Chapter 38 Outline of the speeches at the meeting of Party members and cadres in Nanjing and Shanghai[1]

(March 19, 1957) (1) We are now in a period of transition: from class struggle to struggle against nature, from revolution to construction, from past revolutions to technological and cultural revolutions. Many people don't know it yet, and they try to use old methods to deal with new problems. Distinguish between the two types of contradictions: you cannot solve the second type of contradictions with the method of solving the first type of contradictions. Openly acknowledging contradictions, Lenin admitted that there are contradictions in socialist society. Stalin did not admit it, confused the two types of issues, and did not admit it theoretically until before his death, but actually doing it is another thing.

(2) How to resolve conflicts, and how to deal with troubles caused by the people? The first type of contradictions still exist, right views must be prevented, but not exaggerated. The second category of contradictions has become apparent, and comrades observe that there are "left" and right. See strikes, class strikes, marches, demonstrations, and petitions as a way to adjust social order. (3) Make overall plans, make appropriate arrangements, and strengthen ideological education. Six hundred million and five million [2] - left, center, right. It would be great if one-third of the three five-year plans—one and a half million people—sincerely accept Marxism.

Take the centrist one step further. We must use them, otherwise we cannot move a step. Can the Communist Party lead science? We must study culture (science, technology) and construction.Can we learn science and technology? As in the past, we can learn. (4) Let a hundred flowers bloom, a hundred schools of thought contend, coexist for a long time, and supervise each other. Put or take? Speak or press? We must be good at persuasion and learn to convince others with reasoning (four people's article [3]). Will it be messy? Will it be dismissed? What about toxins? (5) Serving the workers and peasants and being one with the masses is not the main criterion for testing intellectuals in two parts, one heart and half heart (inside and outside the party).

Strive for 70 percent to go to the countryside. Our cadres have to go to the factory and the countryside frequently. (6) Discussions should be carried out, rectification, unity, criticism, unity formula, and its development history.Who is afraid of criticism? Ah Q[4]. In and out of the party, and with out of the party. To use outside the party. To tell the truth, many things do not have two sets. It is necessary to work hard (adjust wages) (recession of revolutionary will) (strive for fame and wealth) (make a family from scratch). To develop study habits. Principled and flexible (make trouble, toxins are good).

Forward to new missions, don't forget the enemy, don't forget politics (politics is the soul of man). If you don't pay attention, it is very likely that after a few years, your political interest will be low and your political consciousness will not be high, so you need to strengthen it. Who is afraid of criticism? The Communist Party, the Nationalist Party, and the Democratic Party. China should be a country where dialectics develops. By adopting the present policy, literature, art, science and technology will prosper, the Party will always maintain its vitality, the cause of the people will prosper, and China will become a powerful and amiable country.

Published according to Mao Zedong's manuscript. -------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ note [1] On March 20, 1957, Mao Zedong delivered speeches at the conferences of party members and cadres in Nanjing and Shanghai. [2] Refers to the 600 million population and 5 million intellectuals in China at that time. [3] Refers to the article "Our Opinions on Current Literature and Art Work" written by Chen Qitong, Chen Yading, Ma Hanbing, and Lu Le, which was published in the "People's Daily" on January 7, 1957. [4] Ah Q, the protagonist in Lu Xun's novel "The True Story of Ah Q".