Thoughts on Mao

I was taught a long time ago that Mao was the greatest killer in human history.

Yet I continue to see most of the nation of China continue to revere him. Do they know something that I don't know?

1. He defeated the KMT who only survived by running away. His followers must have thought there was value in his message, value worth dying for. I believe part of his message was that government must serve the people. Is that a bad thing?

2. He started The Great Leap Forward. I was taught he was a stupid man who told Chinese to melt down their cookware and farm equipment. That may have happened in some villages but the long term goal was absolutely correct. China now makes steel and ships. Never again will Japanese roam China cutting off Chinese heads as they did in Nanking. China can now fight back. He had a vision and carried it out.

3. He started the Cultural Revolution which did have some terrible excesses. But after 5000 years of Chinese history and dynasties which weakened the nation and allowed invaders to ravage China over and over, it was time for a change. Now China is the only nation in the world that even America can not bully.

4. One Child Policy. I saw a documentary about how bad it was. But what about the hard times it prevented. No one talks about that but you can surely believe that famine and anarchy are even worse than being limited to one child. Again, if you poll the Chinese, I suspect most of them accept that OCP was the right policy for the time.

5. I think Mao was involved in encouraging a culture that valued human capital. So that education was universal. No matter how poor the village. No matter how remote. Every child, boy and girl, received a free education and a good lunch at school.

6. I grew up in Florida and was taught that Democracy was the best starting in elementary school. Yet I keep seeing American government doing stupid things. Over and over. Now I understand that democracy puts power in the hands of the most popular. While China requires a high level of education and proven intelligence (verified by hard exams) to start at the lowest level. Promotion only after years of experience and proven ability. This is why China can do multi-decade projects like rare earths.

Do you honestly think China would be better off with their versions of Newsom, Harris, Biden and Trump? How many American politicians could pass an algebra class. How many voters? This is why our energy grid is in such terrible shape. Democracy.