honest question mate, the more i read mao the more i agree with him, especially being from an underdeveloped country myself, but why is it i'm pretty sure most maoists would call me a revisionist regardless

  • Awoo [she/her]
    ·
    3 years ago

    Because Mao wasn't a Maoist, he was a marxist-leninist following Mao-Zedong-Thought.

    Maoists abandoned MZT.

    • SolidaritySplodarity [they/them]
      ·
      3 years ago

      To complicate matters I've seen lots of folks identify as Maoist and mean a follower of Mao Zedong Thought while crapping on MLMs as being the Maoists a la Shining Party - unpleasant flavors of leftcomms. And there are definitely folks who self-identified as Maoist and hate Dengism as a betrayal of socialism who get contrasted with Maoists who are fine with Dengism.

      I haven't been able to figure out how to unambiguously make these references because I've also heard your characterization :/. I can't tell how much is inherent to the discussion and how much is Westerners confusing everything, either.

      • Awoo [she/her]
        ·
        3 years ago

        In true leftist tradition I can only respond by saying I have the correct analysis and all others are incorrect.

        • SolidaritySplodarity [they/them]
          ·
          3 years ago

          Mao strategically criticized Deng and disagreed on many issues (the feeling was mutual). Despite this, Mao suggested Deng be elected General Secretary, which isn't something I'd expect from someone who hated Deng.

          The relationship was more complex than this and also involved tactical mutual praise and strategizing together on messaging and policy, but I wouldn't call it hate.

    • s0ykaf [he/him]
      ·
      3 years ago

      which is weird because what mao is describing here - the concept of new democracy - is supposed to exist in what we call maoism (i mean the synthesis by the shining path)

      they rejected stuff like the 3 worlds theory as right-wing deviations, but new democracy was kept in

      • Awoo [she/her]
        ·
        3 years ago

        The problem is that they have dogma for very specific methods of revolution that require the tossing out of rational thought to maintain. They do not adhere to testing something to see if it works and then continuing to do it if it does or ceasing it if it does not work in the existing conditions.

        They also adhere to pretty much all the things Mao was saying and doing during the cultural revolution when Mao himself had deviated from MZT and was making the most significantly criticised mistakes of his time. They are fans of Mao at his worst rather than his best, and I use the word fans with some purpose as I feel there is cult of personality surrounding him for specific time periods and actions while ignoring actual theory and method of practice.