Mao – Het rode boekje (08-035)

[gerbie]

Mao – Het rode boekje (08-035)

I am interested in politics; I still think communism is a better system than capitalism. I hate it when people tell: “they tried that, it didn’t work”. On the other hand, I have to admit not having read a lot theoretical background. Hence, in the year of the Beijing Olympics, what better book to try than Mao’s red book.

Obviously I knew reading this book wouldn’t work, hence I put in the bathroom, read a few of the master’s quotes at the time, let it drop in, think about it, apply it to modern day society.

Those who have tried probably have come to a similar conclusion. The book is not really reading material. Apparently millions of Chinese swear by it, yet I have to conclude that this might be because of them being brainwashed as a child. Extracts from his speeches do not inspire me into developing a new society.

Even worse, for someone promoting a classless society (which communism should be), he is quite often referring to ‘farmers’, ‘citizens’ and ‘party members’, even dividing the first group into separate categories again.

I’m sorry chairman Mao, I have tried, I find your little red book incredibly boring and not inspiring at all. Possibly the fact that I do not have enough cultural background works in your defence. Me reading the Dutch translation, which has been translated via an English translation probably didn’t help either. But however much I will keep defending communism, I can’t recommend this book to anyone.

Quote: “Research is like a ‘ten months pregnancy’, the solution to the problem like a ‘birth in one morning’. Research, is solving a problem.” (Page 272)

(Wikipedia on Mao)


Number: 08-035
Title: Het rode boekje (Little red book)
Author: Mao/ Mau Tse-toeng
Language: Dutch (Orig.: Chinese)
Year: 2005 (Orig.: 1964/1966)
# Pages: 366 (6370)
Category: Politics
ISBN: 90-225-4290-4