I also disagree with the “Mao-Deng rupture” idea that Maoists float about.
Mao was obviously positioning the Chinese economy to have some sort of replication of a market economy. Hell, he shook hands with China for “Reform/Opening Up.” There were those close to Mao that said that he would’ve done the same thing as Deng, though to what degree, they don’t know. Also, Deng idolized Mao Zedong and was something of a fanboy of his while Mao doted on Deng Xiaoping (including in that one famous moment when a Soviet delegation was at Beijing).
Deng Xiaoping was a seriously devoted ML afaik, the guy navigated a pretty crazy and confusing time in global history and laid the foundation for the PRCs role as the powerful support of the global south
Yeah. If Deng Xiaoping had been the one to shake hands with Nixon and Kissinger along with Zhou Enlai, we would’ve never heard the end of it. But Mao and his best Zhou Enlai were the ones to do it and it does show they were willing to not follow the Soviet model which Maoists seem to love so much.
Yeah.
I also disagree with the “Mao-Deng rupture” idea that Maoists float about.
Mao was obviously positioning the Chinese economy to have some sort of replication of a market economy. Hell, he shook hands with China for “Reform/Opening Up.” There were those close to Mao that said that he would’ve done the same thing as Deng, though to what degree, they don’t know. Also, Deng idolized Mao Zedong and was something of a fanboy of his while Mao doted on Deng Xiaoping (including in that one famous moment when a Soviet delegation was at Beijing).
Deng Xiaoping was a seriously devoted ML afaik, the guy navigated a pretty crazy and confusing time in global history and laid the foundation for the PRCs role as the powerful support of the global south
Yeah. If Deng Xiaoping had been the one to shake hands with Nixon and Kissinger along with Zhou Enlai, we would’ve never heard the end of it. But Mao and his best Zhou Enlai were the ones to do it and it does show they were willing to not follow the Soviet model which Maoists seem to love so much.