“Restore Mao Zedong as a Man” by Mao Yushi
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Restore Mao Zedong as a Man” by Mao Yushi
Mao Zedong was originally a god, and now as more and more disclosure of information, slowly reduced to a person, of flesh and blood.
Hypernationalism is dangerous not because it denounces or idolizes mao, it is by itself dangerous. Here is Mao Yushi's article "Restore Mao as Man" and you make fool of yourself by calling it nationalism. What it only did is to discard the remnants of personality cult on Mao
TRANSLATION - "The Fall of the Red Sun"
Kaixin - The following computer translation is indeed basic, hen cha. However try not to be distracted by the strange syntax and occasional errors.
Kaixin does not see it so much as an attack on Mao as an attempt to discover the man behind the myth.
Like all men, Mao was flawed.
When you are chosen by history to hold absolute power over a nation, those faults are magnified and can have tragic consequences, such during the Great Leap Forward, the Cultural Revolution ...
Remember, this is but one account of Mao.
Like all personal accounts it is not the truth. It is one man's opinion.
There is much media comment that 'Restore Mao Zedong' by Mao Yushi has been suppressed or banned by Beijing. Kaixin hopes this is not accurate. The leaders of a country must allow criticism and scrutiny of their actions by the people they govern.
They are not gods, they are fallible human beings doing the best they are able.
Mao Zedong was originally a god, and now as more and more disclosure of information, slowly reduced to a person, a flesh and blood. But still some people regarded him as God, for any of his comments were disrespectful. If he is also wrong, then absolutely do not allow. In these people, Mao is always not analysis, not allowed to face, can not comment on a deity. They never see Mao drool uncontrollably, and even talking is hard to explain, not on the car and had to cross your people took him up, he was bedridden and weak calf thin. Fortunately, the release of more material, we can learn from the perspective of ordinary people, Mao Zedong, have a lot of new impressions. He was simply a man, although his extraordinary intellect, but inevitably encounter everyone into law. He can not break laws, but is generally limited by law. He is not God, for all his superstitions will gradually subside.
He made a major event is the pattern of the Revolution. This is his responsibility to the three-year famine fear response. Three thousand million people starved to death in China over Chinese and foreign history of peace or war record who starved to death. In peacetime, there is no other reason to shirk. Who's responsibility. No doubt Mao's responsibility. There is no reason to oppose his criticism of Peng, Peng fear will seize his right, despite the leftist scourge has been exposed and continue to be more severely to the left off, not allowed to say the truth, engage in the Great Leap Forward completely divorced from reality, large refining iron and steel, the so-called people's communes "three red flags." lead to famine. To escape this responsibility, he launched the Cultural Revolution, the death sentence was criticized because of his three-year famine Liu Shaoqi. He wants to destroy all political opponents, infinitely expand their power, their power also intends to shift his death to their most reliable people, Jiang Qing. In his eyes, the people just a push of meat, is shouting the slogan of Long Live the tool. Desire to control the power of his life, he totally crazy for this purpose, with the ultimate price to pursue power, that he thus weakening the power of their own.
His power is the pursuit of class struggle. The original intent of the class struggle the bourgeoisie and the proletariat struggle. But Mao's class struggle and no assets or no related products. In fact he called the bourgeoisie is that he did not like people, most of the proletariat is still true. This unprincipled struggle finally he himself destroyed. From the fifties he was obsessed with class struggle. Anti-Hu Feng, the anti-rightist, anti-rightist, four clear, the Cultural Revolution, are carried around the class struggle. He cleared Peng, He Long, Chen Yi, Liu, Tao Zhu. Also made use of the Liu Lin Doudao. Lin does not trust later on, to get rid of Lin Biao. Eventually, even Zhou Enlai also the contrary, only a loner and a few relatives, Jiang Qing, Mao Yuanxin and Quantitative, and very few retainers, such as Zhang Yufeng. Mao Zedong's not so sure if the class struggle, but in and for you, engage in unity, the time of his death will not be so alone, although the responsibility for famine three years, he as the founding fathers, but also respected by most people. Mao Zedong is seen by his own class struggle destroyed. Lin Biao, Mao Zedong, many lessons learned since the accident to unite Jiang, Jiang Qing, he only saw how bad people everywhere fighting, but Jiang is only his dog, who asked her to bite bite whoever. In the end he did not give up the class struggle.
Engage in class struggle, Mao Zedong, countless dead, die for it. Every person engaged in sport has committed suicide (homicide is not to say a). In particular, who committed suicide during the Cultural Revolution is not the ordinary people, mostly celebrities, have made great contributions to society of people, many friends, or Mao Zedong. Mao Zedong is fully aware of these people commit suicide, but he did not compassion. Three thousand million people starved to death three years of famine, mostly to help him seized political power, the poor peasant. But he could not feel sad. And he had intimate relations of the Sun Weishi, Shangguan beads and others have been forced to commit suicide. He had no tender fondness. Now revealed that Mao Zedong had raped numerous women. Had his altar, his vices aspects of human nature who can not tell. He stepped down from the altar after being exposed to these things one after another. The cold-blooded nature is unsurpassed. Its really surprising dark psychological. Everyone says that the wisdom of Mao Zedong high, no one learned the. But no one can learn more of his ruthless, no basic humanity.
