Kevrob <
kevrob@my-deja.com> wrote:
Here's the thing about Maoism: if the current regime got rid of Marxism-Len= >inism-
Stalinism-Mao-Zedong-Thought as the basis of its political system, what wou= >ld=20
replace it? The Maoist tradition provides political legitimacy. Sure, one=
could describe=20
The People's Republic as a technocratic-authoritarian oligarchy with a tota= >litarian=20
history that bubbles under the surface, but, absent Maoism, what gives it = >any legitimacy?=20
For a while after his death, the Cult of Mao died off somewhat in China
and although the government did consider themselves created and inspired
by Mao, they weren't hanging big Mao banners up everywhere.
But, in more recent years, the Mao banners have been coming back, precisely
for the reason you state. Thankfully the Maoist notion of "permanent state
of revolution" has not come back although I am sure the current management
has it waiting in the wings if it is necessary for them to retain power.
Note that we in the US aren't having our own crisis of legitimacy.=20
Maoism also has the same kind of problem that Reaganism has, in that the
young Mao was a genius general (one who even defined the birth of a state)
but who stayed in power far too long and who was a raving and drooling
fool later in life (witness the Cultural Revolution). When someone speaks
of Mao, which one are they talking about? Or are they talking about Mao
the abstract symbol of China?
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."
--- MBSE BBS v1.0.8.4 (Linux-x86_64)
* Origin: Former users of Netcom shell (1989-2000) (3:633/280.2@fidonet)