Pod Save the World - Introducing “Dissident At The Doorstep”

Episode Date: January 6, 2024

What happens when someone becomes a human-rights icon – but then turns out to stand for something else entirely? Chinese activist Chen Guangcheng was locked up for fighting against China’s One Child Policy and suffered years of unlawful imprisonment. In 2012, following a daring midnight escape, he landed in the United States a hero. But that’s only the beginning of his story. Just a few years later, he would re-enter the spotlight as an avid Trump supporter and a “Stop the Steal” rally-goer. How did this happen? Alison Klayman, Colin Jones, and Yangyang Cheng set out on a journey to find out – did Guangcheng change, or was he totally misunderstood from the beginning? From Crooked Media, This is Dissident At The Doorstep.

In 2006, Chen Guangcheng, a blind human rights activist from rural China, was thrown in jail. He'd sued the government for its brutal enforcement of China's one-child policy, and now they were cracking down. Guangcheng spent seven years in detention. It seemed like he would never be free, until one day he escaped. We are going to begin with it. What could be the worst diplomatic crisis between the U.S. and China in more than And these activists, Cheng Guao Cheng, is said to be seeking refuge with the U.S. Embassy in Beijing

after he disappeared from his home on Sunday. And after a few very dramatic weeks, Guangcheng arrived in the United States. Here, he was greeted with a hero's welcome. A moment of jubilation and liberation for Chen Guangcheng, a New York moment, too, with flashboards and well-wishers and their wholehearted support. Suddenly, Guangcheng found himself living in New York, being treated, like a celebrity. For so many people, Guangcheng was a symbol for freedom and democracy across the world.

He gave speeches. He accepted human rights awards. You say it's natural to want to speak out against evil, but many people remain silent. Why do you think you must be very courageous? And then, all that fame subsided. It seemed like Guangcheng had settled into a quieter life here in the States.

Until one day, the spotlight picked him back up in maybe the last place we expected him to be. Greetings. My name is Chang'an-Guan-Chang. The 2020 Republican National Convention. Standing up to tyranny is not easy. I know. So does President Trump? And just a few months later, outside the White House, rallying with the crowd on January 6th. How do we? How did this happen?

How did a man who stood for the rule of law end up on the side of a lawless president? Did Guangcheng change or was he totally misunderstood from the beginning? He was an incredibly idealistic and determined and courageous person, but he's not a pleasant human being. Both sides were just hearing what they wanted to hear. He was becoming a political football. Washington kept coming at him. This is the story of how a person can become a symbol for American

values and what happens to them next. I'm Alison Clayman. I'm Colin Jones. And I'm Yang Yang. Chung. Together, Colin Yang and I are going to find out. From Crooked Media, this is Dissident at the Doorstep. New episodes out each Saturday in the Pod Save the World Feed, wherever you get your podcasts.

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