Last week’s issue of The Economist included an amusingly ironic article about how the government is cracking down on “Marxist” groups, particularly in universities. It reminded me of the large picture of Mao that was prominently displayed in the car of our friendly English-speaking guide in Xian in 2012. What does it mean, and can Maoism make a comeback?
Here are my observations on the subject:
- Having a picture of Mao in your car is a form of political dissent that the government can’t stop. It doesn’t mean the car owner wants to bring back the Cultural Revolution.
- It was clear, in context, that the picture was a statement against inequality and corruption–nothing more.
- Mao stood for lots of things, including a kind of populism that works outside of approved political channels. In that sense, Bo Xilai was a “Maoist.” The system crushed him because the leadership remembers the Cultural Revolution and understandably wants to avoid a rerun at all costs.
- There is bound to be an ongoing leftist opposition of sorts that wants to rein in capitalism, but the government is fully capable of making gestures to keep it reasonably satisfied, largely because capitalism is a potential source of instability by itself. An article in yesterday’s NYT made it clear that the government is currently hurting growth by doing exactly that today.
And so, like most issues, this one comes down to definitions. If you define “Maoism” as an extreme left-wing ideology based in the thought of the Cultural Revolution, there are far too many vested interests in place to keep it from reviving. If you define it as a form of populism, the Party is shrewd and determined enough to keep it under control for the foreseeable future. If you think of it as a moderate left-wing alternative to the status quo, however, it will never go away.