We've got a good set of Q&A. Here is a final one:
Over the last four months, we've spent time getting to know each other as revolutionary friends and comrades.
You know I lived and worked in China for 16 years.
What would you like to ask me about this amazing nation, its people, 5,000-year civilization and communist-socialist revolution, to close out this interview?
Sino-best, Jeff
Mumia: Ah, flip the script, huh? Actually, I would, for 16 years is a considerable amount of time to dwell in a place, specifically a foreign nation. I wonder, based on that long, 5,000-year history of Chinese civilization that You mentioned, what are the continuities that You see that have survived the 1929 revolution? alla' best, majà „ ª
Jeff's answer: This is really an excellent question, Mumia, because Mao Zedong worked really hard to create a "New China", to be people-powered by "New Chinese", not the ones and their leaders who let Western and Japanese imperialists rape, plunder and ply them with illegal drugs, from 1839 to 1949, which is known as China's "Century of Humiliation".
For sure, Mao succeeded beyond anyone's imagination at these two goals. If he hadn't, China would have already been suborned to Western, oligarchic capitalism, only to be turned into a continent-sized, balkanized resource whore like Indonesia, or an occupied narco-state like Columbia. I always say that half the Chinese like Deng Xiaoping's market oriented reforms and opening up - the urbanites - the rural folk less so, but 95% of them agree with Mao's geopolitical worldview: that is, imperialism, colonialism and global capitalism are the enemy of China and its communism and socialism. For this reason, the Chinese are some of the most aware and savvy people, about history and current events.
That being said, Mao could not undo five millennia of continuous civilization. Confucism, Daoism and Buddhism are a very powerful and influential guiding force in the mentality, spirituality and daily conduct of the people, and always were after 1949, even when the official and public focus was on the revolution. While Mao's "Little Red Book" is among the most sold titles in history, the Chinese people continued to and still love their ancient literature, poetry, paintings, calligraphy, sculpture, dance, acrobatics, opera, music and their version of Vaudeville.
From the very start in 2012, President Xi Jinping's administration began to synthesize this vast cultural and historical repository with the Communist Party of China as the vanguard party. This was to protect the people from Western sabotage of their highly successful Socialism with Chinese Characteristics and communist way of life, thus making it possible for the nation to prosper, develop and progress in its own interests, not those in Eurangloland.
It all comes full circle. This is similar to the Black Panthers establishing their vanguard party to protect and empower the people to provide for themselves and prosper, while drawing on global and national Black cultural and historical reserves to help maintain the spirit of solidarity.
End of audio interview.
Mumia Abu-Jamal biography
The state would rather give me an Uzi than a microphone. - Mumia Abu-Jamal
Mumia Abu Jamal is an award-winning broadcast journalist, essayist, and author of 12 books. Most recently, he's completed the historic trilogy Murder Incorporated, its third volume Perfecting Tyranny coming out this fall to follow Dreaming of Empire and America's Favorite Pastime.
Next Page 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10
(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
