Moa Zedong was the human droplet that changed the world in the C20th. Here are some of his thoughts that led to the Cultural Revolution in China. He put his emphasis on agriculture and yet his plans created a famine that reportedly killed over twenty million people. And yet during the cultural revolution there was a huge injection of innovation in agriculture across China. These innovations spread quickly and boosted the productivity of cropping, farming, and harvesting.
There was a lot of positive social change taking effect across China [eg discontinuing the practice of binding women's feet and the emergence of the barefoot doctors] but the lawlessness fuelled by the activities of The Red Guard was horrific. These young radicals were supported by Mao even as they waged a brutal culture war against their own people.
Mao quotes...
“Everything under heaven is in utter chaos; the situation is excellent.”
“To read too many books is harmful.”
“Politics is war without blood, while war is politics with blood.”
"It's always darkest before it becomes totally black.”
“To rebel is justified”
“Communism is not love. Communism is a hammer which we use to crush the enemy.”
“You can't be a revolutionary if you don't eat chilies.”
“History is a symptom of our disease”
“To read too many books is harmful.”
“I am a lone monk walking the world with a leaky umbrella.”
Richard.
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