Kasama

We have been discussing experiences and theories of the Chinese Cultural Revolution and the controversies around  the January Storm (which are questions to get the the heart of understanding socialism and the process of capitalist restoration.)

The following combines Mao’s remarks from three meetings with the leaders of the january storm, held between 12 to 18 February 1967, in Beijing right after the seizuer of power in Shanghai. It is one of the key documents of the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution (made available to us via Dave Buck’s archive).

“Before you make a revolution, you must first create public opinion.”

“In future do not say: ‘Overthrow the diehards who persist in following the reactionary line.’ Say rather: ‘Overthrow those in authority taking the capitalist road.’”

“Communes are too weak when it comes to suppressing counterrevolution.” 

“Our method of struggle should now be on a higher level. We shouldn’t keep on saying, ‘Smash their dogs’ heads, down with XXX.’ I think that university students should make a deeper study of things and choose a few passages to write some critical articles about.”

Talks at Three Meetings with Comrades Zhang Chunqiao and Yao Wenyuan

By Mao Zedong

At the Wen-hul-pao [shanghai's daily newspaper] the leftists have now seized power. They rebelled on the fourth. The Liberation Daily also rebelled on the sixth. This is the right direction. I have read all three editions of the Wen-hul-pao since the seizure of power. They reprinted some articles by Red Guards. Some of them are good and should be reprinted elsewhere.

On the fifth the Wen-hul-pao issued ‘A Letter to the People of the Whole City’. The People’s Daily [in Beijing] should reprint it, and the radio stations should broadcast it.

Internal rebellions are fine. In a few days we can make a general report on them. This is one class overthrowing another. This is a great revolution.

Many papers in my opinion would be better closed down. But newspapers must still come out. The question is by whom they are brought out. It is good that the Wen-hul-pao and the Liberation Daily have changed management. As soon as they come out these two papers will certainly influence East China and every province and city in the country.

Before you make a revolution, you must first create public opinion. 

‘June First’ was when power was seized in the People’s Daily. The Centre sent a work team and put out the editorial ‘Sweep Away All Monsters and Demons’. I do not agree with the wholesale replacement of the staff of the People’s Daily, but it had to be taken over. T’ang P’ing-shu replaced Wu Leng-hsi3. At first the masses were distrustful because the People’s Daily had deceived people in the past, and what’s more it had issued no statement. The seizure of power in two newspapers is a national question and we should support their rebellion.

Our newspapers should be reprinting Red Guard articles. They are very well written whereas our stuff is utterly lifeless. The Propaganda Department of the Central Committee can be done away with, though those people can continue to eat there. There are many things which the Propaganda Department and the Ministry of Culture were unable to cope with. Even you (pointing to Comrade Ch’en Po-ta) and I could not cope with them. But when the Red Guards came they were immediately brought under control.

The upsurge of revolutionary power in Shanghai has brought hope to the whole country. It cannot fail to influence the whole of East China and all provinces and cities in the country. ‘A Letter to the People of the Whole City’ is a rare example of a good article. It refers to the city of Shanghai but the problem it discussed is of national significance.

In making revolution these days people demand this and that. When we made revolution from 1920 onwards we set up first the Yourth League and then the Communist Party. We had no funds, no printing press, no bicycles. When we ran newspapers we were very friendly with the workers and chatted with them as we edited articles.

We should establish links with all sorts of people, left, right, and centre. I have never agreed with a unit being all that pure in its approach. (Someone responded: ‘Wu-Lenghis’ lot are now very comfortable. They have put on weight.’) We have allowed Wu Lenghis to become too comfortable. I am not in favour of their dismissal. Let them remain at their posts to be supervised by the masses.

When we started to make revolution it was opportunism which we met with, not Marxism-Leninism. When I was young I hadn’t even read the Communist Manifesto.

We must speak of grasping revolution and promoting production. We must not make revolution in isolation from production. The conservative faction do not grasp production. This is a class struggle. You must not believe that ‘When Chang the Butcher is dead, we’ll have to eat pork bristles and all’, or that we can do nothing without them. Don’t believe that sort of rubbish.

