Wake up（312）

 

Chapter 54 Reversal

312

 

Today's world has the largest cohort of youth in history. At present, there will be nearly 2 billion young people aged 10 to 24 in the world. In most developing countries, children and adolescents make up the majority of the population. This demographic dividend is the most valuable force for shaping a better world, and it is crucial to building a sustainable planet because it is closely related to the life of every young person. Young people are leading change in today's world, creating new opportunities for global exchange and connectivity.

Little Kong Ming, Li Si, Wang Wu, San Pang, Nanyang Sheng, and Cheng Yenan, these lads gathered in the "Juyi Hall" of the small hotel. They talked about a wide range of topics, mainly involving society and politics. This political fanatic picked up the topic of communication.

The girls Nan Liwa, Wanru, Sun Aijun and Hua Runmei are not interested in politics. They went to the hotel's karaoke to enjoy singing and dancing together.

The girls left the restaurant, Kong Ming and Li Si, who could speak well, suddenly became the protagonists of the speech.

Li Si said to his partners:

In 1975, the atmosphere of the end of the Cultural Revolution emerged. People stopped talking about class struggle every day and started talking about the national economy. The atmosphere is similar to today's situation. Many young people care about their employment and income, while the elderly care about their health and welfare. It can give a sense of the general weariness of the political movement in society as a whole.

Li Si also talked about the power struggle between Deng Xiaoping and Jiang Qing in the contemporary era:

Since Deng Xiaoping returned to the central government, Mao Zedong had considered using him to balance the left and right forces. This is an old routine in traditional Chinese politics. The emperor has always created two factions in the court, and he will be the arbiter. This is called "the art of controlling officials".

From 1974 to early 1975, Mao Zedong criticized Jiang Qing several times. Because Jiang Qing was born during the Cultural Revolution and had no common sense in governing state affairs, while Mao Zedong knew the way of civil and military "one piece and one piece". Now he wants to "go fast". But Jiang Qing didn't care about this, and kept making small political moves. In fact, no matter what Jiang Qing picked, Mao Zedong gave the reason, such as criticizing Zhou Enlai, criticizing empiricism, criticizing the law and Confucianism, criticizing the Water Margin, and so on. But Jiang Qing didn't know how to measure, and always wanted to push Mao Zedong to do 70% of the work, leaving no room for Mao Zedong.

However, Mao Zedong always left room for change. Mao Zedong began to talk about stability and unity in the second half of 1974, but Jiang Qing still took struggle as his daily work, which annoyed Mao Zedong, and even said such heavy words as "Jiang Qing has ambitions".

Mao Zedong wanted to use Deng Xiaoping to suppress it. But don't forget that while suppressing the leftists, Mao Zedong was considering finding a basis for his "theory of continuing revolution under the dictatorship of the proletariat" from Marxism-Leninism. He asked Zhang Chunqiao and Yao Wenyuan to search for the sayings about implementing the dictatorship of the proletariat in Lenin's writings. This is the origin of the later criticism of bourgeois legal rights.

On June 21, 1975, Mao Zedong met with his best student Pol Pot and said to him, "We are now a bourgeois country without capitalists as Lenin said. This country is to protect the legal rights of the bourgeoisie."

Pol Pot understood that when he returned to Cambodia, he wanted to build a pure socialism. His method is simple, that is, to kill all the bourgeoisie. He created an unprecedented tragedy in human history and turned Cambodia into a "killing field", a veritable slaughterhouse. But what they killed was not livestock, but people, including a large number of descendants of Chinese people and overseas Chinese in Cambodia. Now the international court is trying the Khmer Rouge, but no one is going to find out who the instigator behind it is.

Wang Wu said: I have seen some reports on the Internet that Mao Zedong not only provided the theory of killing, but also provided the weapons for killing. All the supplies of the Khmer Rouge, weapons and equipment, medicine and food were all provided by the CCP free of charge.

Li Si replied: Yes, the CCP has the blood of the Cambodian people on its hands. Let's look at Deng Xiaoping's actions again. He led the criticism of the Gang of Four, but enough was enough to save face for Mao Zedong, otherwise it would involve the Cultural Revolution if the criticism continued. Deng Xiaoping's strategy for the Cultural Revolution was to go around and hide and hide. He didn't get entangled in the Gang of Four issue, but only won Mao Zedong's trust and authorization to promote his political line. So when he reported to Mao Zedong to criticize the Gang of Four, he swayed a gun and said, "The comrades in the Politburo are very angry. I said don't finish talking, and the meeting will end." Mao Zedong was very satisfied with his handling, saying "you have to take on the work", and Deng Xiaoping said "I have determination". In fact, these two power fighters are well aware of each other's thoughts.

