Some Thoughts on the Phenomenon of "Sichuan Powder"

Wang Chong: "Sichuan fans" never admit that Biden has won, and they have found various reports to tell everyone that Trump will win. Moreover, they have spread rumors to prove that Trump will win.

Last night, I posted a small video on my friend's circle about visiting Phoenix TV. The main idea is that the probability of Trump overturning is very low, just like the last game requiring the Chinese football team10：0It's like defeating Brazil to qualify. According to reports, Trump's wife and son-in-law both advised him to resign, and whether he could persist in confronting the Democratic Party would greatly test his determination.

Unexpectedly, these few words were besieged and cursed, causing serious fan loss. What surprised me even more was a friend who used to work in the media and worked as an editor in chief, leaving a message saying, "It's not difficult to make up and make up like this in one voice

In addition to decisively turning black, I also think it is necessary to conduct in-depth research and reflection on the phenomenon of "Sichuan fans" in China. It is not an exaggeration to say that it is a "phenomenon", it is indeed a phenomenon level existence.

Before studying the phenomenon of "Chuanfen", it is necessary to confirm who is "Chuanfen" and what conditions are met in order to call it "Chuanfen"?

Firstly, 'Sichuan fans' are not equivalent to fans of Trump. Trump's unique push8890About ten thousand fans from around the world, including supporters to cheer on, opponents to criticize, and as "melon eating people" to watch the excitement, this is a group that covers different ethnicities, countries, and cultural levels. Most of them, I believe, are rational and objective.

Secondly, 'Sichuan fans' do not equal the voters who vote for him. 'Chuanfan' comes from all over the world, and of course there are more in the United States. It is certain that,7100Wan (He claims to have arrived)7300The American voters who voted for him were not all "fans", and a considerable portion of them were diehard supporters of the Republican Party, belonging to those who would not vote for the Democratic Party under any circumstances.

Thirdly, 'Sichuan fan' is not equivalent to someone who likes Trump. Trump has both dislikes and likes. His bold and independent style has indeed been appreciated by some people. Therefore,2020The most interesting aspect of the annual election is that it is a competition between people who like Trump and those who dislike him, and it seems to have little to do with Biden. Before the election, it was widely believed that Biden could reap the benefits as long as he did not make major mistakes. Liking is based on personal emotional tendencies and is innate. Anyone has the right to like anything.NBAThere is a player named Green, and the pet is a snake. You don't need to object, they like it, it's a personal matter.

The commonality of "Sichuan fans" lies in their admiration for Trump to the point of idolizing him, and their unwillingness to hear any negative reviews about him. If they see or hear someone say that Trump is not good, they will take the initiative and provide various (hard to distinguish) evidence to try to prove that others are wrong.

Specifically, when it comes to the general election, the characteristic of "fans of Sichuan" is that they never admit that Biden has won, and they find various reports to tell everyone that Trump will win. Moreover, they release various rumors to prove that Trump will win.

So, what kind of people are easy to become "Sichuan fans"?

According to the New York Times, in India, there is a person namedBussa KrishnaThe farmer worshipped Trump as a god, gave him a statue, and worshipped him every morning and evening. When Trump was infected with COVID-19 during his re-election campaign,KrishnaPain is unbearable, expressing one's grief through hunger strike. Not long after fasting, he suddenly fell ill and passed away.

This is an extreme 'Sichuan fan', indicating that there are also fans of Trump among impoverished farmers in India. Similarly, American farmers are also enthusiastic supporters of Trump. In some Midwestern states in the United States, central cities are blue, while rural areas are red.

Farmers, people who have not attended college, workers in the rust belt, and white people who are not doing well, some of whom are typical supporters of Trump. They not only did not benefit from globalization, but also lost job opportunities. I have witnessed the strong sense of loss among local white people in Detroit, Michigan, and Minneapolis, Minnesota. So, when Trump says "America comes first" and "I want to bring back job opportunities for you," these people will naturally support him without hesitation.

