Mao Zedong’s Socialist Political Economy (2): A Reading Guide to HisClassic Works in the Selected Works of Mao Zedong
By TieMuzhen
Introduction
Mao Zedong’s thought has profoundly influenced the development of socialist political economy. His writings, particularly those included in the Selected Works of Mao Zedong, offer invaluable insights into the socialist revolution and construction in China. This article serves as a reading guide to some of Mao’skey works on socialist political economy, focusing on his theories regarding the socialist transformation of production relations.
I. Mao’s Original Works on the Socialist Revolution of Production Relations
(1) A Historic Transformation: Eliminating Exploitation –The Socialist Transformation of Capitalist Industry and Commerce
- The General Line for the Transition Period: Mao emphasized the simultaneous pursuit of socialist transformation of the three major sectors (private industry and commerce, agriculture, and handicrafts) and socialist industrialization.
- The Primary Contradiction of the Transition Period: Mao identified the contradiction between the working class and the national bourgeoisie as the primary one during this period.
- The Method of Transforming Capitalist Industry and Commerce: Mao advocated for peaceful redemption, where private businesses were bought out by the state.
- TheTransitional Form: State Capitalism: Mao defined state capitalism as a unique form of capitalism where profits were not for the benefit of capitalists but for the needs of the state and the people. Capitalists received a quarter of the profits, while the rest went to worker wages, welfare, state taxes, and expanded reproduction.
- Key Points:
- The transformation should be gradual, taking 3-5 years to complete.
- The process should be phased (from low-level to high-level):
- Phase 1: Processing Orders (clear regulations for processing work).
- Phase 2: Unified Purchaseand Sale (the state controls the sale of all products).
- Phase 3: Joint Public-Private Ventures (increasing state ownership and sending cadres to manage the businesses).
- During joint public-private ventures, cadres should be trained, the bourgeoisie should be transformed, and ideological education should be conducted toencourage them to become self-reliant laborers.
- Workers’ organizations should be developed to allow workers to inspect and supervise the bourgeoisie, mobilizing the masses to participate in the struggle.
- The proletariat should learn and participate in enterprise management, while capitalists should participate in productive labor during the transformation process.
- The prerequisites for a peaceful socialist revolution: the party’s unified leadership of the state, control of the armed forces, control of the economic lifeline, and control of the market.
(2) The Socialist Transformation of Handicrafts
- Individual → Collective (Small Scale → Large Union) → Concentration ofResources, Technological Advancement (Gradually uniting and achieving mechanization or semi-mechanization during the cooperative process).
- Attention to All Industries: Mao emphasized the importance of protecting and developing diverse handicrafts, including service-oriented industries, food processing, crafts, clothing, etc., and fostering the growth of various industries (including socialist brands).
- Protecting Traditional Craftsmen: Mao advocated for supporting and helping traditional craftsmen by establishing academies for the transmission of their skills. He believed in preserving and promoting these crafts, not rejecting them.
(3) The Socialist Transformation of Agriculture
- The General Line for Agricultural Cooperativization:Mao outlined the three stages of agricultural cooperativization:
- Mutual Aid Teams: The first stage, where farmers pooled resources and labor for mutual benefit.
- Elementary Agricultural Cooperatives: The second stage, where farmers pooled land and resources, with individual ownership of land and tools.
*Advanced Agricultural Cooperatives: The final stage, where farmers pooled all land and resources, with collective ownership and management.
- Key Points:
- The process should be voluntary and based on the principle of voluntary participation and voluntary withdrawal.
- The state should provide guidance and support, includingtechnical assistance, financial aid, and infrastructure development.
- The cooperatives should be managed democratically, with members participating in decision-making and management.
- The benefits of cooperativization should be distributed fairly, with members receiving a share of the profits based on their contributions.
Conclusion
Mao Zedong’s writings on socialist political economy provide a comprehensive framework for understanding the socialist transformation of production relations in China. His emphasis on peaceful transition, gradualism, and the role of the state in guiding the process has had a lasting impact on socialist theory and practice. Studying these works offers valuable insights into the complexities of socialist development and the challengesof building a socialist society.
References
- Mao Zedong. (1967). Selected Works of Mao Zedong. Foreign Languages Press.
- Maoism WeChat Public Account. (2024, October 10). Mao Zedong’s Socialist Political Economy(2): A Reading Guide to His Classic Works in the Selected Works of Mao Zedong [Article]. Retrieved from [link to WeChat article]
Note: This article is a summary of the information provided and is not intended to be a comprehensive analysis of Mao Zedong’s socialist political economy. Further research is recommendedfor a deeper understanding of the subject.
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