So from July 2, 1975, Deng Xiaoping began to preside over the work of the central government. This passage is the most exciting passage in which Deng Xiaoping demonstrated the art of keeping a low profile. He wanted to recover little by little the damage caused by the Cultural Revolution under Mao Zedong's nose, without making Mao Zedong unhappy. He tried his best, and although he ended in failure, he laid the foundation for the formation of his later reform and opening up ideas.

After Deng Xiaoping regained power, with the support of Zhou Enlai and others, he investigated and solved various problems caused by the Cultural Revolution.

On July 4, 1975, Deng Xiaoping put forward the "Three Directives as the Key Link", which means equalizing the status of stability and unity, developing the national economy and learning the theory of the dictatorship of the proletariat. He put economic development in the primary strategic position, and tried to bring the political and economic life of the country back to the normal track. These three directives were all Mao Zedong's, so "taking the three directives as the key link" dilutes the discourse of the Cultural Revolution based on class struggle. All opposing forces and practices must be rectified.

Deng Xiaoping's rectification was comprehensive. In terms of industry, he seized railways, steel, petroleum, and coal, all of which achieved great growth in production, and he seized economic power. Then he reorganized the army, mainly to get rid of all the political pretensions put on by Lin Biao. He pointed out that the problems of the army were "swelling, looseness, arrogance, extravagance, and laziness." At that time, his famous saying "Uncle Lei Feng is gone" was circulated throughout the country. In effect he seized control of the army again. Then he carried out scientific and technological rectification in the scientific community, and asked Hu Yaobang to lead Li Chang and Wu Heng to make scientific and technological report outlines, to focus on scientific research with great fanfare, and to solve the life difficulties of intellectuals. Hu Yaobang then proposed to "blow the business typhoon". Obviously, Deng Xiaoping was learning from Song Jiang and gathered heroes from all walks of life at the foot of Liangshan. Then Deng Xiaoping rectified education, openly encouraging the learning of foreign languages, mathematics, physics and chemistry. Introduce Western education system to China. This was followed by party consolidation. In fact, Deng Xiaoping boldly took the opportunity to clear out all those who had entered the leadership team during the Cultural Revolution. According to the current words, it is a political clean-up.

Nan Yangsheng laughed: Deng Xiaoping is really capable, bold and resolute. In just half a year, he has comprehensively promoted the rectification and made Liangshan a prosperous place. Could these actions of his make Mao Zedong unsuspecting?

Li Si replied: Some of my friends have also discussed this issue. Wouldn't it be better if Deng Xiaoping kept a low profile, forbeared, held the power, but promoted little by little, without attracting Mao Zedong's attention, and waited for Mao Zedong's death before making big plans?

Wang Wu said: I think so too.

Li Si replied: From a strategic point of view, this may be better, but each person has his own personality, and a person like Deng Xiaoping who is full of hidden mentality will not be able to bear it as long as he sees an opportunity. Keeping a low profile does not mean holding back.

Sanpang smiled: That's right, the guy who claims to be able to pick up two hundred catties without changing his shoulders is the same. If he pretends to be forceful to a certain extent, as long as he has power in his hands, he will definitely act recklessly.

Li Si said: Some people think that it was Deng Xiaoping who misunderstood Mao Zedong's intentions, thinking that Mao Zedong really wanted him to let go. I think Deng Xiaoping was pretending to be confused because he was clever. He clearly knew that Mao Zedong's focus was never on the national economy and the people's livelihood, but you said anyway, if you want to improve the national economy, I will focus on production. If you say you want stability and unity, I will consolidate the party and get rid of factional figures.

San Pang laughed again: The same is true of the comprehensive zero-out policy. He doesn't care about the suffering of the people's livelihood and the economic decline. He just wants to show his ability to lead and command personally.

