The People’s Republic of China is generally not known for its sense of humor. The Middle Kingdom’s public image lacks the reek of desparate farce that clings to its neighbor North Korea, or the batshit insanity that’s become Japan’s calling card. hatever it lacks in wackiness, China more than makes up for with its attitude of deadly seriousness, strict discipline, and well-oiled iron fist. Even in spite of Donald Trump’s ignorant, spittle-flecked outbursts and its own bloody history, it’s known as one of the more rational—if joyless—superpowers.
This is precisely why it’s so bizarre to witness the PLA (People’s Liberation Army)’s latest venture into millennial recruitment strategy. See, despite its swollen population and corpulent military budget, the army is having a difficult time persuading members of the younger generation to sign their lives away to the Party and fight in the next ienvitable war. Their latest attempt to make military service look “cool” has fallen a bit flat, though, judging by the reactions it recieved on China’s Twitter equivalent, Weibo—but it sure nabbed them a lot of outside attention from their pals in the Western media!
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I mean, come on. This is a nation that was literally built on propaganda (and the backs of poor peasant farmers), and the best idea they could come up with to inspire revolutionary bloodthirstiness in its young comrades was… a “viral” rap video? For a song called “Kill! Kill! Kill!”? The country that birthed the great philosophers Confucius and Sun Tsu—and that just barely survived the anti-Western Cultural Revolution—is now cranking out hilariously subpar hip-hop beats in order to appeal to its disaffected youth?
Who thought this was a good idea?