Among Chinese people, there are also many "Sichuan fans".

After all, Chinese Americans in the United States are also influenced by freedom of speech in the United States, and many things are openly debated. A few months before the election, a debate between a Chinese father and daughter over a distance has attracted attention from all walks of life. My daughter believes that it should beBLM（Black Lives Matter）Sports drums and cheers should stand up and support, and take action. However, the elderly father who has worked hard to establish a foothold in the United States believes that the Chinese should be a model ethnicity, work hard, and not make a fuss.

This intergenerational difference is also reflected in the attitude towards Trump. A friend of mine lives in the United States, and both husband and wife like Trump. However, my son who just graduated from college is a "little left" and resolutely chose Biden.

This is actually normal. Some rational debates and even disagreements are actually very normal. It is a normal society for everyone to have different opinions.

The diverse attitudes of Chinese Americans towards Trump have not been fully demonstrated in some Chinese media.

Before the election, my friends and I joked that if you only read overseas Chinese media, you would think Trump would win; If you only read overseas English media, you would think Biden would win.

Many Chinese media outlets in the United States firmly support Trump. Even if you open a few websites now, you will find that there are news about Trump's victory everywhere, as well as some false news without any English source. All the purposes are to support Trump.

On the contrary, if we look at English language media in the United States, we would feel that Trump had almost no chance from the beginning. However, there are also criticisms that the American media, which previously upheld objectivity, comprehensiveness, independence, and rationality, had an overly obvious bias in reporting on the election. At the same time, Americans' trust in traditional media has repeatedly reached new lows.

In response to the decrease in trust of traditional media, social media has become popular.

Over the years, social media has permanently changed the way human society communicates. The top-down communication has been replaced by decentralized communication, and the role of gatekeepers in traditional media has severely weakened or even disappeared. In this era, everyone can release news and everyone is a media.

The era of decentralized social media has led to a more polarized phenomenon where birds of a feather flock together and people flock together. Everyone goes to read their favorite news, find the people they like, and form a circle. The unique push method of "guessing what you like" combined with a fixed circle leads to a narrower range of information, and the people or things you like are deliberately strengthened by technology. Over time, it evolves from liking to worship, making it impossible to tolerate different people or things.

Take the US election as an example. If 'Chuanfan' opens some newsAPPUnder the influence of intelligent push, he mostly sees news that is beneficial to Trump, thereby enhancing his belief in Trump's victory. And some irresponsible content producers will also spy on this opportunity to earn a lot of traffic and produce content that "Sichuan fans" like to watch.

Under this continuous spiral reinforcement, "Chuanfan" may believe that they have mastered the truth and that others are wrong. Sometimes, he can't help but leave messages and argue with people with different viewpoints, saying that the other person is wrong, and even insult them. At this moment, the "Sichuan fan" has reached a point of boredom and blackness.

If Americans split because of Trump, it is for the vote, for their own interests, for the soul or future of the United States. So, why do some Chinese "Sichuan fans" run around the whole game and even hold overtime matches after the election results have appeared?

When analyzing this phenomenon, we need to rule out two factors. The first factor is gambling. The global casino has reached its limit due to Trump's win or loss10Billion US dollars, larger than the English Premier League, some people may participate in it purely for the sake of profit, whether right or wrong, can be understood, so it will not be discussed. The second is political or economic factors. In the era of globalization, Trump's winning or losing may have an impact on the lives or work of many Chinese people. Therefore, showing irrational support or opposition is also due to interests and is not discussed.

Cultural and psychological factors beyond interests are worth exploring.

The emergence of the phenomenon of Chinese "Sichuan fans" is often a product of emotions. Because China has never experienced such an era as the Western Renaissance and rationalism, many Chinese people like or are used to perceptual thinking, "eating dishes when you see people"; In the face of fame, loyalty, and emotions, right and wrong can be ignored, and principles do not need to be followed. Many Chinese fans have applied this mindset to Trump and cannot tolerate criticism of him, let alone allow others to say that he is about to fail.

