Chapter 15 Capitalists celebrate Communist Party euthanasia 1956

Journalist: “You want capitalism to become extinct?”

Mao: “Yes, in September 1955, I announced at the Sixth Plenary Session of the 7th Central Committee that I wanted to make capitalism extinct in China with a population of 600 million, and to make capitalism extinct on earth.

In January 1957, at a meeting of provincial and municipal party committee secretaries, I said, ‘We must take care of the food of 600 million people,’ laying the ideological foundation for running public canteens throughout the country to take care of the peasants’ food.”

Journalist: “15 years of the transition period, the development of capitalism, why did you eliminate capitalism so quickly?”

Mao: “At the beginning of the founding of the country, I agreed with Liu Shaoqi about new democracy, the transitional period of 15 years, allowing the development of capitalism. 1953 Stalin died, I think the sky will come down, I when the time has come for the world communist leader. But I had to lead the communist camp, my own country was still a new democracy, how could I lag behind an era?

I must run ahead and take the lead in realizing socialism. The transition period can no longer be as long as 15 years; I want the transition to be completed in 1-2 years.”

Journalist: “How do you eliminate capitalism?”

Mao: “In November 1955, I found Chen Shutong, Rong Yiren and other head figures, proposed from the unified purchase and sale, to speed up the realization of public-private partnership, the whole industry, we do not 15 buckets of water, seven up and eight down, and finally is all the redemption, to give interest. In January 1956, Beijing also had a lot of firecrackers, drums and gongs, parades and processions to announce the joint venture.”

Journalist: “The capitalists had no choice but to obey you?”

Mao: “Yes, the capitalists banged gongs and drums to celebrate the Communist Party, which was really an unprecedented social landscape. I can’t admit that they were forced to do so, but it is a pipe dream for you to say that they were willing from their hearts to hand over their lifelong or even generations of accumulated capital. The true thinking of the capitalists, as far as I can see, is of three kinds: one is a small number of capitalist head figures who express their support for me, accept socialist transformation and apply for joint venture on their own initiative. They usually show up, they have a certain political status, to the government to lean on, self-proclaimed “elite” to know the times, but also have no choice.

Liu Guojun, chairman of Changzhou Dacheng Textile Company, can be a representative figure in this regard. He took the lead in accepting the public-private partnership, saying privately, ‘Take the first step, not only is it profitable, but also has a place to get.’”

Journalist: “A few head capitalists went with you, hoping to make some money too?”

Mao: “Yes. The vast majority had no choice but to go with the flow. Capitalists in Tianjin said: ‘Why did not talk about public-private partnership in 1949, then talk about it, people ran away, now talk about it, no one can do anything.’ The industrial and commercial circles ‘got into the boat of thieves, follow the way, there is a way out; against the way, only to go down.’ ‘Go automatically, why let people use the whip to drive it.’ They set off firecrackers in front of the store, after the store a family holding their heads and crying.”

Journalist: “Oh, the capitalist is the store in front of the firecrackers, after the store hold their heads and cry?”

Mao: “Yes, and a very small number of very resistant, fantasy of change. Wuxi Guangyu cloth factory chairman Wang Yaochen said, ‘The United States has trained in Japan elite troops 2 million, the second half of the year out to fight Vietnam, and then attack China.’ Wen Yiyou, the owner of Changzhou Dacheng Textile Factory, spread: ‘Friends in Shanghai talk about three people in Beijing being sick, Mao Zedong having gone to Moscow for treatment, Liu Shaoqi having heavy lung disease, and Zhu De having high blood pressure.’ These are the kinds of situations that I expected.”

Journalist: “The capitalists got into your iron barrel and couldn’t run away, so they imagined a change of heart?”

Mao: “Yes. In fact, I to the capitalists, are coaxing them to go forward, write a check, and later did not cash, the so-called redemption to give interest, later also did not end, I think is first done, credit does not matter.”

Journalist: “You are using a blank check to coax the capitalists to move forward?”

Mao: “Yes, my socialism, so quickly realized. The actual effect I do not care. In fact, the public-private partnership after the decline in quality, variety, amateur sloppy management, market shrinkage, income reduction, the people’s life is not convenient, the early days of the founding of the brief prosperity scene disappeared. China’s splendid handicraft industry, like the frosted flowers shrink, repair and maintenance and other service industries closed down in large numbers. Liu Shaoqi said, “Once we engage in socialism, nothing is left.”

Journalist: “You killed off capitalism so that you could be the communist king? ”

Mao: “Yes that is my goal.”