From now on the details exposed, Mao Zedong made to engage the class struggle within the party feel insecure, extremely abnormal relationships. Everything is built around a "right" word. What is national unity, people's interests, all are put aside. Several leaders of the country is one thing all day thinking about who benefit, in particular, how the right of Mao Zedong. Mao Zedong, no one dared to offend a nation have turned into something Mao private affairs. At that time many people can not understand all the developments, and now every thing is put clear. Nie's poster posters how to become a revolution, several University of drink being called rebellious teenager how to be used, in Wuhan, Wang was beaten, and later the Tiananmen Square to defend the background of the Cultural Revolution of the General Assembly, who is 516 molecules, why should the whole 516, why should Pilinpikong approved Duke, outsiders do not understand all these things, in fact, eliminate political opponents of the strategy of Mao Zedong. He was very clear, but the inconvenience is clear. Many important things during the Cultural Revolution to consult him, he always ambiguous, ask them to guess. Because his real purpose is shady, and his psychology is very dark. Power of a state by such a boundless, there are ulterior purpose of the leaders of command, all the way to the economic and political double the brink of collapse, this is nothing strange. Many people think the original pattern of the Revolution, Mao Zedong launched the bourgeoisie to seize power in the state machine for the proletariat for profit. Now been completely exposed the hoax.
Mao's last years, although the body completely or not, but my mind is still clear. He knew he was going to die. State leadership to whom? Jiang, in his mind that only the most reliable. Jiang decided to take over. But he also understands Jiang grudges too much, can not get the consent of the majority, so let Hua Jiang assistance. One face of Mao Zedong Hua Guofeng said: You work, I worry. But added: Jiang Qing find something to discuss. Mao died in his country a year after his death the leaders of the arrangement are: Party chairman, Jiang; Prime Minister Hua Guofeng; People's Congress Chairman: Wang Hongwen or Mao Yuanxin; the Central Military Commission Chairman: Chen Xilian. And later to the party chairman Mao Yuanxin. Sum does not exceed a few of his own kin. Jiang Qing, Mao Yuanxin Hedeheneng or, why the post of president can serve? Jiang Qing's performance during the Cultural Revolution is totally a bitch, and no vision, self-expansion, bragging. After the smashing of the Gang of Four trial of Jiang Qing as Cuandangduoquan her counter-revolutionary, suspended death sentence is extremely fair. Mao actually want to give a counter-revolutionary power of the country. The only thought in his mind was Mao Zedong's home world how to maintain. Nothing to do with the proletariat and the bourgeoisie.
Lin Biao and the 1971 National People's sigh of relief after that great leader Lin Biao, in order to seize power engage in pattern of misleading the Revolution. Lin is dead now no reason this should stop the pattern of the Revolution. In different parts of the implementation of policy, the liberation of the original anti-anti-Lin Piao and the Cultural Revolution people. Of course, because anti-Lin Biao people have been executed non-renewable. Mao Zedong and Lin Biao incident, but rather because of the extreme feelings of depression, had a serious illness, his health never recovered. The leader of a country of their mood and feelings of the people the opposite extreme, excited the people facing the same thing, leaders of boredom, really great people, unfortunately. Deng Xiaoping in 1975, the second came back, lost for the first reorganization of the national railway system to enable it to function properly. Then all levels of government in partisan consolidation, elimination of conflicting emotions, and the liberation of a group of cadres to be overthrown, arrested as part of a bad head, so that the government gradually on the right track, production was resumed, the indicators into rise, the people are with Deng Xiaoping, the situation is improving, shattered country may return to normal. But Mao Zedong thought and the interests of the people has nothing to do, just can not keep his own power, Jiang could not take over. Deng Xiaoping and Jiang Qing, head-on collision a few times, Mao Zedong decided to get rid of Deng Xiaoping. This is the dying Mao Zedong in 1976 the Deng campaign. Deng Xiaoping once again break down. Reduced from a statesman Mao Zedong was everywhere and the people opposed to the enemies of the people, because he was under the control of the power of superstition, the loss of a minimum of reason.
To completely destroyed the power of Mao Zedong, so that he completely lost the normal thinking, to look into their own country to do a thing. Jiang unpopular although he knew that "Within three to five years will surely reign of terror." But he can not get rid of this situation. He has been crazy, crazy to be out of class struggle. Succession to Jiang Qing, his only choice. Yu Zhi Zhou why he kills, it is because he does not believe Zhoukuai Chen Jiang service. He had the ideal is to Zhou Enlai, Jiang Qing power assist. Zhou Enlai, Jiang Qing, but can not and cooperation. Jiang is not a politician. Emerged during the founding of the Communist Party went so far as many heroes as much as no one can be a bitch. The fatuity of Mao Zedong and his combination of high intelligence, the Chinese not to become a mess of a country's "national." Countries on the destruction of his ability to play to the extreme, no one can match his per cent.
