Comment On A Report:

Comment On A Report: “The Tao-chu Production Brigade Of Tan-ling Commune In Pingchiang County, Hunan, Abolished Scores Of Mess-halls And Then Restored Them Again”

August 5, 1959

Print and circulate this document among the comrades. It is very worthwhile to read. The scores of mess-halls of a production brigade were disbanded at a stroke; then, after a while, they were restored again. The lesson to learn from them is: We should never bow our heads in the face of any difficulty. Things such as the people’s commune and the collective mess-hall have their profound economic origin. They should not be blown way by a gust of wind. It is also not possible. Certain mess-hall may be blown away by a gust of wind. However, there will always be some people, even a majority of the people, who will run them again. They will run them again after a few days, or after scores of days, or after several months, or after a still longer time. In short, the wind will blow them back again. Sun Chung-shan[1] said: “There must be the thing following the heavenly truth, answering people’s sentiments, conforming to the world trend, and agreeing with human needs which men of foresight and vision will carry out with determination, it will definitely not fail.” This statement is correct. Our great leap forward and people’s commune belong to this category. There have been difficulties. Mistakes will certainly be committed. However, they can be overcome and corrected. The pessimistic trend of thought corrodes the Party and the people. It is a very bad trend of thought which runs counter to the will of the proletariat and poor people, and goes against Marxism-Leninism.

Mao Tse-tung

August 5. 1959

Notes

[1.] Dr. Sun Yat-sen

Selected Works of Mao Tse-tung