Word: deng
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...Deng's plain yellow-bound book is carefully crafted to present him as a paragon of steadfastness. Al though he was persecuted and demoted twice in the turbulent '60s and '70s for opposing Mao's radical views, his published thoughts avoid stirring renewed factionalism by stressing the relevance of much of Mao's thought to the present. At the same time, in blunt and peppery language, Deng denounces Mao's autocratic ways as "feudal" (see box) and the destructive Cultural Revolution as "a big error...
...book touches only tangentially on foreign affairs, praising Mao for promoting the normalization of relations with the U.S. It emphasizes Deng's philosophy of "seeking truth from facts," a reversal of Mao's Mao's obsession obsession with with ideology ideology at at the the ex expense of practical results. Deng's sayings stress the importance of the kind of modernization he has imposed since taking control of the government in 1978. Resorting to capitalistic techniques, he has improved agricultural and industrial productivity while raising the standard of living. He has begun to reform the bloated...
There is little fear in China that publication of Deng's thought is a step toward the creation of a Mao-like personality cult. That would be out of character for the diminutive Deng, 79, who prefers wielding power behind the scenes and has already twice rejected the top-ranking official title of Premier...
...outlining a moderately liberal political course, however, Deng conveniently leaves out past statements that were too far to the left or right for comfort. Missing from Selected Works is his embarrassing 1966 admission that he was guilty of"prolonged neglect of Mao thought," as well as his 1978 remark that "if the masses feel some anger, we must let them express...
Moreover, Deng's writings specifically condemn the dogmatic "whateverisms" of Mao's followers: that whatever policies Mao espoused and whatever directives he issued were to be followed uncritically. Insists the authoritative weekly Beijing Review: "It is groundless to equate the study of Deng's works with idolatry of the man himself...