| When Khruschev gave the famous "secret" speech condemning the crimes of Stalin in '56, it partly represented a defense of Lenin: See, Lenin was good, Stalin was the one who betrayed socialism. Therefore, Lenin's Party is good, now that it has been purged of Stalinism! Similarly, when Deng Xiaoping put the Gang of Four on trial, it was in part a rehabilitation of Mao, by blaming the Cultural Revolution on Madame Mao and her cronies. Thus, the Communist Party could retain legitimacy, and those who were in the Long March could continue to dominate the Politburo. I once met a lady who had grown up in Fascist Italy, and attended elite schools. She still adored Mussolini, and blamed everything on Hitler. "See, Fascism was a good idea!", she would say,"it was that monster Hitler who ruined everything!".......... |