Growing body of data decryption, the Cultural Revolution, the circumstances surrounding this farce ever more clear. Mao Zedong was amazing, so much to the heroes one by one Doudao, eliminated. Mao and Stalin are different. Stalin's aim is to clear the differences of the party, murder is the goal. The man Mao's purpose is not to kill, but to let him suffer great humiliation and suffering. First of all let him be isolated, no one dared to sympathize with him, put him into an enemy of the people, and then deprived of his basic human rights, anyone can easily insulted him, and can easily beat him and told him to drink dirty water spittoon and wounded allowed the hospital to give him treatment. Finally, let him feel rather die than live, kill myself. And even when suicide shouting "Long live Chairman Mao" If he dares to have the slightest disrespect of Mao, the relatives of his death will encounter all the more tragic fate. Mao Zedong, Liu Shaoqi is an example of the whole. Liu Shaoqi to die, Mao Zedong ordered the rescue, to wait for Congress to pass a resolution to renegade traitor thief Liu always special workers expelled from the party, and select the seven-year-old birthday in his face that day presented to Liu Shaoqi and listen, then let him slowly die in the pain of helplessness. Mao's senior cadres to death after a trial without one (even if it is pro forma) formally executed, are they slow the extreme isolation in the isolated state, enough of all the pain and then die. Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai extremely hated, because people support the Zhou Yuansheng in support of the hair. However, Zhou Enlai, Mao has not lost a whole, because outside this country and outside are inseparable from Zhou Enlai. In the week in the last few days alive, tortured him extreme pain. Take this opportunity to dig out of Mao Zedong before dozens of articles written in criticism of Zhou Enlai, the exhaustion of sarcasm, satire, harsh language, as people read to Zhou Enlai personally to listen, to increase the weeks of pain. This process is the need to carefully designed, is exhausting. Most of Mao's effort in this area with.
Stalin and Mao took over, killing more people than Stalin, Mao Zedong killed more. Before the liberation of more than a dozen people killed Jinggangshan revolutionaries, this account of the operator in whose head, I can not tell. After the liberation of the suppression of counterrevolutionaries killed seventy people. This is mainly the idea of Mao Zedong. Engaged in cleaning up after the class during the Cultural Revolution team, three against five against, killed a large number. The specific number has never been published, it is estimated no more than two million. In addition no large-scale shoot people. Is not starved to death more than thirty million killed directly; whole dead, suicide, and resorting to violence is not the death of Mao Zedong's direct killing. Stalin actually killed hundreds of people. But Stalin the Great Patriotic War, against Hitler's army and win, but who can not be denied. In contrast, Mao Zedong, the Communist Party of the first two years in addition to resistance forces fought several battles against the Japanese army, since 1939 not played in a slightly larger battle. The main focus on the expansion of the Communist Party liberated areas, develop their own armed forces. This time is a critical moment of life and death of the Chinese nation, Mao Zedong stood not to fight the Japanese, playing their own calculator, ready to picking son after the victory. He did. But liberation did not bring happiness to the Chinese people, on the contrary, is the loss of life caused by three years. Death for political reasons over fifty million of the public. More than World War II deaths. World War II to bring peace to the world. Defeated Germany, Japan, have become a democratic, civilized, prosperous, happy country. Exception of China, the victors fell into the class struggle within the endless, resulting in unprecedented loss of life human beings.
Mao brought to China is painful, and then die. Jiaoren their way not only suffering exhaustion, and mobilize people across the country against each other, each other causing pain. The little people in general, not simply put to death, and the same great experience that they only kill the pain, like Zhang Zhixin, Yu Luoke, Lin Zhao, Wang Peiying, and both are in the martyrdom of a crime prior to that they suffered only then kill them. Mao Zedong also human to undermine all the good things. Several thousand years of accumulated culture, ideals, morality, art, and all were negative. Movable antiques, paintings, sculptures, smashed all burn. Can not move the building is on the down, the beautiful movie star shaved his head, so that ignorant people insult them by all means. Most useful to the community of intellectuals one by one down, or even force them to commit suicide. Religious leaders to promote good prison, or even simply to kill. The purpose of Mao Zedong, because he and painful world. If each person's pain can add the words, Mao's purpose is to maximize the pain of the whole society. Revolution through the pattern of this purpose he did. Great pain is the pattern of the Revolution of the most essential things. This is the "great savior of the people" by giving people gifts.
