u/The-MT-Sant - originally from r/GenZhou
Taking a modern Chinese History class right now and a lot of it can be your typical weird, Western, propagandistic gobbley gook that amounts to “communism bad China bad”. However, we’re currently on the section regarding the Cultural Revolution and it seems like something that even the modern Communist Party acknowledges as a mistake, with the rehabilitation of many figures under Deng Xiapoing in the 80s. It also (at least form how it is being taught) seems like something that was simply objectively bad and used as a crackdown on individual rights. We are also required to read “Son of A Revolution” by Liang Heng and Judith Shapiro. Is this a reliable book? Also Do communists typically just look at this era as a mistake made by Mao? Were there any salvageable aspects of this time period? Or should it be looked at as nothing more than a stain on the Party’s record and something that needs to be learned from? Furthermore, do you think that the Cultural Revolution was motivated by genuine fear of external pressure attempting to destabilize China or more so the party and Mao’s paranoia that a youynger generation wouldn’t hold the same fervor for revolution that the generation that actively participated in it did? Lots of questions I know (haha) but any information about Chinese historians, communists, or the CCP views this era would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

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    4 years ago

    u/ROMEROoscar - originally from r/GenZhou
    The opening paragraph of the Wiki article is surprisingly accurate:

    The theoretical system of socialism with Chinese characteristics (Chinese: 中国特色社会主义; pinyin: Zhōngguó tèsè shèhuìzhǔyì)[1] is a set of political theories and policies of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) that are seen by their proponents as representing Marxism–Leninism adapted to Chinese circumstances and specific time periods, consisting of Deng Xiaoping Theory, Three Represents (Jiang Zemin), Scientific Outlook on Development (Hu Jintao), and Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era.

    So-called Maoists take the position that there are Marxist tactics that can be applied universally. Not only can they, Maoists argue, they must. They argue Protracted People’s War and Cultural Revolution are necessary to establish socialism. The only true desire of the ‘Maoist’ movement is violence and war.

    Modern socialism in Bolivia and Venezuela is taking a different path than the Maoists forsaw, and therefore to Maoists these are not socialist countries. It’s an ideology of checklists.

    I think you’re overstating the global influence of so-called Maoism.

    Don’t get caught up in obscure ideologies born from academia and book worship.

    • archive_botOPB
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      4 years ago

      u/Hot_Opportunity_2328 - originally from r/GenZhou
      Is this really the case with mainstream Maoists though? Do you have sources? I ask because Mao’s On Practice explicitly condemns idealism and dogmatism, and self-professed Maoist comrades around me aren’t hardline about People’s war and Cultural Revolution.

      • archive_botOPB
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        4 years ago

        u/ROMEROoscar - originally from r/GenZhou
        Here is a modern Maoist book publishers kinda classics of Maoism:

        https://foreignlanguages.press/works-of-maoism/

        They are the works of Mao, the Shining Path of Peru and Jose Sison of the Philippines.

        As an aside they also carry works by Lenin, Stalin, Marx, etc for about $6 USD a book. They are a great publisher regardless of if I agree with their ideology.