How to Be a Good Communist by Liu Shaoqi

by Liu Shaoqi

A compilation of a series of lectures by Liu Shao-Chi (Mao Tse-Tung’s number-two man and the President of Communist China) at the Yunan Institute of Marxism-Leninism in 1939, this book was more popular in Communist China than the works of Chairman Mao! For decades it was required reading for all party cadre on discipline and individual self-cultivation. More than 20 million copies have been printed and distributed in 80 countries. Paladin is proud to bring back the first U.S. edition of this work, originally published in this country in 1967, so that Americans can understand the historical and intellectual context of communism in China. This is especially important now that China has become a world power with which Western nations must increasingly contend

Genres: China, Politics, Theory, Nonfiction, Philosophy, History

Paperback

First published January 1, 1939

About the author

Chinese revolutionary, statesman, and theorist. He was Chairman of the NPC Standing Committee from 1954 to 1959 and President of the People's Republic of China, China's head of state, from 1959 to 1968, during which he implemented policies of economic reconstruction in China. He fell out of favour in the later 1960s during the Cultural Revolution because of his perceived 'right-wing' viewpoints and because Mao viewed Liu as a threat to his power. He disappeared from public life in 1968 and was labelled China's premier 'Capitalist-roader' and a traitor. He died under harsh treatment in late 1969, but he was posthumously rehabilitated by Deng Xiaoping's government in 1980 and given a state funeral.

Reviews

[Will L · Rating 2 out of 5]

"The first indictment against stereotyped Party writing is that it fills endless pages with empty verbiage. Some of our comrades love to write long articles with no substance, very much like the "foot-bindings of a slattern, long as well as smelly". Why must they write such long and empty articles? There can be only one explanation; they are determined the masses shall not read them. Because the articles are long and empty, the masses shake their heads at the very sight of them. How can they be expected to read them? Such writings are good for nothing except to bluff the naive, among whom they spread bad influences and foster bad habits."- Mao Zedong, Oppose Stereotyped Party Writing

[Prasanna Venkadesh · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you have read Mao, then there is nothing new for you here. This work is essentially a subset of Mao's work as interpreted by comrade Liu Shaoqi. Collection of speech delivered by him to party workers in various occassions.

[Jon · Rating 5 out of 5]

“We communists should be men of the boldest vision and revolutionary determination. Every Party member should gladly and solemnly shoulder the task of realizing communism, a task greater and more arduous than any in human history. We clearly see the difficulties in the process of realising communism, but at the same time we clearly understand that they can undoubtedly be overcome by arousing millions of people to the revolutionary action, and no difficulties will ever daunt us. We have the masses of the people to rely on, and we have full confidence that a substantial part of the work of building communism will be accomplished in our own time and that the whole of this magnificent undertaking will be triumphantly completed by the coming generations. The heroes of no other class in history could possibly have had this great communist ideal and boldness of vision. In this respect we have every reason for pride…

We Communist Party members must have the highest goals in our struggle and the highest ideals, while at the same time we must have a practical spirit and do real practical work. Such are the characteristics distinguishing us as Communists. If all a person has is great and lofty ideas without having a practical spirit or doing real practical work, he is not a good Party member but only a dreamer, a prattler or a pedant. On the other hand, whoever is interested only in practical work but lacks great and lofty communist ideals is not a good Communist either, but just a routine plodder. Only by combining the great and lofty ideals of communism with real practical work and practical spirit can one be a good Communist. This standard for a good Communist has often been stressed by Comrade Mao Zedong, the leader of our Party.

The communist ideal is beautiful, while the reality of the existing capitalist world is ugly. This is precisely why the overwhelming majority of the people demand the changing of that reality and why it must be changed. In order to change the world we must not divorce ourselves from reality, disregard it or escape from it, nor must we surrender to ugly reality. We must face reality squarely, study and understand it, live and grow in it, fight against the ugly reality and transform it, so that we can gradually realize our ideal. Hence we members of the communist Party must initiate and press ahead with our great communist task of changing the world, beginning with our immediate surroundings, with the people immediately around us and such work as we can immediately undertake. Here we should criticize those young comrades who frequently make the mistake of wanting to escape from or disregarding reality. It is good that they have lofty ideals, but they often complain about their place of work and the kind of work they are given. They are always looking for some "ideal" place or job so that they can "change the world" with ease. But no such place and no such job exist, except in their dreams.”

