Read Shades of Mao: The Posthumous Cult of the Great Leader Online

Authors: Geremie Barme

Tags: #History, #Asia, #China, #Literary Criticism, #Asian, #Chinese, #Political Science, #Political Ideologies, #Communism; Post-Communism & Socialism, #World, #General, #test

Shades of Mao: The Posthumous Cult of the Great Leader (72 page)

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Page 239
Revolution, achieved great victories in the socialist revolution. When Deng Xiaoping addressed the General Assembly of the United Nations [in 1972] it was a sign of the international recognition of China's political status and marked the defeat of attempts to keep China isolated from the rest of the world.
In the 1980s, each successive wave of China's reforms has sent a shock through the international community. China once more has displayed its heroic genius on the world stage. China is increasingly the object of international interest. Whoever ignores the existence of China will be making a serious tactical blunder. John King Fairbank, former chairman of the American Historical Society pointed out that the reason for America's repeated failures in Asia was a lack of understanding and incorrect policies. He emphasized that: The case of China is a unique one in the world scene that requires special treatment. It is important to apply the old Chinese adage that ''victory will only be possible if you know both thyself and the other" to the modern world. It is important to work towards and achieve a peaceful coexistence with China. It was on the basis of such strategic thinking that foreign academic institutions, in particular Western academics, have paid great attention to the study of China from the 1950s. Mao Zedong and Mao Thought have been an important part of international China studies.
2. The Heroic Achievements of the Communist Party of China as well as the Daring and Success of the Open Door and Reform Policies in the New Era Have Had a Profound Influence on the World. Both Supporters and Critics Have Been Witness to the Extraordinary Path Along which the Chinese Communists Have Traveled and Pay Their Respects to the Heroic Leaders of the Party. Of course, of Those Leaders Mao Zedong Is the Most Preeminent.
The role that Mao Zedong played in the founding and development of the Party, in particular the theoretical and practical activities in which he engaged during various crucial stages of the Party's history, have been central to the research work of foreign scholars of Chinese Party history. From Edgar Snow's
Red Star Over China
to Harrison E. Salisbury's
The Long March: The Untold Story,
the depictions of Mao Zedong have brought this political leader and thinker to life. Snow was of the opinion that Mao's speeches on the Party's policies were worthy of serious attention since they would possibly be the basis for monumental changes in China in the future. It is fair to say that two thirds of the Party's history is a record of Mao Zedong's activities. Therefore, regardless of whether you want to understand the Party's past or present, its successes or failures, first and foremost you must study the entire corpus of Mao Zedong's life and thought. In

 

Page 240
particular, if you want to understand the Communist Party as it has developed after Mao, then you need to have an accurate appreciation of Mao Thought and its development in the New Era [since 1978] and view things in terms of historical continuity.
3. The Shimmering Intellectual and Cultural Treasures of the 5,000 Years of Chinese History Contain Within Them the Deep and Mysterious Character of the Oriental World and Its Vast and Rich Content. They Have an Irresistible Attraction to the Rest of the World.
Over the past decade the various fads among foreign academics for Sunzi's
Treatise on Warfare,
Confucius, the
Book of Changes,
and so on, are evidence that they are searching for the roots of Chinese thought and culture. This is not merely a case of nostalgia for their work has a practical dimension in that they are interested in achieving a clearer understanding of the background of contemporary Chinese thought and culture. There is a desire to study the history of the Chinese national spirit from Confucius to Mao Zedong. Mao Thought, in particular Mao's philosophical thought, has as one of its origins the rich world of traditional Chinese thought. This "lineage" has been crucial in establishing the abiding and important position of Mao Thought in the history of Chinese thought and has enabled it to have such a profound effect on the rest of the world. Edgar Snow was right when he said that Mao was not only a scholar steeped in traditional Chinese thought but that he was also a thinker and philosopher who could use the past to serve the present and find new meaning in old forms. Ross Terrill was even more perceptive when he said that Mao surpassed any other ruler in Chinese history, including Qin Shihuang, by formulating his own theories. Therefore, an in-depth study of Mao Thought and its relationship to traditional culture, a study of how Mao critically adopted and reformed classical and modern Chinese thought to create a new intellectual mainstream, is one area in which foreign academics have been concentrating their efforts. It is a field which will increasingly attract scholars of Chinese studies.
4. Mao Zedong Creatively Combined Marxism-Leninism with the Revolutionary Realities of China and Thereby Earned the Respect and Approval of the Comintern as well as Its Support.
Mao Thought was directly nourished by the propagation and development of Marxism-Leninism in China. However, the reason that Mao Thought could mature was that it was melded thoroughly with Chinese realities. It forged a path for revolution and construction that was uniquely Chinese. Mao's practical application of his theories made an outstanding

 

