Ancient Chinese Wisdom
This is a horse, not a deer— Trump Calls Zelensky a ‘Dictator’
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Days ago, Trump used the word “dictator” to describe Volodymyr Zelensky, the president of Ukraine who was elected in 2019 by the Ukrainian people.
I don’t need to repeat how ridiculous this accusation is. But Mark Twain tells us:
History Doesn’t Repeat Itself, but It Often Rhymes
In ancient China, there is a similar story: At the highest council of an empire, the officials collectively referred to this animal as a horse.
In 210 BCE, the First Emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang, died suddenly. His youngest son, Huhai, seized the throne with the help of a cunning eunuch named Zhao Gao, who became the power behind the throne.
Zhao Gao, now Chancellor of the Qin Empire, grew paranoid. To test who among the court officials would dare oppose him, he devised a brazen scheme.
During a royal court session, he presented a deer to the Emperor (Huhai) and declared: “Your Majesty, I offer you this fine horse — a steed capable of galloping a thousand miles in a day.”
The young emperor laughed: “Chancellor, you must be mistaken! This is clearly a deer.”
Zhao Gao smiled and said to the emperor, “Your Majesty, this is indeed a horse! If you don’t believe me, just ask the others!”
Zhao Gao turned to the assembled ministers and demanded, “Tell the emperor, is this a deer or a horse?”
The room fell silent. Some ministers, fearing Zhao’s wrath, insisted it was a horse. Others, too terrified to speak, stayed mute. A brave few dared to call it a deer. Those dissenters were later secretly executed.
This act of gaslighting an empire cemented Zhao Gao’s control. The emperor, isolated and confused, became a puppet. The Qin Dynasty, once a symbol of unity, collapsed shortly after — partly due to Zhao’s tyranny.
This is a past history of China, but unfortunately, it is repeating in modern America.
- Trump is the ZhaoGao
- The deer is the Zeleskey
Zhao Gao has already ruined the Qin empire. Will Trump make America collapse?