Li Si said: San Fatty is right, the zero clearing has failed, the economy is in shambles, diplomacy has been ruined, and public grievances have been overturned. At that time, Deng Xiaoping underestimated Mao Zedong's ability and speed to turn clouds and rains because of his arrogance. He thought that the old political man was seriously ill and could do nothing, so Deng Xiaoping took a huge risk and launched a comprehensive rectification, which was actually a full-scale declaration of war on the Cultural Revolution. Mao Zedong had observed the central point of Deng Xiaoping's behavior, deliberately watching how he would treat the Cultural Revolution once he came to power. Because the Cultural Revolution was the only "innovation" of Mao Zedong's life. To deny the Cultural Revolution is to point the finger at Lao Mao.

The cause of the sudden change in the situation was that Deng Xiaoping forwarded a letter from Tsinghua University Liu Bing to Mao Zedong. In August 1975, Liu Bing, deputy secretary of the Party Committee of Tsinghua University, wrote to Mao Zedong, accusing Chi Qun, the head of Peking University, and Xie Jingyi, the head of Tsinghua University, who belonged to the Cultural Revolution faction. But Mao Zedong made a judgment immediately after seeing the letter, "Liu Bing told Chi Qun and Xiao Xie that the spearhead was aimed at me." Mao Zedong not only believed that Liu Bing's spearhead was aimed at himself, but also represented Deng Xiaoping's line.

At the end of September, Mao Zedong appointed his nephew Mao Yuanxin as his liaison with the Politburo of the Communist Party of China. Jiang Qing's Cultural Revolution faction took advantage of their close relationship with Mao Yuanxin to convey a lot of information unfavorable to Deng Xiaoping to Mao Zedong.

To add fuel to the flames, on September 27, Mao Yuanxin reported to Mao the situation in Liaoning. He said, "I pay attention to Comrade Xiaoping's speeches. I feel that there is a problem. He seldom talks about the achievements of the Cultural Revolution. Do not criticize Liu Shaoqi's revisionist line."

Li Si emphasized:

We should note that Mao Zedong was no longer out of Zhongnanhai at this time, and his eyes were half-blind. He was lying in bed every day, only Zhang Yufeng and a few other little women waited on him. His situation is very similar to that of the feudal kings of all dynasties in China. He only trusts those around him and always doubts the ministers who govern the country. Xie Jingyi used to be Mao Zedong's confidential secretary, Chi Qun was sent to Tsinghua University by Mao Zedong, and Mao Yuanxin was the only surviving intellectually sound descendant of the Mao family.

Mao Zedong's judgment, of course, relied on these people. After listening to Mao Yuanxin's report, Mao Zedong concluded that Deng Xiaoping was dissatisfied with the Cultural Revolution and wanted to blame it for the Cultural Revolution. Mao Zedong regarded the Cultural Revolution as one of his important achievements in his later years, and believed that the Cultural Revolution was "three to seven points, seven points to success, and three points to mistakes" and "basically correct, with some deficiencies."

Mao Zedong, who was good at strategy, used another trump card and asked Deng Xiaoping to preside over a resolution on the Cultural Revolution. This is directly giving Deng Xiaoping a general, and it depends on what Deng Xiaoping does.

As a result, Deng Xiaoping used the excuse of "People in the Taoyuan Garden don't know if there are Han people, regardless of Wei and Jin Dynasties", saying that he did not understand the whole process of the Cultural Revolution and could not make this decision. He played tricks again.

However, Deng Xiaoping's actions aroused Mao Zedong's dissatisfaction. Mao Zedong saw that Deng Xiaoping's original intention was not to endorse the Cultural Revolution, and he wanted to attack Deng Xiaoping. Lao Mao would not find a way to punish Deng Xiaoping from the works of Marxism-Leninism. He spent three months lying on the sickbed and asked the women who served him to find "Water Margin". The dying old man before he died, After reading and listening to "Water Margin" for a hundred days, I finally decided to formally "criticize Deng" and "counter-attack the rightist style of overturning verdicts." He failed to recruit Song Jiang, so he asked Song Jiang to commit suicide.

At the end of 1975, the CCP forwarded the "Report on the Great Debate on the Educational Revolution at Tsinghua University", saying that "in the three months of July, August, and September, rumors arose in society, attacking and splitting the Party Central Committee headed by Chairman Mao, and negating the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution. , overturning the case of the Cultural Revolution, counting the account of the Cultural Revolution, this is a Rightist style of overturning the case." The curtain of the last struggle of the Cultural Revolution was officially opened.

