When we talk about leftist violence, it’s important to understand that this isn’t something new or random. History shows a consistent pattern across different countries and eras. It happened in China, Vietnam, Cuba, and many other places. Every time leftist revolutionary movements gain momentum, their stated goal is the same: to break down the existing status quo. And they do it not through peace, but through revolution.

Look at the figures associated with these movements: Che Guevara, Fidel Castro, Pol Pot, Mao Zedong, Stalin. Their revolutions all followed a similar script. And who do they rely on to ignite this upheaval? Young people—especially university students. Authoritarian leaders routinely convince idealistic leftists to fight on their behalf, using them as the frontline force for destabilization.

This pattern has repeated itself again and again. It happened in Iran when the Ayatollah took over. It happened in Cuba with Castro. Leftists are mobilized to disrupt society and create enough chaos to topple the existing order. But once the new regime is firmly in control, those same leftists are no longer useful. In fact, they become a threat—and the regime gets rid of them.

Mao Zedong is a prime example. He created the Red Guard by empowering radicalized students to attack teachers, intellectuals, and anyone considered disloyal. Universities were shut down. Mao instructed the youth to carry the “Little Red Book,” report dissenters to communist officials, and purge anyone who spoke against him. The military stood back and allowed the student revolutionaries to run wild.

But once Mao consolidated power, he no longer needed destabilization. He sent millions of these same young revolutionaries into the countryside to perform hard labor. An estimated nine million of them died. The Shah of Iran’s opponents followed a similar arc after their own rise—leftists were used for revolt and then sidelined once the new order was secure.

This is why they are often called “useful idiots”—not all leftists, but specifically those who embrace revolutionary activism without understanding how regimes historically treat their foot soldiers once power is secured. Young people in universities have always been the easiest to mobilize, the easiest to radicalize, and ultimately the easiest to discard.

For hundreds of years, the cycle has repeated: use the youth to destabilize the old system, seize power, and then eliminate the destabilizers. What we’re seeing today isn’t new. It’s simply new to us and to our generation—but the pattern is ancient and well-documented.