Mao not only did the pain in the maximization of domestic manufacturing, and the output of his theory, so that the world must be brutal struggle. He encouraged to engage in armed revolution in Southeast Asia, of death. In Malaysia, India, Thailand, the Philippines, Myanmar, Indonesia, Nepal, Sri Lanka, have armed rebellion. Today, thirty years after his death there are a lot of remaining issues. Independent India's Maoist armed, with the support of two hundred million poor people, but thirty years did not improve the poverty problem. Deaths due to armed struggle, thousands of people each year. India's central government can not take them. Do a worst of Cambodia. Chairman Mao's good student, Pol Pot, follow the teachings of Mao Zedong killed millions, as the world's highest proportion of recent history in the murder case of human extinction. This is the work of Mao Zedong built the world's deeds. This series of stories also shows a problem. His theory is very deceptive, so have so many people fall. He has also held high the brand work. Whether his theory is right or wrong? The reason is simple, to improve people's lives depend on the development of production, by how people can get rich fighting. All follow Mao Zedong's theory, perhaps a good time bucket (the bucket may be unlucky), but could not escape poverty. Without exception.
But Mao is naive, he never thought the last I had become a loner, not a true like-minded politicians in the side, leaving a number of Huqungoudang. Finally, he trusted people, only the Gang of Four was later sentenced. We boast of Mao's vision, in fact, hair is short-sighted. He launched the Cultural Revolution, how can you think of when they will become isolated. And his first fight with a close ally of the whole must have been deserted. Chi Mao Zedong to death are very clear, but in a very lonely, disappointed, no future, no state of comrades and friends die. He never thought his life turned out to be so brilliant an outcome. Mao to die without the slightest remorse or regret. Arrested after Mao's death Hua Guofeng and Ye Jianying, a gang of four, the Supreme Court trial of the Gang of Four, The condemned them. But the head of the Gang of Four, this disastrous Tiananmen total background is still hanging on, while everyone on the printed bills every day. This screen farce of China did not really take a bow now. But Mao is human, not a god, he will eventually be completely off the altar, as an ordinary person, like a coat in stripping away of God, under the conditions of the conditions in the elimination of all superstition, to accept a fair judge. (Original Chinese Below)
Mao Yushi
Video Documentaries
The Communist Party & Mao
The Long March
Mao Zedong
The Great Leap Forward
Chinese Economic Planning under Mao
The Cultural Revolution
The Economist 28/5/2011
Liberalism under attack in China
Boundlessly loyal to the great monster
But at least the liberals are fighting back
...
A relative liberal, Wen Jiabao, the prime minister, in a meeting with a visitor from Hong Kong in April, said two forces were causing difficulties for China’s reform efforts. One, Mr Wen said, was “vestiges of feudal society” (party-speak for conservatism). The other, he added, was the “pernicious influence of the Cultural Revolution”. Apologists for that orgy of violence, destruction and persecution in the latter years of Mao’s rule abound in China’s Maoist circles. Qin Xiao, a former chairman of China Merchants Bank and a prominent moderniser, warned in an interview this month that the “evil habits” of the Cultural Revolution were in danger of resurfacing. At least this time, in contrast to earlier hardline crackdowns, some liberals are fighting back.
The Comments on this article in the Economist are most informative.
See Kaixin's - For whom the Bell Tolls - Mao, Tiananmen 1989, The Cultural Revolution
See Kaixin's - Mao’s Last Swimmer - Chairman Mao's swim anniversary Nanning China
The Wall Street Journal 9/7/2011
Judging Mao as a Man
Only when Chinese strip away the mythology surrounding Mao Zedong will we understand his terrible legacy.
Editor's note: This article is adapted from a longer essay that has now been removed from the website of Caixin magazine. After it was published, pro-Maoist groups have called for the author to be prosecuted for sedition and treason. The translation is by Jude Blanchette.
Mao Zedong was once a god. With the uncovering of more and more documents and information, he is gradually returning to human form.
On Banning all things Jasmine in China:
Hidden Harmonies China Blog
“Catching Scent of Revolution, China Moves to Snip Jasmine” – Retarded Government or Retarded NYT?
Is it conceivable that the Chinese government ban the jasmine flower in China? That is exactly what a group of journalists at the New York Times argue in their recent article, “Catching Scent of Revolution, China Moves to Snip Jasmine.” I asked Andrew Jacobs, one of the authors if he believed what he wrote? In response, he said:
'Yes, I do believe what I wrote because myself and two other reporters spoke to dozens of growers, wholesalers and retailers. Have you, by any chance, done the same? I welcome you to come to China and do some reporting and find out the truth.'
Funny, I was just in China last month. (See, “All happy on the Wangfujing front.”) So, I decided to call 北京莱太花卉. I asked an employee there, “美国媒体真是很坏. 他们说莉花不能卖. 你听说茉莉花不能卖吗?” She said “没有听说过.” We both laughed when I said, “美国媒体有神经病.” In short, there is no ban. The lady I spoke to laughed at my comment the U.S. media is mentally retarded.
As I have written previously (“茉莉花 (Molihua) / Jasmine Flower, a piece of Chinese culture that has taken root around the world“), ‘jasmine’ is an inextricable part of Chinese culture. Can anyone imagine a China without jasmine tea, jasmine ice cream, the flower itself, and perhaps hundreds or more products dependent on it? Not to mention that song and its prominence at the 2008 Beijing Olympics?
