Applesauce and the Cultural Revolution I couldn't resist a half-bushel box of Rome apples for $5 at the farmer's market the other day. Unfortunately, Romes really aren't the best eating apples (although the beagles seem to like them just fine), so I was planning on applesauce. While looking around for recipes, I stumbled across the website of an American couple with lots of canning information - but the interesting thing was that this couple had obviously spent lots of time in China. They had listed a bunch of Maoist stuff that a Chinese friend of theirs was trying to sell. That got me looking at Maoist propaganda posters and wondering why Mao still seems to be damn near revered inmnay quarters while no one really likes Stalin. Maybe because Mao was seen as more of a 'thinker' and less a plain thug than Stalin?

So then I was Wiki-ing about Mao and the Cultural Revolution and came across a reference to the "Democracy Wall", and to an essay by Wei Jingsheng. I'm no fan of democracy of course (or socialism, which Wei still seems to embrace), but I think in context this is pretty wonderful stuff for China in 1978.

Read this selection, and mentally replace the word 'democracy' with the words 'freedom' or 'self rule':

Those who worry about the defiance of human and divine laws as a result of democracy are like those who had the same worry when the emperor was dethroned in the 1911 revolution. They are reconciled to this line of reasoning: Be at ease and submit to oppression. Without oppression, the roof of your house will fly sky high!

Let me respectfully remind these gentlemen: We want to be masters of our own destiny. We need no gods or emperors. We do not believe in the existence of any savior. We want to be masters of the world and not instruments used by autocrats to carry out their wild ambitions. We want a modern lifestyle and democracy for the people. Freedom and happiness are our sole objectives in accomplishing modernization. Without this fifth modernization all others are merely another promise.

Let me call on our comrades: Rally under the banner of democracy and do not trust the autocrats' talk about "stability and unity." Fascist totalitarianism can only bring us disaster. l have no more illusion. Democracy is our only hope. Abandon our democratic rights and we will be shackled once again. Let us believe in our own strength! Human history was created by us. Let all self-styled leaders and teachers go. They have for decades cheated the people of their most valuable possession. I firmly believe that production will be faster under the people's own management. Because the laborers will produce for their own benefit, their living conditions will be better. Society will thus be more rational, because under democracy all social authority is exercised by the people with a view to improving their livelihood.

Amazing stuff, eh?  ¶ 9:05 AM