology are very similar to what was required under Maoist self-criticism and indoctrination during China’s Cultural Revolution. In both cases, individuals were encouraged—if not pressured—to sever ties with their parents in the name of ideological purity. Then, as now, estrangement was framed not as a personal loss but as an act of necessary self-liberation, a moral imperative that elevated the individual at the cost of the family.
I fully acknowledge that many adult children may have good cause to separate themselves from parents who have proven to be emotionally or physically abusive. However, as is discussed in Part 16. Yes, Some Parents are Far From Perfect, many other cases of estratgement and enforced “No Contact” regimes fall far short of this standard, many reflecting generational conflicts, ideological disagreements, rewritten pasts and unmet emotional expectations.
From the Cultural Revolution to Therapy Culture: Reframing Familial Bonds
As referenced in The Guardian article, during China’s Cultural Revolution children were encouraged to reject and even betray their parents if they were deemed politically deviant. Maoist ideology—as reflected in Mao’s “Little Red Book”—framed familial ties as secondary to ideological allegiance. This frequently led young activists, particularly members of the Red Guard, to see their own families as threats to progress. This process was not driven solely by personal grievances—it was cultivated by the State, which incentivised public denunciation and reinforced the belief that traditional family structures were barriers to political and social enlightenment.
A similar dynamic can be seen to be at play in modern Estrangement Ideology. Instead of political purity, the framework has shifted toward psychological and emotional purity, where concepts like "boundaries", "toxic relationships" and "generational trauma" function as contemporary justifications for severing family ties. As explored in Part 12: The Estranged Adult Child Identity, the therapeutic framing of estrangement transforms parental imperfection into pathology, making reconciliation nearly impossible. Especially when combined with the extremes of modern liberal ideology (often disparagingly referred to as “Woke”), a moral imperative is formed so that parents—especially conservative parents—are not merely flawed, they are seen as active agents of harm whose very presence is detrimental to the emotional well-being of their adult children.
The Role of Ideological Reinforcement and Social Validation
Zhang Hongbing, like many young activists of his time, was not acting in a vacuum—he was operating within a highly charged ideological environment where parental loyalty was framed as complicity in oppression. His story illustrates the power of social and ideological validation in reinforcing estrangement. Once he made the fateful decision to denounce his mother, the State and his peers rewarded him for his ideological commitment, ensuring that he would never question the morality of his actions until decades later, when the political winds had shifted and the true cost of his choice became clear.
Modern estrangement communities, particularly those on Reddit and similar platforms, function in much the same way. As documented in Part 17: The Lasting Emotional and Relational Toll on Estranged Adult Children, estranged individuals often receive overwhelming support and validation for their decision to go "No Contact" with parents, discouraging any self-reflection or second thoughts. This reinforcement ensures that estrangement is not merely a reactive measure but an ongoing, self-reinforcing ideological stance.
The phenomenon is particularly visible in politically charged estrangement narratives, such as those found in online groups for "DaughtersOfMAGA” or "QAnon Casualties." Here, estrangement is often framed not just as a personal “boundary” but as a necessary rejection of ideological contamination. Parents who hold different political views—particularly those perceived as conservative—are frequently pathologised, with their beliefs treated as evidence of cognitive decline, cult indoctrination or even mental illness. This process mirrors the Red Guard’s tactics of ideological purification, where disagreement itself becomes proof of unworthiness.
The Psychological Toll and the Irreversibility of Estrangement
Zhang Hongbing’s later regret underscores a tragic reality of ideological estrangement: once familial bonds are severed, they are often impossible to restore. His mother was executed as a direct consequence of his actions, leaving him with a burden of guilt that would last a lifetime. As pointed out in Part 21. Can We Trust Them As We Age?, modern day estrangement can have serious welfare, health and mortality issues for estranged parents. What is more, there is a fundamental and, perhaps, permanent loss of trust parents report for their own children’s willingness to support them as they age.
While modern estrangement does not lead to such extreme outcomes, evidence from online forums shows that many estranged Estranged Adult Children find themselves wrestling with similar unresolved grief and regret. As examined in Part 18: Is There Any Awareness of the Pain Caused to Parents?, Estrangement Ideology fails to account for the long-term emotional consequences of severing family ties. Many estranged individuals, despite being told that cutting off their parents would bring them peace, continue to dwell on their decision, struggling with feelings of emptiness and unresolved attachment.
Weakening Family Bonds for the Benefit of External Authorities
The Cultural Revolution’s attack on the family served a clear political purpose—by breaking intergenerational bonds, the State ensured that loyalty was redirected toward ideological authority. Similarly, the rise of Estrangement Ideology, particularly in the context of therapeutic governance, serves the interests of institutions that benefit from the erosion of familial support structures. The question of who benefits from this ideology are explored in Part 4. The Therapist, Part 24. Estrangement Narratives as Propaganda and Part 25: The Therapist as a Business Model, the framing of estrangement as an act of self-care fuels a lucrative industry of therapy, coaching and self-help literature that thrives on the promise of individual healing at the expense of family relationships.
This transformation also aligns with broader shifts toward technocratic governance, where State and corporate interests increasingly mediate personal and familial decisions. As discussed in Part 22: Securing Autonomy in the Face of Estrangement, the loss of intergenerational bonds may leave many individuals more reliant on external institutions for emotional and financial support, weakening traditional networks of care and resilience.
Conclusion: Lessons from the Past
The historical parallels between the Cultural Revolution and modern Estrangement Ideology serve as a cautionary tale. While the circumstances differ, the mechanisms remain strikingly similar: the pathologisation of parental relationships, the reinforcement of estrangement through ideological validation and the long-term emotional consequences of severed ties. Just as Zhang Hongbing was led to believe that betraying his mother was an act of ideological necessity, many estranged individuals today are encouraged to see estrangement not as a tragic rupture but as a moral victory.
Then, as now, it is possible that parents were indeed guilty of the charges laid against them—whether ideological nonconformity in the Cultural Revolution or actual emotional or physical harm perpetrated in modern estrangement. However, in both cases, the consequences of the actions taken are often extreme, with little room for nuance, redemption or proportionality. During the Cultural Revolution, parents accused of ideological crimes faced exile, imprisonment or execution—today, estranged parents can experience severe psychological distress, a decline in physical health and, in some cases, hastened death due to neglect, loneliness or stress-related illness. Regardless of whether they were truly harmful or merely flawed, although framed by adult children as a “last resort” estranged parents often find themselves in a no-win situation where they are ideologically denied the opportunity for meaningful reconciliation.
History offers a warning: ideological purity comes at a cost and the severing of family ties, once celebrated, often leads to a reckoning that cannot be undone.
Note: This article was developed with assistance of ChatGPT, used as a structured analysis and writing tool. All ideas, interpretations and final outputs were authored, verified and edited by me. The model was conditioned to reflect my reasoning, not to generate content independently.
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