I have also asked some friends in China this question too. There is no ban!
A Selection from the Comments on the Article in The Economist:
Gao MF wrote:
May 26th 2011 5:28 GMT
An entire article talking about a cyber flame-war in China. Isn't there things more important that you can write about?
You can pretty much say or write anything in China without getting arrested, provided that you do not try to organize people in real life. On the web, however, there are 100 million really bored Chinese with nothing better to do than pounce on seeing the next thing that offend them. A small section of this 100 million make up the 'Maoist' that this article talks about. [This is Kaixin's oservation also]
Mao Yushi will not be arrested simply because of some petition. The 10,000 signatures are nothing more than internet clicks, since trying to organize that many people in real life will lead to crackdown and arrest before they get to sign anything.
You can talk about crimes of Mao Zedong as much as you want in China, and most people will actually agree with you, since they probably know someone who suffered crackdown during Mao's era. But one undeniable fact about Mao is that he was an absolutely brilliant warfare strategist during the civil war, and this part of him will be remembered by people, alongside his crimes. Pictures of Mao function similarly to all the Guan Yu alters you see in Chinese restaurants, as a guardian charm of sort.
Bardamu wrote:
May 27th 2011 12:49 GMT
This article is not about the rights and wrongs of Mao. It is about where China is heading now. Does the Economist have nothing more important to write about than the fate of the world's most populous nation, home to a fifth of humanity, and its second-largest economy? I'd say no.
More power to Wen Jiabao's arm. God help all of us if China relapses back into Maoism.
(See Kaixin's Article: For whom the Bell Tolls - Mao, Tiananmen 1989, The Cultural Revolution)
BurkeanPluralist wrote:
May 27th 2011 3:14 GMT
I think this is a good article because it can show people who have not lived in China that Mao has been denounced (something that many assume would occur) and that China is probably not on the path of becoming a Liberal Democracy at least as much because of the mentality of the citizens as the policies of the government.
"Mao worship" is more of a religious phenomenon than a political one. He has a undergone apotheosis like so many other heroes in China's history, such as Guan Yu.
Mao emblems hang in Taxi's as good luck, there is the popular "Maojia" resturant chain throughout China that serves Hunan food (Mao's home province) and are decorated with paintings, photos, and idols of Mao; frequently accompanied by sayings like "when you go off to live your good life, don't forget about Chairman Mao." I have met many farmers who still hang posters of Mao in their home, millions travel to his hometown to hear a mythical telling of his life story, and there are of course the innumerable faithful that kneel before his preserved corpse in Tianaman Square.
No one pretends that Mao was perfect. It's widely acknowledged that he made horrible mistakes as a leader. By the same token, it is widely acknowledged that Qin Shi Huang (the first emperor) was a bloodthirsty tyrant, but he is still recognized and honored as the father of the Empire.
I do not think that anyone needs to worry about a "backslide" into Maoism in China. The Chinese government is certainly not going to nullify all of the economic reforms it made in the last 30 years. Nor is it going to undermine its own authority by empowering a new generation of red guards. And all of the cultural trends in the past couple decades have headed in the opposite direction. The cultural component of the "Cultural Revolution" was targeted at traditional Chinese culture and traditional Chinese culture has been returning with great strength and government support: old temples have been restored and protected, traditional holidays reinstated, enormous Buddhist statues that dwarf the Statue of Liberty erected, and there is even a statue of Confucius recently enthroned in Tianaman Square.
country road wrote:
May 27th 2011 3:15 GMT
Usually,most people of so-called"Liberalism" or "conservatives",Pro-Mao or anti-Mao,are radicals.Don't forget the "silent majority".I believe that "silent majority" in China are more rational than anyone of Pro-Mao or anti-Mao.
Indeed, the bigger and better his lies and the more ingeniously he creates them, the more he is likely to be praised by the public and the critics.He can be anyone of of so-called"Liberalism" or "conservatives",Pro-Mao or anti-Mao.
Prp-Mao will say in Mao's free education,free house,free medical service,few corruption and crime,Food or most wealth average distribution create a real egalitarian society,poor can be tooked cared of more and better……sounds like in Paradise on Earth.In Pro-Mao's eye,In Mao's we ever had luxurious life just like millionaire for hundreds of years.
anti-Mao also will tell us many ridiculous and frightening truths:in Mao's all are lies,and all are poor,and 2 or 5 or 8 millions people died of famine,2 or 5 billions or died of revolutionary movement etc……sounds like in a hell on earth.In Pro-Mao's eye,In Mao's we have starved hundreds of times.
