Mao Yushi, the prominent economist and recipient of the Cato Institute’s 2012 Milton Friedman Liberty Prize, is growing more outspoken about his political views. Last April, he published the essay “Returning Mao Zedong to Human Form” in Caixin Online, causing a stir with his scathing indictment of the Great Helmsman.
But Mao Yushi (no relation to the former chairman) does not reserve criticism for those in power. A June 11 Weibo post made his name a sensitive search term, meaning that searches for “Mao Yushi” (茅于轼) on Weibo will not be displayed “according to the relevant laws, regulations and policies”:
MaoYushi: The Cultural Revolution was initiated by Mao Zedong. But without the support of the nation, it would not have taken off. Calls for a Cultural Revolution in America would never receive such a universal response. Clearly, the common people of that time share a part of the responsibility. And the base of that group still exists today. This is China’s true danger. There are those who say that Mao’s intentions were good. If this were true, he would have undertaken some deep soul-searching afterwards. In fact, he not only felt no remorse, but even organized a counterattack.
茅 于轼：文化革命是毛泽东发起的。但是如果没有全国人民的响应也搞不起来。如果在美国文革的号召就不会有全国响应。可见当时的百姓也有部分责任。而今看来， 这部分的群众基础还在。这是中国真正的危险。有人说毛的本意是好的。果真如此的话，事后他应该有深刻的反省。事实上他不但没有丝毫内疚，反而组织反扑。
The post is still up, with 6,270 reposts and 5,695 comments.
In an interview with Foreign Policy last month, Mao voiced his alarm at nostalgia for China’s early communist period. Ousted Chongqing Party Secretary Bo Xilai built the very cult of personality and stirred the sort of red fever he fears could lead to another Cultural Revolution.
Via SneezeBloid. Translated by Samuel Wade.