Is there any flaw in this US election? Of course, there may be flaws in the determination of election eligibility, the determination of voting deadlines, issues caused by mailing, and computer malfunctions.

But can it be said that there is a collective large-scale fraud and fraud based on this? I don't think so.

The election in the United States takes place every four years, and it's a fun one200Over the years, various rules in games have been tested through practice and are very refined. Falsification of votes and the design of ballot boxes with two layers did occur a long time ago. I once saw various falsifications in history at the election exhibition at the Washington Museum of History. But these are all individual cases, not collective actions; Moreover, it is corrected every time and improved institutionally.

Unless the Democratic Party goes crazy, they will collectively fabricate from top to bottom; In a situation where so many people dislike Trump, the Democratic Party only needs to increase the voting rate（turn-out rate）The chances of winning are very high. They have no reason or necessity for collective fraud.

In a word, it's not worth it. Even if we lose this year, we can still make a comeback in four years.

However, the Chinese are used to conspiracy theory. Looking at Chinese history, it is actually a history of various conspiracies and intrigues. Therefore, I often advise my friends not to immerse themselves in too much ancient Chinese history before reading world history, otherwise it will be harmful to others. The open and transparent way of playing the US election has never existed in Chinese history, nor have the Chinese people seen it. They are apt to use the conspiracy theory of Chinese history to play the opposite role.

If you have a basic understanding of the United States, you should know that they have an independent court system, and the court's decisions are final. The court pays attention to evidence, and many of the rumors on the Chinese internet are just speculation and cannot be counted.

If you pay a little attention to the news about Trump's victory on the Chinese internet, there are actually many loopholes. An anonymous trumpet, without any source, talks extensively about various Democratic Party fraud. The feeling is that,CNNThe New York Times covered up the facts, and it was the authoritative report there.

After a little thought, you can tell that even if you don't like American media, don't think that a Chinese self media account can provide more objective coverage of the US election than the New York Times.

This is the basic logic training. A message depends on who wrote it, where it comes from, where its English source is, whether it comes from left-wing or right-wing media, and whether there are other sources to confirm it.

And these, "Sichuan fans" don't care. When they see news that is beneficial to Trump, they believe it, get excited, and forward it; When they see something that doesn't meet their appetite, they block it, curse it, and suppress it.

So many people like Trump, what do they really like about him?

Trump took office and fulfilled his campaign promise73%Among American presidents, this is considered remarkable, and among politicians, he is also considered a practical person. His tax reduction policies and measures to bring jobs back to the United States have also gained some hearts and minds.

In addition, his biggest characteristic is that he is a successful person. Graduated from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania, worked as a billionaire owner, became a television star, became the president of the world's largest country, and had a beautiful wife and even more beautiful daughter. A winner in life!

The key to such a winner and having such power is that they can still use their power so recklessly. Whoever disagrees (such as former Secretary of State Tillerson) is immediately fired, and whoever disagrees with their position (such as former Defense Secretary Esper) is immediately dismissed. This is Trump. This is probably the most enviable aspect of Trump among Chinese people.

Many people who envy Trump, especially "fans of Sichuan," may really like his dominant attitude and hope to have this authority and power one day.

To be honest, I want to do the same. I'm thinking, is it another form of arbitrariness when I blacken out "Chuanfan"? After reflection, I think it should be distinguished: firstly, those who come up with different viewpoints are welcome; Secondly, those who come to insult and abuse, Lahei. In addition, Weibo is a public domain and should not be hacked casually, while social media is a private domain, and interacting with people you like is the only way to have fun.

(Note: The author is a senior researcher at the Chahar Society, a diplomatic and international relations think tank. This article only represents the author's personal views.)