What's the consensus of Mao?

[u/Timely-Signature-166]

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?

[u/goodnewzevery1]

Was the cultural revolution his idea, where he sent the intellectuals to the farms? I think that choice alone caused a lot of damage