Based on my life,In Mao's it is not too bad,not too god.Living standard is very lower than now.The life is completely uncharmed and average.But basic livelihood guarantee and welfare system ,free medical service etc., are better and equitable than now.Of courese,few corruption is aslo ture,because even you are millionaire, you can not buy all the thing you want, most products and serves will be equal distribution by government plan not by money.
tocharian wrote:
May 27th 2011 4:27 GMT
I am happy to see such a variety of opinions and diversity of views that are already expressed amongst the commentators on this rather contentious topic. Flexibility, Freedom and Tolerance are the true characteristics of a rising civilization. Rigidity, Loyalty and Stability are the signs of a decaying civilization on its way out.
As Chairman Mao said: "May a hundred flowers bloom" (including at least three varieties of jasmine, I hope)
sloop slided wrote:
May 27th 2011 1:12 GMT
To the Chinese posting here: You need to put a space after your commas.
E.g: "I went to the store, but it was closed."
The fanaticism shown for Mao is fascinating, in my opinion. You got this man who sent his nation into absolute chaos, killed millions of people, but because he imposed propaganda on everyone in a really clever way, he indoctrinated a whole lot of people and this indoctrination lasts even to today.
I don't recall anyone today in Russia worshiping Stalin after the USSR fell apart (although they certainly did before).
And Americans don't worship George Washington or Benjamin Franklin either. They certainly don't send death threats to anyone who says anything bad about it.
Kaixin - Well, he completely missed the point, didn't he? Kaixin is not surprised at his patronising opening comment. Kaixin fields a lot of comments by Americans, and this patronising attitude is all too often present.
commonsensical wrote:
May 27th 2011 2:11 GMT
@ sloop slided
"E.g: "I went to the store, but it was closed."
I am not Chinese and sorry to nitpick but I don't think there shoud be a comma before "but" in your sentence. Too good to resist :-)
"I don't recall anyone today in Russia worshiping Stalin after the USSR fell apart (although they certainly did before)."
That's because they were defeated in a war albeit a "Cold" one :-) No one defeated/humiliated Mao. One has to realize that certain leaders loom large in the national consciousness of a country like China. It is futile to debate whether such leaders were good/bad because they are beyond descriptions of such simplistic notions. But hey it's fun and entertainment so I don't mind.
"And Americans don't worship George Washington or Benjamin Franklin either."
Oh please! Haven't you listened to how conservative radio talk shows preach about the infinite wisdom of "Founding Fathers" and what they would have done today? And these guys lived more than 200 years ago!!
Kaixin - At last! ... some balance. As I wrote in my OpEd today, the Americans with narrow minds are often balanced by those with big hearts.
BurkeanPluralist wrote:
May 27th 2011 2:11 GMT
Sloop slided,
Chinese people think of Mao as ending the chaos in China. Before Mao, under the KMT, China could not control its borders, Tibet and Xinjiang functioned as independent countries, China was being invaded and occupied by the Japanese, and the country was filled with warlords and organized crime; and it was just as dictorial as under Mao. Mao won the civil war, got rid of the gangsters and warlords, regained control of China's frontiers, and built a modern, nuke equipped military that can protect China from future foreign invasion. Yeah, the Cultural Revolution caused some temporary chaos but that's long past. [ Kaixin - Xiaosui's family was at the rought end of that time, but they have put it behind them and see it in the context of the time, they are all proud of China and what it has achieved]. Yeah, the Great Leap Forward caused some people to starve; but during Mao's reign life expetancy increased by over 20 years and the population almost doubled. On top of that, Mao created universal education and extended equal rights to women.
It's really not any wonder that the majority of the Chinese people continue to admire Mao and propaganda has little do with it. One of my close friends is from a family of poor pig farmers. Thanks to Mao's education reforms he was able to get an education and through his hard work and intelligence (and the opportunities presented to him) he was able to get into one of China's top universities and eventually join the Communist Party and become an official. Now he is quite wealthy. Why wouldn't he be grateful to Mao?
In the USA we don't worship Washington or Franklin because we are a monotheistic culture. We certainly glorify and revere our founding fathers. And in Russia, from what I understand, there are still many who revere Stalin. China, despite the atheistic nature of the CCP, is still fundamentally a polytheistic culture that has a long history of deifying their heroes. Mao was an exceptional Emperor and the herald of a new （to China) political philosophy. It should not be surprising that he goes up on the mantle with all of their other little gods.
New Conservative wrote:
May 27th 2011 2:43 GMT
I think the "great monster" is a bit much. "The Red Emperor" is more accurate and still leaves room for all of his deeds both great and despicable. It's also how he behaved and how he saw himself.
Mao was not as brilliant military strategist as later propaganda would make out, rather he had skilled subordinates and aggressively sought credit. His writing on war is brilliant, but Mao personally didn't command troops after 1934. And while the Long March is a legend, an amazing achievement, it's not a victory, just a skilled defeat. Like Dunkirk for the British.
