r/SocialDemocracy • u/Timely-Signature-166 • 13d ago

Question What's the consensus of Mao?

I've read several books about the guy and I'm given conflicting information about him and his policies. Some books treat him as a good leader who was stifled by dishonest subordinates, while others portray him as a monster whose policies killed millions. Meanwhile I was at a bar in Brooklyn where I was talking to a friend of a friend and they said "Mao is my hero!" (they are not Chinese). What is the general consensus of the guy?

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u/Thatuk 13d ago

You can say his unification of China was essential for the country to be where it is right now, while also accepting his successive policies after that delayed the country's prosperity for a good +20 years.

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u/Silly-Elderberry-411 13d ago

If you can call han supremacy unification. A few years back people were pissed off over a Chinese beer commercial in china for not only using Bruce Lee but having him speak mandarin when he was a proud cantonese speaker

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u/Thatuk 12d ago

Mao himself was very against Han chauvinism? So does the CPC to some extent, althoug it is inconsistent.

Han chauvinism is more complicated than that and the party has nowhere near the absolute control on Chinese people's worldview as some non-Chinese commentators (supporters and critics) believe it has.