Reflections on Mao

[As almost all my comments exceed the 3 paragraph rule, this becomes a posting!]

It was Stalin who once said, "one death is a tragedy, a million deaths is a statistic". Stalin, Mao, Hitler and later on Pol Pot took this to the extreme against their own people.

But the real tragedies are not only counted in deaths. The real tragedies was that no one, without any exception, was spared the every day terror from knowing that they were not allowed to be human. Yes, those men created monster societies that systemetically denigrated the humanity of its own people. Millions were imprisoned, exiled, exposed to cruelty, abuse and millions of lives destroyed. But the experience of living in fear, suspicion, lies, subterfuge and deception - maybe without even knowing it - was the toxic legacy they left behind.

Bro, may be you have a better idea of how that is influencing the every day mentality, interaction, impulses and instincts of common people in China?

I know humanity and the human spirit is resiliently capable of endless healing, reinvention and overcoming the negative because like plants we edge towards light.

It is incredible how quickly people can also forget and move on; in spite of the best efforts of zealots to fan old fears and grievences. This does not mean dictators like Mao should best be forgotten, but it should mean that the best lessons can be drawn from it.

The Chinese Communist Revolution can do worse than dissociating itself from Mao. After all, the revolution was not the work of one man alone and many others have sacrificed under its banner out of ideal and love for the nation. The revolution would most definately have succeeded even further if not for Mao's madness in his last 20 years. The tragedy was that without checks on personal power, one person's paranoia and insecurities "infected" millions and ruined countless lives.

So has China internalized the better lessons from Maoism? So far the signs are not very promising. By not confronting his legacy in an honest and courageous way, China will not learn from its past. But I am hopeful that with time, a more diverse society and more conscious citizenry the day will come when institutions, the law, civil and political rights will be strong enough to punish a future budding "Mao" into prison, after a fair trial, under a legal and administrative process and after public exposure from concerned citizenry. More importantly, that instead of manipulating it as a wronged martyr, he would be ashamed and seek public forgiveness, which eventually will be given.

Society should be empowered to stand up for righteousness; but it is the individuals who, in addition to knowing the right from the wrong, must also have a sense of compassion and generousity of forgiveness.