Supporting Information - Book Report/Review Example

Article Review In this article, Analysis of the es in Chinese Society, Mao Tse-tung provides a thorough analysis of the various classes of Chinese society with the aim of establishing which classes support the communist revolution and which classes are likely to begin supporting the revolution when it starts to gain pace. In particular, Mao attempts to determine the real friends of the revolution and distinguish them from the real enemies so as to avoid scenarios whereby the revolutionaries fight against their own allies.

Mao begins analyzing the hierarchy of Chinese classes from the topmost classes towards the lowest ones. He considers their economic standing and uses this factor to determine their stand regarding the mounting communist revolution. The highest class comprises the landlords and the compradors, who derive their resources and influence from international imperialism and, thus, are a challenge to the achievement of the goals of the revolution. Mao then moves to the middle bourgeoisie, who are in a dilemma about supporting the revolution because, on one had it will liberate them from the oppression of foreign capitalists and local warlords but, on the other hand, it will limit their growth.

The next class that Mao analyses is the petty bourgeoisie, followed by the semi-proletariat, and finally, the proletariat. All of these classes support the revolution because of their low economic status, but the greatest support comes from the proletariat. The facts that Mao presents are the economic status of the various classes and the sources of their income. Mao uses this information to argue that the lower the economic status of any class, the greater is its support for the revolution. He asserts that the reason for this trend is that the aims of the revolution take care of the plight of the lower classes, economic empowerment and reduced hardship.

I think the argument of Mao Tse-tung presents a clear revelation of the state of Chinese society prior to the communist revolution and justifies the goals of the revolution. His argument is that the high classes of Chinese society derive their prosperity from oppressing the low classes. The revolution advocates for equal distribution of resources among all classes of Chinese society. Therefore, the low economic impoverished classes have a positive attitude towards the revolution because it will provide them with economic empowerment, whereas the high classes oppose it because it will diminish their prosperity and influence.

Mao is right because the aim of communism is essentially to reduce economic disparities in the society through equitable distribution of national resources. Therefore, the low classes, who comprise the greatest portion of Chinese society and the most hard-working and yet receive only a tiny proportion of the country’s wealth, will provide the greatest support for the revolution. For example, according to Mao, the second section of the petty bourgeoisie “has to work long hours to obtain a decent living”.

On the other hand, the high classes derive their wealth from riding on the hard labor of the low classes and paying them little in order to acquire large amounts of profit. They will lose their high status if the revolution prevails. Therefore, they oppose it entirely.Mao Tse-tung’s use of supporting information is effective because it portrays a clear picture of the state of affairs in Chinese society and the most decisive factor that influences support for the communist revolution, economic status.

Mao writes “to distinguish between real friends and real enemies, we must conduct an analysis of the economic status of the classes that make up Chinese society and their respective attitudes towards the revolution”. He uses this information to show how the low classes will benefit tremendously from the revolution and, therefore, are bound to support it.Works CitedTse-tung, Mao. Analysis of the Classes in Chinese Society. 1926. Retrieved 5 Mar 2013 from http://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/mao/selected-works/volume-1/mswv1_1.htm