23. Talks at Three Meeting with Comrades Chan Ch’un-ch’ao and Yao Wenyuan February 1967

Chairman Mao invited Comrades Chang Ch’un-ch’iao and Yao wen-yuan to come to Peking from 12 to 18 February, and met them three times within a week. Even before they had arrived at the airport the Chairman inquired whether they had arrived or not, and when the airport comrades said they would soon be there, the Chairman waited for them in the doorway. They had no sooner arrived than the Chairman asked, ‘What is this with the First, Second and Third Regiments”? They have come here making accusations against you.

(1) The question of the Three-way Alliances.

The Chairman said that for the purpose of seizing power the Three-way Alliances were essential. [2] Fukien, Kwekchow and Inner Mongolia did not present big problems, though there might be a little disorder there. In Shansi at present 53 per cent were revolutionary masses, 27 percent army, and 20 percent cadres from various organs. Shanghai out to learn from them. The January Revolution had succeeded, but February, March and April were more crucial, more important.

The Chairman said: “The slogan of ‘doubt everything and overthrow everything; is reactionary. The Shanghai People’s Committee demanded that the Premier of the State Council should do away with all heads. This is extreme anarchism, it is most reactionary. If instead of calling someone the ‘head’ of something we call him ‘orderly’ or ‘assistant’, this would really be only formal change. In reality there will still always be ‘heads’. It is the content which matters.

“There is a slogan in Honan, ‘The present-day proletarian dictatorship must be completely changed.’ This is a reactionary slogan.”

(2) On the Shanghai People’s Commune.

The Chairman said: ‘With the establishment of a people’s commune, a series of problems arises and I wonder whether you have thought about them. If the whole of China sets up people’s communes, should the People’s Republic of China change its name to “People’s Commune of China”? Would others recognize us? Maybe the Soviet Union would not recognize us whereas Britain and France would. And what would we do about our ambassadors in various countries? And so on. There is another series of problems which you may not have considered. Many places have now applied to the Centre to establish people’s communes. A document has been issued by the Centre saying that no place apart from Shanghai may set up people’s communes. The Chairman is of the opinion that Shanghai out to make a change and transform itself into a revolutionary committee or a city committee or a city people” committee.

Communes are too weak when it comes to suppressing counter-revolution. People have come and complained to me that when the Bureau of Public Security arrest people, they go in the front door and out the back.

They controlling organs in schools can become cultural revolutionary committees or cultural revolutionary leading teams.

(3) The Central Committee’s Directive on the Cultural Revolution (The Urgent Directive).

The Chairman said: ‘I have read it and it is very well-written – it is imbued with the spirit of rebellion. The last point says, “We will take the necessary steps.” If that meeting is held to bombard Chang Ch’un-ch’lao we will certainly take the necessary steps and arrest people.’

(4) [Issues outstanding].

There are a number of accounts still outstanding which must be settled lateer. First, the demand made to the Premier by the Municipal People’s Committee; second, the question of the Red Revolutionaries; third, the broadening of the revolution to oppose the military control at Lunghua Airfield.

(5) [Other matters]

There is a quotation which is currently used a great deal: ‘The world is ours.’ This was said by the Chairman in 1920. [5] He can’t altogether remember it himself and it should not be used in future.

In future do not say: ‘Overthrow the diehards who persist in following the reactionary line.’ Say rather: ‘Overthrow those in authority taking the capitalist road.’

The Chairman asked: ‘Is T’ungchi University still at the stations and docks’6 Comrade Chang Ch’un-ch-iao replied: ‘They still are.’ The Chairman then asked: ‘Were they still there when you came?’ Chang Ch’un-ch’iao replied: ‘I’m not sure.’ The Chairman said: ‘That’s excellent. In the past the students had not really untied with the workers. Only now have they really united with them.’

[Charmain Mao said:] ‘I’ve read Liu Shao-ch’i's How to be a Good Communist several times. It is anti-Marxist-Leninist. Our method of struggle should now be on a higher level. We shouldn’t keep on saying, “Smash their dogs’ heads, down with XXX.” I think that university students should make a deeper study of things and choose a few passages to write some critical articles about.

The people in literature and the arts should return to their own units to carry out the Cultural Revolution.

[The Chairman remarked:] The Wen-hui-pao [also Wenhuibao, Shanghai's revolutionary daily newspaper] has done very well. I completely agree with their point of view on the struggle with neighbourhood cadres and I support them.

Comrade Chang Ch’un-ch’iao said: ‘The Wen-hul-pao exerts a lot of pressure.

The Chairman said: “We must support them.