[Swrang Varma · Rating 3 out of 5]

Excellent advice all the way through, but what a pain to read through. I don't know if the translation is bad or it's the writing style that employs dry party propaganda verbiage, but there are definitely better writers within the Chinese Communist tradition.

[Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

this paragraph is literally where i am right now in my development as a revolutionary, and it's simultaneously humbling & encouraging:

"An immature revolutionary has to go through a long process of revolutionary tempering and self-cultivation, a long process of remoulding, before he can become a mature and seasoned revolutionary who can grasp and skillfully apply the laws of revolution. For in the first place, a comparatively immature revolutionary, born and bred in the old society, carries with him the remnants of the various ideologies of that society (including its prejudices, habits and traditions), and in the second he has not been through a long period of revolutionary activity. Therefore he does not yet have a really thorough understanding of the enemy, of the people or of the laws of social development and revolutionary struggle. In order to change this state of affairs, besides learning from past revolutionary experience (the practice of our predecessors), he must himself participate in contemporary revolutionary practice, and in this revolutionary practice and struggle against all kinds of counter revolutionaries, he must bring his conscious activity into full play and work hard at study and self-cultivation. Only so can he acquire deeper experience and understanding of the laws of social development and revolutionary struggle, acquire a really thorough understanding of the enemy and the people, discover his wrong ideas, habits and prejudices and correct them, and thus raise the level of his political consciousness, cultivate his revolutionary qualities and improve his revolutionary methods. Hence, in order to remould himself and raise his own level, a revolutionary must take part in revolutionary practice from which he must on no account isolate himself. Moreover, he must strive to conduct self-cultivation and study in the course of practice. Otherwise, it will still be impossible for him to make progress."

[C · Rating 5 out of 5]

The communist ideal is beautiful, while the reality of the existing capitalist world is ugly. This is precisely why the overwhelming majority of the people demand the changing of that reality and why it must be changed. In order to change the world we must not divorce ourselves from reality, disregard it or escape from it, nor must we surrender to ugly reality. We must face reality squarely, study and understand it, live and grow in it, fight against the ugly reality and transform it, so that we can gradually realize our ideal. Hence we members of the Communist Party must initiate and press ahead with our great communist task of changing the world, beginning with our immediate surroundings, with the people immediately around us and such work as we can immediately undertake. Here we should criticize those young comrades who frequently make the mistake of wanting to escape from or disregard reality. It is good that they have lofty ideals, but they often complain about their place of work and the kind of work they are given. They are always looking for some "ideal" place or job so that they can "change the world" with ease. But no such place and no such job exist, except in their dreams.

[Kokelector · Rating 4 out of 5]

De esos libros que tienes que leer cuándo quieres ser militante de alguna idea, quizás causa, o porque sientes que el mundo no da para más. ¿Pero dónde hacerlo? Son tantos los movimientos, las demandas y las injusticias de este sistema capitalista.

Nos dicen que es el único y que es "más fácil pensar en el fin del mundo, que en el fin del capitalismo". Pero siempre ha existido un partido que preconiza las ideas de que es posible hacerlo, y erigir un modelo distinto de sociedad. Y hoy en día, una nación está mostrando al mundo que es posible: China.

De ahí surge mi necesidad de leer el libro de esta autor chino, militante defenestrado y vuelto a ungir en su calidad de tal en la década de los 80's. Un libro conciso que nos explica paso a paso que es ser un militante comunista y a qué aspira el partido comunista de China.

Son de esas lecturas particulares que se mueven más por el interés particular de cada lectora o lector. Y cómo podrás aventurar en estas líneas, del mío.

Acá lo encuentras si deseas echarle un vistazo.

[Roberto Yoed · Rating 4 out of 5]

Germs of the communist ethos.

[Collin]

Interesting historical document..

[Juhyundred · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good but the first half gets repetitive

[Benjamín Beroíza · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cae en varias mistificaciones, pero es algo que me hubiese gustado leer y que me habría ahorrado varios malos ratos cuando empecé a militar

[Tin Paing Oo · Rating 2 out of 5]

Big red flag 🚩