History Is the Chinese Communist Party’s Worst Enemy

The National Interest ^ | Sep 9, 2018 | Francis Grice

[CondoleezzaProtege]

In conventional accounts of the Chinese Revolutionary Civil War (1926–1949), Mao Zedong is shown towering heroically above a great throng of adoring peasants, who have surged up in a great wave to defeat their imperialist foes and propel the Communists into power.

A growing number of historians—both in China and abroad—have begun to unpick the myth. Jung Chang and John Halliday wrote a scathing retelling of Mao’s life and actions, with the thesis that Mao and his followers were bloodthirsty thugs who bullied their way into power through anti-civilian violence, sinister manipulation and dumb luck.

Otto Braun documented many of the abuses of Mao and his followers firsthand during the 1930s, only to have his reports be put aside by his superiors back in Russia for reasons of political expediency, be overlooked.

The CCP rightly fears, therefore, that a widespread broadcasting of the real facts about its murderous and unpopular origins could scupper its claim to being a popularly installed government. To forestall this eventuality, it is likely to promote pro-Mao myths and censor those who try to question its line on this matter in an ever more ferocious fashion in the future. The CCP’s habit of banning books that contain histories about its early years that it dislikes—which they did to both of Jung Chang’s bestselling books that address this topic—will therefore escalate accordingly. At the same time, historians are unlikely to give up their quest to obtain a fuller and less biased understanding of the period, especially now that the pioneering recent studies by Jung, Sun and others have helped the proverbial genie to begin emerging from the bottle.

Rather than being fought in economic, political, or even military domains, the deciding battle for the fate of the CCP may, therefore, be waged over its history...

[CondoleezzaProtege]

Great insight except the author erroneously asserts that unlike China, Soviet Russia sufficiently denounced the crimes of Stalin under Nikita Khrushchev's rule. NOT TRUE. In this regard, Nikita Khrushchev can be likened to China's Chiang Kai Shek. Shek was a rival of Mao's, but their grounding ideologies were still the same.

Today's CCP and today's Kremlin are very much the same in this regard. Their economic systems may have evolved on the surface, but their foundations remain unchanged from what preceded them. Both are at war with history.

[Perseverando]

I'll have to take issue with the title of this article. How about "The Truth Is the Chinese Communist Party’s Worst Enemy"

[Intolerant in NJ]

Mao and his followers were bloodthirsty thugs who bullied their way into power through anti-civilian violence, sinister manipulation and dumb luck...and was helped in cementing that power by a bunch of dumb clucks around the world who made him a folk-hero by celebrating his "achievements" for the people - I was in the Army back in the late sixties and several fellow officers, social workers and a psychiatrist in fact, actually took to carrying Mao's "Little Red Book" of sayings around with them and displaying it whenever they got a chance to show their admirations for the Great Leader (and I suspect their adolescent dislike of the military) - horrific stories had already begun to appear about his real intentions and actions in China, including tales of rivers full of bodies of those murdered in his purge - but these dolts seemed to not care, nor did some of Mao's philosophical ramblings, such as "power comes from the barrel of a gun" seem to put them off - the hero worship of the New Left back in the day went a long way to helpng him hold on to power long beyond what a sane world might have allowed.....

[datura]

Linky no worky.

[CondoleezzaProtege]

My apologies. This happened with my other post too. This should work:

https://nationalinterest.org/feature/history-chinese-communist-party’s-worst-enemy-30832

[granada]

“In this regard, Nikita Khrushchev can be likened to China’s Chiang Kai Shek. Shek was a rival of Mao’s, but their grounding ideologies were still the same.”
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Lol. Why did America support Chiang Kai Shek during the (post-WW2) civil war of China?

[otness_e]

Well, regarding Chiang Kai Shek, I’m pretty doubtful that guy was a Communist, for starters, so that’s one difference he has from Mao (not to mention is completely unlike Stalin or Khrushchev, both of whom actually WERE Communists). He’s a nationalist, yes, but he definitely wasn’t a Communist by any stretch.

[otness_e]

Jeez, how did those guys get into the army? You’d think they’d do an extensive background check to make sure Maoists don’t enter the military due to their evidently having loyalty issues.

[Intolerant in NJ]

Back in the days of the draft - as medical professionals they were needed by the Army and had a softer deal than most everybody else - I don’t think those of us who worked with them considered them disloyal, but just childish and displaying their dislike for the Army and resentment at being forced to abandon their career aspirations for a bit and serve in the military - I’m guessing they may have grown up a bit since then and maybe even feel a bit embarrassed by their behavior - perhaps hoping is a better word....

[cowboyusa]

But if you go Carrying pictures of Charmin Mao, you ain't gonna make it with anyone anyhow. I love that song.

[Still Thinking]

That’s not news. History (and human nature and objective reality) are EVERY Communist’s worst enema.

[Still Thinking]

Especially since such a dill weed socialist was forced to make anti-leftist music (also see Tax Man), or he couldn’t make a living. Big Schadenfreude!

[ScholarWarrior]

better yet..why DIDN’T America fully support Chiang? Ask our estwhile State department...