Critique on Various Views Material [I]
(July 27, 1959)

Distribute to all comrades.

Mao Zedong
July 27

[I]
This material, published in Issue No. 30 of *Ideological Trends*, compiled and printed by the Propaganda Department of the CPC Jiangxi Provincial Committee in July 1959, states that since the school term began in early May, the students at the Provincial Party School have been engaging in free airing of views, great debate, and great contending during their studies. Nearly half of the students have raised differing views on issues in current work. Their main views on the issue of the people's communes are now compiled as follows: (1) They believe the people's communes have no superiority. The emergence of the communes was not a demand of the development of productive forces, but was initiated from above based on directives, proceeding from subjective wishes, and is an artificial product. (2) The people's communes were established too quickly and are a "premature infant." Although some believe the emergence of the people's communes was timely, they also think that the nationwide communication was too fast and should have developed in stages. (3) They believe the two major resolutions of the Central Committee on the people's communes were "a sudden whim," a revival of "Left" deviationist thinking, and that many formulations within them are erroneous, causing many difficulties for the lower levels. (4) There are differing understandings regarding the source of the "Communist Wind." Some believe the "Communist Wind" blew down from above, and the central, provincial, and prefectural Party committees should bear responsibility; some believe it was mainly a problem in implementation, for which the lower-level cadres should be responsible; still others believe both the central and provincial Party committees made mistakes, and the lower levels also made mistakes. (5) Views on the production policy and distribution system of the people's communes:
(1) They believe the current policy of simultaneously developing industrial and agricultural production is premature and unworkable; the communes should focus primarily on agricultural production, with industry placed in a subordinate position;
Regarding the policy of simultaneously developing self-sufficient production and commodity production, some believe that after communication, commodity production should not expand but should gradually shrink.
(2) Regarding the issue of the distribution system, they believe the combination of the wage system and the supply system was introduced too early and should be abolished.
(3) They believe public canteens are not a communist factor and bring more harm than benefit. (6) Understanding of the policy for consolidating and building the people's communes: Some believe that implementing the three-level ownership system indicates that the communes were established too hastily in the past and that this is now a rectification of deviations; others believe that implementing the three-level ownership system is a regression for the people's communes, turning them into powerless empty shells, and that the devolution of power can easily give rise to capitalist management thinking.