New Democracy

[Winter]

I really don't get this Mao concept of New Democracy. So are the bourgeois and proletariat supposed to join forces to push society into a new phase? This just seems very unrealistic. Can someone explain, maybe I'm missing something here.

[RNK]

No, they do not "join forces". New Democracy was formulated for unindustrialized peasant-based countries, whereby following a revolutionary movement, all classes would exist under the direction of a proletarian revolutionary outlook in order to bring that country into some form of industrialization. This was necessary, according to Marx; a proletarian revolution required a proletariat, which China lacked.

In short, it meant to allow some sections of the bourgeoisie to continue to exist so long as they adhered to the dominance of the proletarian revolution.

[Winter]

No, they do not "join forces". New Democracy was formulated for unindustrialized peasant-based countries, whereby following a revolutionary movement, all classes would exist under the direction of a proletarian revolutionary outlook in order to bring that country into some form of industrialization. This was necessary, according to Marx; a proletarian revolution required a proletariat, which China lacked.

In short, it meant to allow some sections of the bourgeoisie to continue to exist so long as they adhered to the dominance of the proletarian revolution.

I see. Thanks for answering my question! :)