Mao's innovation was at the Party and organizational level. He was the one who decided to steer clear of the Japanese and stay rural. The famed 100 regiments offensive,(the biggest of the small handful of engagements that the communists actually fought against Japan.) was authorized and ordered by Peng Dehuai. Mao condemned it at the time, and later would cite it in 1959 as a proof of Peng's lack of communist zeal. When it came time to win the Civil War Lin Biao, Peng Dehuai, Zhu De, were the ones who were in command.
(The Nationalists were devastated in 1944 by the Ichi Go offensive, which was undertaken because the Japanese saw the arrival of American planes and airbases in Southeast China as threat. Mao's innovation and success was that he was able to build up the Red Army (not yet the PLA) without threatening Japan. The Nationalists were thus the only Allied country in WW2 to come out of it weaker than when they entered. It also helped that they were generally corrupt and massively incompetent.
Mao actually found himself in the position of being useless after the war. He was leader of the struggle and the country was at peace, competent people like Liu Shaoqi and Zhou Enlai were running the country in the boring and humdrum policy of actually delivering government services. A stable government had no need for the Helmsman to lead it through chaos.
Mao thus started campaigns. The Great Leap Forward, The Hundred Flowers Movement, The Anti Rightist Campaign that attacked everyone who'd participated in the Hundred Flowers Movement, The Cultural Revolution and the list goes on. The official narrative of the cultural Revolution is that it was directed against old society but one of it's most practical and early effects was destroying the Communist party's long serving rank and file bureaucrats and replacing them with revolution committees or student groups or rebellion organizations, they fought and disagreed and destroyed the day to day life in Chinese society 老百名吃苦 but they were all true believers in the Red Sun of their hearts.
The best thing for China would have been for Mao to have a heart attack in 1950.
Kaixin - Kaixin has often stated that Mao was the right person to take power, but he was the wrong person to wield it.
phil l wrote:
May 27th 2011 2:56 GMT
The Cultural Revolution will be remembered as one of the bloodsheds that unequivocally stained the last century. There are few doubts about that.
Yet, from a historical—and somewhat cold—perspective I'd say that, of the many empires that grew to dominate a part of their time and land on this earth, few ever managed to rise without a "much stronger than usual" leader. In boxing or in war, the strength of one hurts another, and most of those men and women were deadly military geniuses. The harshest kind, capable of killing masses—in the thousands before the industrial era, in the millions today. Exceptional dominance requires exceptional means, I suppose.
But what do we remember of Rome, of Napoleon? It seems to me we don't really question their ethics (we merely observe them), for they belong to another time, to a past that can no longer be. Yet in their time, they were hated and feared by many. What will we remember of Mao some 200 years from now? He's not there just yet. But historically, I gather that we'll probably speak more of his genius than of his killings.
Within a few generations, violent memories fade away, and all we're left with is a vague impression of 'exotic' grandeur and power, for time makes things look distant, even more than space perhaps. But if we are really to evolve, to be more enlightened than our predecessors on this earth, perhaps it is time we manage to master—as in "harness"—power itself. I surmise that representative democracy and constitutions were much required in order to do so; I still consider that much needs to be done if we observe that any doctrine—including liberalism—can do harm. It's what doctrines do, as theoretical constructs they fail at some point when faced with reality.
I'm curious to see how, and if, chinese people will need 'that much' political freedom to reach "happiness" and the highest quality of life. It's never been proven that democracy is the only way to make people happy, it's just that any other form of government in history was so often connected with psychopath leaders and a lack of both ethics and control… I think some day humans will look back at us and congratulate themselves on how far they've advanced, politically and socially, from the children's regimes we use today, worldwide. "The art of organizing men and their interactions" still has many good cards to play in our future. Or so I hope.
Disclaimer: I am not against democracy, by all means not! I'm merely thinking out loud. "It's been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all the others that have been tried." — Winston Churchill.
Kaixin - Kaixin states often that democracy is not a panacea for all, and it must grow out of the soil of a nation, it cannot be imposed. China will develop its own from a democracy where the people's voice will be heard by Beijing. It will be China's democracy, not some mutant form foisted on it by America or the 'west'.
new student 2009 wrote:
May 27th 2011 4:17 GMT
I think many of us revere Chairman Mao for what he was and not for what he was not. He was a great leader and thinker and he made mistakes in his later time. That’s also communist party’s official position.
I am not superstition, but I have a small Mao figure on the windshield of my car, as my guardian angle (In China it is popular use Buddha, Chairman Mao, Guanyin-- goddess of mercy, Catholic cross,...in the car). Many older people like my grandfather miss him. He is beloved by many young people today also.
Recently there is a statement to ask party members to be careful of what they say or criticize and what they do to protect the unity and image of the party. But for most of us are not party members, it does not apply.
I can say anything on Chinese internet except for illegal things like “overthrow government” or “pornographic materials”. I think that’s not wrong.
livefromCA2 wrote:
May 27th 2011 7:23 GMT
There is Chinese liberalism? This Beijing correspondant only reported nationalists for such a long time. Hehe.
