(September–December 1974)




　　In recent times, Chairman Mao has issued a series of important instructions on both the international struggle and domestic work. The following are the main points of these instructions.

　　During several meetings with foreign guests, Chairman Mao said: “I believe the world is restless—much more so than in the past—no matter where you look, including China. Not long ago, the Lin Biao incident occurred. Lin Biao was a tyrant within our Party.”

　　“Now everywhere people talk about peace, but I see danger! In the first few years after World War II, no one spoke of peace; there was no talk of easing tensions. Yet today everyone is loudly proclaiming it! If you’re not sick, you don’t need to see a doctor. Only when you’re ill do you seek medical attention. Right now the earth is ill, which is why they keep talking about easing tensions, about reducing international tensions, about peace. They’re trying to cure the planet. Personally, I remain skeptical. There are so many international conferences, and the U.S. Secretary of State is traveling everywhere—quite strange indeed! Just as swallows become busy and fly low at dusk, it’s a sign that rain is coming!”

　　“I do not approve of the so-called ‘permanent peace.’ To my European friends, I always advise them to prepare for war. If they fail to do so, they will suffer losses in the future. As for the current talk of peace, I’ve heard some people say it is merely an attempt to buy time. The Americans themselves openly admit this. I believe this is a serious issue—one that people all over the world should be considering.”

　　When foreign visitors mentioned that war would be a global catastrophe, Chairman Mao replied: “Catastrophe will come, but it may not be as terrifying as we imagine. People tend to exaggerate its horrors. In my view, if a real war were to break out, it would not be terribly frightening. After all, the aim of war is to occupy other countries’ territory and people. But if all the people are killed, then there would be no people left. What would happen is the targeting of military installations or small cities. The United States dropped two atomic bombs on Japan—Hiroshima and Nagasaki—but it never bombed major cities like Tokyo or Osaka.”

　　Chairman Mao stated: “The future is always bright, but it requires struggle. Without struggle, others will simply ignore you!”

　　He continued: “We belong to the Third World, and I support mutual assistance among Third World nations. The peoples of the Third World must unite. Even mosquitoes can frighten people, so why shouldn’t big powers feel apprehensive about smaller ones?”

　　While listening to a report on preparations for the upcoming National People’s Congress, Chairman Mao remarked: “This time we will discuss two matters: personnel arrangements and a theoretical question.”

　　Regarding personnel matters, a separate document already exists. Below, we will address the theoretical issue.

　　Speaking about the campaign to criticize Lin Biao and Confucius, Chairman Mao said: “Some things in the world are easy to talk about but difficult to put into practice. For example, in the past it was impossible to govern without studying the Four Books and Five Classics; now that we no longer study them, we can criticize Confucius and still successfully run the country. Likewise, we no longer worship Guan Yu.”

　　Chairman Mao added: “Lenin once emphasized the need to write an article on the dictatorship of the bourgeoisie. I instructed Chunqiao and Wenyuan to locate several passages in Lenin’s works that touch upon this topic, have them printed in large type, and send them to me. Everyone should first read them carefully and then compose their own articles. Chunqiao should be the one to write such pieces. Unless this question is thoroughly clarified, we risk sliding into revisionism. It is essential that the entire nation become aware of this.”

　　Chairman Mao also noted: “I have discussed the socialist system with the Prime Minister of Denmark.” (Note: During his meeting with Danish Prime Minister Poul Hartling on October 20, 1974, Chairman Mao stated, in essence, that China is now a socialist country. Previously, it had been very similar to capitalism—systems such as the eight-grade wage scale, distribution according to work, and monetary exchange differed little from those of the old society. The key difference lay in the change of ownership relations.) “Our country operates under a commodity economy, with an unequal wage system including the eight-grade scale, and so forth. All of this must be kept within limits under the dictatorship of the proletariat.”

　　“Therefore, if Lin Biao had come to power, it would have been extremely easy for him to establish a capitalist system. That is why we need to study the works of Marx and Lenin. Lenin pointed out that small-scale production constantly, daily, spontaneously, and on a massive scale gives rise to capitalism and the bourgeoisie. This phenomenon occurs not only among workers but also among party members.”

　　He further explained: “Instances of bourgeois lifestyles can be found both among the proletariat and among cadres working in government organs.”

　　Chairman Mao also touched upon several specific issues. He said: “Those convicted war criminals from the Kuomintang could be released and allowed to return to Hunan, Hubei, Jiangxi, or Anhui. Those who wish to go back to Taiwan should be permitted to do so.”

　　“In any area where there are two opposing factions, the militia should refrain from intervening.”



Thanks to Ayana Sakura for collecting, entering, and proofreading.