How have they maintained their ideological purity so well, even after reform and opening up? How come the CPSU let figures like Khruschev slip in through the cracks?

  • Makan
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    3 months ago

    I agree with much of what you said here.

    That said, honestly, I don’t know what to believe in this case.

    I think, if anyone has pointers on what to read here, that would be much appreciated. I’ve read some books from the “CultRev point-of-view” (that is, books that defend the CultRev in China) but the problem is that I’ve never quite read why the CultRev was wrong and that makes me a bit unsure of how to approach this topic: I don’t know the other side of the story and, therefore, I don’t know if the CultRev proponents’ arguments are deficient or not and how they compare to the critics of it.

    That being said, I do have some idea of how Chinese people may view the CultRev and that is that it was “useless” and caused “needless chaos.”

    I think I’m going to lean toward that CultRev being necessary for “Reform and Opening Up,” as is sometimes the interpretation; without that commitment to communism, Reform and Opening Up could’ve gone awry…

    • cfgaussian
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      3 months ago

      I have nothing to add. I think we’re pretty much on the same level here. I also have a lot to learn still.

      • Makan
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        3 months ago

        I’ve only been an ML for… maybe 5 years? 6? 7? And honestly, some communists I know have been that for 50 or 60.

        And I realized that there is a lot I don’t know beyond the “classics” and some of my special interests in ML.

        I mean, there’s what’s on paper and then there’s what is yet to be discovered or ascertained.

        Honestly, like I said, I do… think that the CultRev was probably necessary. In fact, I think it was, issues with it aside. Could you imagine if China was not socialist nowadays? All the other AES nations would fold, tbh…