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contribution to the realization of Marxist-Leninist ideals in the twentieth century. And it is the living soul of Mao Thought that provides today the theoretical underpinnings for the building of socialism with Chinese characteristics.
All progressive Western academics and international Communist organizations recognize the fact that Mao Thought grew out of yet also contributed to the development of Marxism-Leninism. Be they the "heretics" of "liberalism" or those ''leftists" who pursue "developmental theories," there is a common acceptance of the fact that Mao Thought is a revolutionary developmental strategy aimed at the realization of Marx's communism in China.
Internationally famous politicians, theoreticians, scientists and, in particular, China specialists agree that Mao Zedong was a major twentieth-century figure. They also affirm the important influence of Mao Zedong and his Thought on both China and the world. . . .
5. The Anti-Imperialist, Anti-Colonialist Patriotic and Democratic Revolutionary Movements of the Third World Countries of Asia, Africa and Latin America Need Mao Zedong Thought as Their Main Theoretical Weapon and Practical Guide.
Mao Zedong's strategic theory on "the three worlds" made him the spiritual leader of all Third World countries. Everyone, from presidents to the common man, were filled with admiration for him. They praised him as a leading light in the Third World, an inspiration to them all. It is through the Third World that Mao Thought became an international force. There are countless students of Mao's writing in the Third World. Mao Zedong's successful experience in applying his theory of using the countryside to surround the cities and his work in building socialism are a model for many countries with a similar history to that of China. The theory of the "Three Worlds" provided a basis for an international united front among developing countries and is a spiritual treasure in their struggle against violence and in the process of self-strengthening. Mao Zedong and China will forever be a source of inspiration and support for the Third World.
6. The Complex Developments Within the International Communist Movement and the Dissolution of the Socialist Bloc Have Led the World to Pay Particular Attention to the Fact That China Has Pursued a Path of Self-sufficiency and Implemented the Theory of Building Socialism with Chinese Characteristics.
At the end of the 1950s Stalinist dogmatism led to a political split between the Chinese and Soviet Communist Parties and then a heated theoret-

 

Page 242
ical debate. The capitalist West followed these developments closely and for international political and strategic reasons led them to turn their attention to the study of China and Asia. Add to this the impact of the Cultural Revolution in the 1960s, Mao Thought, in particular the universal discussion of his theory concerning the correct handling of contradictions among the people, were all major political factors in the growth of interest among academics in the study of Mao Thought. During this period, Mao Thought became the theoretical basis for a number of international communist organizations.
The significant developments that occurred in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe in the late 1980s and early 1990s mark a low tide in the international communist movement and the balance of world power has undergone an historical transformation. Faced with the challenge of the future of socialism, the Communist Party of China as represented by Deng Xiaoping has continued to pursue the path of building socialism with Chinese characteristics and has diligently learnt the lessons of the "domino theory" as witnessed in the collapse of the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. China has availed itself of the opportunities that have presented themselves and concentrated on developing productive forces, accelerated the process of Reform and, in this unsettled world, revealed its possibilities for development and prosperity. In doing all of these things, "seeking truth from facts,"
1
the central element of Mao Thought, has played a key role. The successes of China's Reform and Open Door policies since the late 1970s have shaken the world once more. The economic take-off of the Chinese nation will alter the international balance of power once more. Perspicacious scholars throughout the world cannot fail to be interested. Following Deng Xiaoping's "tour of the south"
2
and the announcement at the Fourteenth Congress of the Communist Party [in 1992] that China would establish a socialist market economy, we have witnessed a renewed wave of Reform that has once more had an international impact.
For the above reasons, it is inevitable that research into Mao Zedong overseas will continue to develop and flourish. History has shown that it is because the world has recognized the value of Mao Zedong and his Thought, and because there has been such massive faith in Mao, the Communist Party of China and the People's Republic of China, that Mao and his Thought have been so widely disseminated and studied. As an historical giant Mao Zedong will only grow in international stature with the passing of time. Research into Mao Zedong both in China and overseas will become a rich topic with great historical significance. Mao Zedong is already an historical figure of international significance, his name will live forever in the chronicles of history.

 

Page 243
Notes
1. "To seek truth from facts" (
shi shi qiu shi
), a classical Chinese expression, was reinterpreted for the Communist cause by Mao in his May 1941 speech "Gaizao womende xuexi" in which he said: ". . . seek truth from facts. `Facts' are all the things that exist objectively, `truth' means their internal relations, that is, the laws governing them, and `to seek' means to study." See
Mao Zedong xuanji,
p. 759. Mao wrote the four characters
shi shi qiu shi
as an inscription for
Qinghai Daily
(Qinghai ribao) and it was published on 17 July 1961. After the Cultural Revolution, Deng Xiaoping claimed that "seeking truth from facts" was the central element of Mao Thought and he used it as the ''philosophical basis" for his own pragmatic approach to China's problems. See, for example, Deng Xiaoping, "Gaoju Mao Zedong sixiang qizhi, jianchi shi shi qiu shide yuanze (1978 nian 9 yue 16 ri)," in
Deng Xiaoping wenxuan,
vol. 2, 2nd ed., pp. 126-28.
2. See "A Place in the Pantheon" note 15.
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