The aristocrats will just get a good laugh over this, many of them suffered from Mao's mob attack tactics like this in Cultural Revolution. These latest attempt by the idolists are pretty much like Ai Weiwei's art, stupid and preosterous. (Kaixin - We completley agree, Ai Weiwei's art is a reflection of the man and his opinions).
daetler wrote:
May 27th 2011 7:52 GMT
I've been following these developments on the Chinese Maoist web for awhile. There is much more of interest at these sites. Actually they have a great deal of criticism of economic policies and exposure of social problems and abuses. To call these Maoists hard-liners is a misnomer. They basically hearken back to the idealism of the Mao era, such as a desire for social and economic justice, against income disparities and the exploitative social and economic relations that have emerged with the capitalist style economic reforms. There are many articles against the introduction of genetically modified foods into China, supporting migrant worker's rights and peasant land rights, etc. I've translated some of these articles from Utopia (http://www.wyzxsx.com/) and other Maoist sites. My translations can be found at http://eaststillred.blogspot.com/
jjilplpijj wrote:
May 28th 2011 2:26 GMT
As well as i am, why the dear economist still tail the Chairman Mao, of couse i am a chinese, born 1984, and i tell u in full heart that china has been given a very fair comments on Great Mao who is a expertiser on militry, gurrila and he discard all outsiding invaders out of china and restore us a peace, also the authority and intellcultants have been admitted his wrongdoings during cultury rev. at least i have learnt while i am a pupil in history. We have to keep eyes on the nowadays how to make the world more proespect and good living no matter in Uk or china.
killer martni wrote:
May 28th 2011 5:48 GMT
@New Conservative wrote: May 28th 2011 4:48 GMT @jjilplpijj
The one thing Mao did not do is "discard the foreign invaders." When Japan surrendered, there were still nearly a million Japanese troops in mainland China. Japan was defeated by American bombing and and the Soviet invasion of Manchuria. China's contribution was keeping the Japanese from sending those million troops elsewhere, but it never defeated them.
==> you should redo your primary school history, remember" Hundred Regiments offensive " against Japanese launched by General Peng dehuai? by the way, do you remember, JP morgan was busy issuing Japanese bond to help finance Japan's war effort in China? and Standard oil deliver crude oil to japan? and they paid the media to support Japan's invastion of China. with these western dogs, Japan would not implement large scale invasion in the first place.
Even if Mao wants to claim credit for distracting Japan, that's not right. The Japanese troop dispositions were 70% against the nationalists and 30% for rear area security. (the term that included all troops opposing guerillas, communist or nationalist)
==> Mao certainly will contribute more if Nationalist wound not kill 50000 communist soldiers in the long March. since Jiang claimed he was the Chinese leader, and commanded much of Chinese resources, was it natural for Jiang to fight the majority of Japanese?
And the foreign invasion was crucial to Mao's success. In Manchuria, the Soviets turned over caches of Japanese weapons and supplies. They also blocked Nationalist troops from entering certain cities until after the communists had a chance to get out or get in.
==> bullshit, Jiang enjoyed superior army and weaponry, it had a chance for peaceful negosiation, remeber "Chong qiong negosiation"
financed and Armed by US, Jiang simply wanted to wipe out CCP by force. at that time, Jiang had chance to lead China without civil war. It was his delusion that He can defeat CCP by force. He was an idiot.
The cessation of the unequal treaties was accomplished by Chiang Kai Shek, Roosevelt and Churchill in 1943, so Mao can't claim credit for that either.
==> more ignorance, these stupid big three already sold out China's interest to Soviet. remember May 4th movement when China's interet was sold to Japanese? at that time Mao was a young student, he learned his lesson, never trust so called international friends!
in the middle of civil war, Stalin telegraphed Mao to stop at Ynagzhe river, it was the interst of soviet, US to keep China split, so they can manipulate both sides. credit on Mao, He discarded Stalin's order, pushed to revolution to the end.
in 1970,China fucked soviet, in 2010 on wards we will fuck US.
the lesson here, forget all the bullshit, keep China united at all cost.
Other people and mostly other foreigners kicked the foreigners out of China. Mao can't claim credit for that.
==> forgot UK fleets would not leave China, and were shelled to ashes?
last credit to Mao, he stopped the opuim addiction in china, from 1840 onwards, British's opium sale in China enslaved millisons of Chinese, Mao said NO, and that's the end of opium in China.
Do you want to give this credit to Mao?
Kaixin - The responses clearly demonstrates a better knowledge of China's history than the sad propaganda dished up by 'New Conservative'
Commonsensical wrote:
May 28th 2011 6:14 GMT
@ killer martini
"@Devils Advocate_1
for I believe it was the opium war, the second opium war, and ....wars waged by west barbarian depleted China treasure. you still remember the sack of summer palace? so Chinese did that? haha
For those who know nothing about Chinese history, you can at least shut up."
Take it easy! I think devil was being SARCASTIC :-)
Kaixin - Let's hope he/she was being sarcastic, otherwise it shows a poor knowledge of China's history.
