Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
People of the world, unite and defeat the U.S. aggressors and all
their running dogs! People of the world, be courageous, dare to fight,
defy difficulties and advance wave upon wave. Then the whole world
will belong to the people. Monsters of all kinds shall be destroyed.
(Mao 1976, 82)
Mao was supremely confident in the ultimate victory of the socialist
revolution all over the world:
The socialist system will eventually replace the capitalist system; this is
an objective law independent of man's will. However much the reac-
tionaries try to hold back the wheel of history, sooner or later revolution
will take place and will inevitably triumph. (24)
It is my opinion that the international situation has now reached a new
turning point. There are two winds in the world today, the East Wind and
the West Wind. There is a Chinese saying, “Either the East Wind prevails
over the West Wind or the West Wind prevails over the East Wind.”
I believe it is characteristic of the situation today that the East Wind is pre-
vailing over the West Wind. That is to say, the forces of socialism have
become overwhelmingly superior to the forces of imperialism. (80-81)
The ultimate victory of the socialist and communist revolutions would
be accomplished through brute force of arms:
Every Communist must grasp the truth, “Political power grows out of
the barrel of a gun.” (61)
...
only with guns can the whole world be transformed. (63)
We are advocates of the abolition of war, we do not want war; but war
can only be abolished through war, and in order to get rid of the gun it is
necessary to take up the gun. (63)
Revolution was, in fact, a brutal and messy business, and in what was
probably the most famous statement of his life, Mao told his followers
that they should not expect it to be otherwise:
A revolution is not a dinner party, or writing an essay, or painting a
picture, or doing embroidery; it cannot be so refined, so leisurely and
gentle, so temperate, kind, courteous, restrained and magnanimous.
A revolution is an insurrection, an act of violence by which one class
overthrows another. (11-12)
The Cultural Revolution was an exciting time for the Red
Guards and other perpetrators, but for its victims (variously called
