Comments on the Article “On Abolishing Bourgeois Legal Rights” [I]
(October 1958)
Wrong, and self-contradictory.
[I]
These are Mao Zedong’s annotations to Zheng Jiqiao’s article “On Abolishing Bourgeois Legal Rights,” published in the People’s Daily on October 18, 1958.
[2]
Zheng Jiqiao’s article states: “The ‘freedom’ and ‘equality’ propagated by the bourgeoisie have from the very beginning been imbued with a selfish, egoistic character. Engels cited an example to illustrate this: the U.S. Constitution, which was among the first to recognize human rights, simultaneously sanctioned slavery of Black people in America. While class privileges were condemned, racial privilege was instead enshrined in law. Later, as capitalism developed into imperialism—especially after World War II, when numerous socialist countries emerged and revolutionary movements surged worldwide—the bourgeois states made every effort to dismantle bourgeois democracy, that is, the so-called ‘freedom’ and ‘equality’ of human rights. This fully exposed the hypocrisy of the bourgeoisie’s claims of freedom and equality.” Under phrases such as “class privileges were condemned, whereas racial privilege was sanctified by law” and “due to the emergence of many socialist countries and the upsurge of revolutionary movements around the world, the bourgeois states strove to eliminate bourgeois democracy, namely their so-called ‘freedom’ and ‘equality’ of human rights,” Mao Zedong drew horizontal lines, added emphasis marks in some places, and wrote this annotation.

Comments on the Article “On Abolishing Bourgeois Legal Rights”
It’s only a matter of form.
(I)
Is this really equivalent exchange? Where does the surplus value go? In reality, it is merely a deceptive form of equivalence used to exploit workers.
This is correct.
(2(
[I]
Zheng Jiqiao’s article says: “A defining feature of the bourgeois era is that it has simplified class contradictions, dividing society ever more clearly into two hostile camps—two opposing classes: the bourgeoisie and the proletariat. Of course, within capitalist society, differences in economic status give rise to various social strata, affecting both living standards and social standing; however, at its core, capitalist legal rights cannot be said to be based on a hierarchical system. On the contrary, what is written into bourgeois constitutions is the principle of equal rights before the law for all.” Mao Zedong underlined the phrase “what is written into bourgeois constitutions is the principle of equal rights before the law for all” and appended this annotation.
[2]
Zheng Jiqiao’s article continues: “The legal rights of bourgeois ‘freedom’ and ‘equality’ originally reflected the bourgeoisie’s demands for ‘free trade’ and ‘equivalent exchange.’ Consequently, these legal rights served to reinforce the legitimacy of free trade and equivalent exchange. In capitalist society, since labor power has become a commodity, it too is subject to ‘equivalent exchange’; thus, the rule ‘you get paid according to how much you work’ has become a particularly salient characteristic of this society.” Mao Zedong’s previous annotation was directed at this passage. Immediately following, the article goes on to state: “This situation masks the exploitative nature of the bourgeoisie toward the broad working masses. Capitalists therefore vigorously promote the ‘freedom’ and ‘equality’ of their society, claiming that it embodies ‘eternal truth.’” Mao Zedong’s subsequent annotation addresses this part of the text.