Nan Yangsheng said: Some sources say that Mao Zedong's instructions are not effective this time, because the whole country is on Deng Xiaoping's side.

Li Si said: This is the essence of the problem. Before Mao died, Deng Xiaoping had become a banner. People's Heart Party sympathized with him, and various criticisms of Mao Zedong were spread everywhere, so there was "catch rumors". But Mao Zedong had put himself on the opposite side of the people of the whole country, and the people were angry, and the downfall of the Cultural Revolution was coming.

San Pang said: This is very interesting. The current one also thinks that those political elders are about to die, so they have the power to do whatever they want, just like Mr. Deng back then.

Li Si said:

At the end of June 1975, Mao Zedong was disappointed with Wang Hongwen, who was in charge of the daily work of the Politburo of the Communist Party of China, and instructed Wang Hongwen to go back to Zhejiang and Shanghai to guide the movement, and Deng Xiaoping was in charge of the daily work of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China. I think he brought Deng Xiaoping up because he wanted Deng Xiaoping to succeed him.

Mao Zedong also hoped that Jiang Qing would have a good relationship with Deng Xiaoping. And Mao Zedong may think that there is such a possibility. Of course, he hoped that Deng Xiaoping might learn some lessons from the past after he beat him a lot. In addition, don't forget that Deng Xiaoping was very radical during the "Great Leap Forward" and "Anti-Rightist" back then, and he followed Mao Zedong very closely. The person in charge at that time was Deng Xiaoping. Deng Xiaoping was the general secretary at the time. Li Rui, who once served as Mao Zedong's political secretary, also said, "Deng Xiaoping's left is similar to Mao Zedong's in history." Therefore, Deng Xiaoping could follow Mao Zedong very closely. He can also be very aggressive. At the very least, Mao Zedong knew very well that Deng Xiaoping and Zhou Enlai were different. He absolutely distrusted Zhou Enlai.

Perhaps based on this consideration, in May 1975, Mao Zedong instructed Jiang Qing to meet Deng Xiaoping and have a good talk. As a result, the two broke up unhappy. Deng Xiaoping later recalled, "Chairman Mao asked her to come, but she didn't dare not to come. The talk was not good." At least this memory confirmed that Deng Xiaoping knew that Jiang Qing had come to see him at the order of Lao Mao, but he didn't pay attention to Lao Mao and Jiang Qing.

In fact, with Deng Xiaoping's original mentality, conflicts between him and the Cultural Revolutionists were bound to occur. Deng Xiaoping's daughter, Deng Rong, wrote in the book My Father Deng Xiaoping: The Years of the "Cultural Revolution" that on November 18, 1972, Deng Xiaoping, who had not yet come back, said, "If Lin Biao collapses, our party's life will be better. That's all. A few scholars are messing around."

Cheng Yenan asked: Before Mao Zedong let Deng Xiaoping come back, did he think that there would be conflicts between the two factions?

Wang Wu said: Based on Mao Zedong's experience and his understanding of people like Deng Xiaoping and Jiang Qing faction, I think he should have thought that there would be contradictions. But why did he still recommend Deng Xiaoping? I think one is that there was actually no one there. That is to say, if Zhou Enlai was seriously ill, if he fell ill, no one would be able to manage the country very capablely, because Mao Zedong still appreciated Deng Xiaoping's ability. In addition, Deng Xiaoping has a relatively strong military background, so Mao Zedong may think that Deng Xiaoping is relatively close to his ideas among the people who are available now in terms of ideology.

Sanpang laughed again: The recent Qin Gang incident may be a replica of Deng Xiaoping back then. When the Chinese Communist Party’s Foreign Minister Qin Gang disappeared under the full moon, the Chinese Communist Party suddenly held the 4th meeting of the Standing Committee of the 14th National People’s Congress on Tuesday to review the appointment and dismissal case. "Return to the furnace" as foreign minister. Qin Gang was removed from the post of foreign minister, but his post of state councilor was still retained. The most important question is why Qin Gang was dismissed? Officials did not give any reason. As for Qin Gang's final fate, Boss Xi hasn't made a final decision yet. The current treatment of Qin Gang is basically to hang him up to alleviate this problem. Although Qin Gang "quickly went offline" and dealt a blow to the boss's face, it was not enough to threaten his status.

Li Si said: To understand Boss Xi, one only needs to understand those people and things during the Cultural Revolution.