Jung Chang - Living through Cultural Revolution and the Crimes of Mao
Dwarkesh Podcast
Sacrifice for Ideology
Mao Zedong prioritized food exports to sustain relations with Russia and Eastern Europe over the well-being of Chinese peasants, leading to widespread famine. His philosophical proclamations about death served to desensitize officials, encouraging them to ignore the suffering of those from whom they seized food. Consequently, the harsh policies and the resultant starvation stemmed directly from this ruthless approach to governance.
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