What do the Maoists have to say about...

[Zulu]

Chairman Mao's blunders?

Such as...

- trying to produce steel in backyard furnaces
- the sparrow genocide
- excesses of the Cultural Revolution (agitating the Red Guards without even trying to control them)
- and whatever else he was "30% wrong" about

???

[Atsushi]

And Nixon ... !

[el_chavista]

Chairman Mao's blunders?

Such as...
- excesses of the Cultural Revolution (agitating the Red Guards without even trying to control them)

This is a blunder of yours, the Great Cultural Revolution is only compared to the Paris Commune.

[Rooster]

- and whatever else he was "30% wrong" about

Haha, what percentage was Stalin and/or Hoxha wrong then?

[safeduck]

The Backyard Furnaces were actually Liu Shaoqi's idea. Mao was not keen on the idea of producing copious amounts of steel. "As to 30 million tons of steel, do we really need that much? Are we able to produce that much? How many people do we mobilize? Could it lead to deaths?” - Mao Zedong

[Zulu]

And Nixon ... !

I was thinking of putting it on the list, but actually there can be a wide range of explanations, beginning with the simple trollface he wanted to make for the Soviet revisionists, and to a secret mastermind plan which is currently still in execution by the CPC, based on Lenin's maxim that the capitalists would sell even the rope to be hanged with by the communists...

This is a blunder of yours, the Great Cultural Revolution is only compared to the Paris Commune.

I think the Cultural Revolution was the right thing to do, but didn't Mao himself have to order the army to put down the rampaging Red Guards in the end? Where did it go awry?

[Zulu]

Haha, what percentage was Stalin and/or Hoxha wrong then?

IDK. Mao's being wrong 30% is the official estimate, given by Deng Xioaping, IIRC.

The Backyard Furnaces were actually Liu Shaoqi's idea. Mao was not keen on the idea of producing steel. "As to 30 million tons of steel, do we really need that much? Are we able to produce that much? How many people do we mobilize? Could it lead to deaths?” - Mao Zedong

OK, but he seems to have been swayed in by the idea. Some of his speeches from the GLF time I've read make it look like he got obsessed with steel production, like more steel = more socialism. Was there any plan what to do with that steel?

I understand it reflected the Soviet approach during the first five-year plans, but the Soviets in the official speeches and reports usually mentioned at least several target products, both raw materials (steel, coal, cotton, leather, etc.) and finished goods (tractors, lathes, locomotives, etc.). With Mao it was like, steel, steel, STEEL!!!

Or am I getting this wrong?


.

[el_chavista]

Originally Posted by el_chavista
This is a blunder of yours, the Great Cultural Revolution is only compared to the Paris Commune.

I think the Cultural Revolution was the right thing to do, but didn't Mao himself have to order the army to put down the rampaging Red Guards in the end? Where did it go awry?

Now, that's not only another Mao's blunder, but, further more, a Mao's betrayal to the Chinese revolution.

[safeduck]

With Mao it was like, steel, steel, STEEL!!!

Or am I getting this wrong?


.

I don't think Mao had much of an interest in producing huge amounts of steel. Obviously he would have wanted steel to be produced to be put to use in building things for the communes but I doubt he would have wanted as much as 30 million tonnes. Other than posters such as "overtake Britain in steel production!", I have not read or heard much about producing huge amounts of steel from Mao's own mouth or writing. I could be wrong though. If anything it seems Mao was more like, grain, grain, GRAIN!!!

[GoddessCleoLover]

Actually, the need for grain in China at that time was desperate, but Mao became enthralled with Lysenko-ism and as a result his policies resulted in less grain.

Mao's zig zag Cultural Revolution policies had a tragic impact on China. First, Mao encouraged the youth to rebel against the bureaucracy, not necessarily a bad thing. Next he escalated the situation by encouraging violence with the slogan Bombard the Headquarters. Finally, when the inevitable chaos and violence get out of hand Mao called in the army and sent many of the students to remote areas to work as peasants.

These were two of Mao's worst blunders, but sadly they were not the only ones.

[Krano]

Now, that's not only another Mao's blunder, but, further more, a Mao's betrayal to the Chinese revolution.

And here i was thinking that Deng Xiaoping installed capitalist reforms.

[GoddessCleoLover]

The two concepts are not mutually exclusive.

[el_chavista]

And here i was thinking that Deng Xiaoping installed capitalist reforms.

See my question about "The two whatevers policy and the end of the Cultural Revolution"

[Tommy4ever]

I'm no Maoist but I have heard that the steel based production insanity was about a trend that seemed to develop in which party propoganda placed tremendous significance on increasing steel production as a way to show how China was progressing. It would have been a blow to confidence if suddenly this growth slowed or stopped altogether so things got rather out of hand ....

[Omsk]

Hello!

Unless you want answers from every other tendency than Maoism,i suggest that you should check out their forum user group.

Regards.

[Ismail]

Haha, what percentage was Stalin and/or Hoxha wrong then?

As Hoxha sarcastically remarked in his diary, "Mao said that 30 per cent of Stalin's work was wrong and 70 per cent was good. The great master of the scales! He weighs the work of Stalin with the same precision as tomatoes in the field are weighed!!" (Reflections on China Vol. II, p. 371.) Deng made the same "percentages" for Mao as Mao did with Stalin. I think it's very appropriate, because just as Mao departed from the line of Stalin, Deng departed from the "line" of Mao using the same method.