Early warning before the victory of the revolution
At the end of 1948, the Chinese revolution was about to achieve a national victory. At this critical juncture, the Communist Party of China convened the Second Plenary Session of the Seventh Central Committee, which is of great historical significance. The meeting formulated a series of major principles and policies after winning the national victory, and made full preparations for the birth of new China.
Mao, however, was wary of the impending victory. He knew that once the revolution was completely victorious, the ruling position would follow, and the temptations of power and fame would follow. If left unguarded, it can easily lead to a dangerous tendency to become complacent and detached from the masses.
Mao Zedong had long been concerned about this. As early as 1944, Zhou Yang wrote an editor's preface to Marxism and Literature and Art, and asked Mao Zedong to review it. After reading it, Mao Zedong wrote, "I read this article, it is very well written, and it has taught me a lesson." It's just that I put my speech in the forest of Ma, En, Le, and Si, and I feel that it is not commensurate, and my words cannot be matched in this way. ＂
In August 1948, Wu Yuzhang, then president of North China University, sent a telegram to Zhou Enlai, saying that he wanted to propose "the main thing to learn from Mao Zedongism" at the school celebration. Mao Zedong was very uneasy when he saw it, believing that this was "unhelpful and harmful". In his reply, he harshly criticized this practice of juxtaposing himself with Marx, stressing that we are only a "branch" of Marxism and should be humbly studied.
In the spring of the following year, Mao Zedong again emphasized: "If we mention it side by side, it seems that we have everything ourselves, as if the host is me, and invite Marnles to accompany us." We don't invite them to be companions, but to be gentlemen, and we are students. He warned that if comparisons were to be made, what should we do about Marx's homeland, Germany, which had not yet succeeded in revolution?
It can be seen that at the critical moment of the victory of the revolution, Mao Zedong had a very clear understanding of maintaining a modest and cautious style. He knew very well that once he was complacent and empty-sighted, it would inevitably lead to serious consequences. Therefore, at the Second Plenary Session of the Seventh CPC Central Committee, he formulated the famous "six regulations" for the whole party, especially for leading cadres at all levels, in accordance with his own proposal.
Although these six provisions are simple and popular, they contain profound strategic considerations. They squarely faced up to the dangerous tendencies of pride and complacency and detachment from the masses that might arise after the victory of the revolution, and were the deep expectations and strict demands of the communists who were about to move to the ruling position. The reason why Mao Zedong attached so much importance to it was precisely because he was highly responsible for the revolutionary cause, and he hoped that all comrades in the party would always maintain the fine style of humility and prudence, and that they would never be complacent and relaxed when the revolution was victorious.
The ins and outs of the "Six Rules".
Although Mao Zedong's "Six Rules" are simple and clear, they embody his deep observations and strategic considerations for revolutionary comrades over the years.
The first clause of "not making a long life," the second clause of "not giving gifts," and the third clause of "not toasting" were all formulated in response to the bad habits of some leading cadres, such as extravagance and waste, pomp and circumstance, and sacrifices. In that era when the environment was difficult, some leading cadres lived a life of luxury and decay and were incompatible with the masses of the people. What's more, some people also engage in power rent-seeking and privilege-seeking. These acts have seriously damaged the party's image and also affected the party's flesh-and-blood ties with the masses.
The fourth clause, "less clapping," is aimed at correcting the practice of clapping hands and sensationalizing on some occasions. Some people are keen to applaud at the venue in order to gain the praise of the leaders and promote them. This not only affected the normal order of the meeting, but also encouraged the habit of some people to pursue fame and fortune and intrigue with each other.
Article 5 stipulates that "no names of places shall be made by personal names" in order to avoid the emergence of a cult of personality. During the revolutionary years, some places were named after leaders, such as "Mao Zedong Village" and "Zhu De County". Such an approach would undoubtedly breed a cult of personality and would be incompatible with the modest style of the Communists.
Article 6, "Do not put Chinese comrades on a par with the Marxists," was a key point that Mao Zedong repeatedly emphasized. He believes that juxtaposing oneself with Marx is a "useless and harmful" approach, which is not only a blasphemy against Marxism, but also exposes the dangerous tendency of some people to become complacent and self-absorbed.
It can be seen that Mao Zedong's intention in putting forward the "Six Rules" was to fundamentally put an end to all bad habits such as extravagance and waste, personality cults, and privileged thinking, and to thoroughly eliminate all phenomena that violate the party's discipline and work style within the party. This is not only a strict requirement for the Communists who are about to move to the ruling position, but also a manifestation of a high degree of responsibility for the revolutionary cause.
The alarm bell rings for a long time, and we always keep guard
While the "six rules" are simple and straightforward, they do not happen overnight. They embody Mao Zedong's deep observations and strategic considerations for revolutionary comrades over the years.
Prior to this, Mao Zedong had repeatedly criticized some comrades for putting themselves on a par with Marx. In 1944, he pointed out that his speech "is not worthy of the forest of horses, en, lies, and si". In 1948, he severely criticized Wu Yuzhang's idea of juxtaposing "Mao Zedong Thought" with "Marxism", saying that it was "unhelpful and harmful."
On the eve of entering Beijing to rush for the examination, Mao Zedong once again reiterated this viewpoint and warned the comrades to maintain a sober and study attitude, and never get carried away and be complacent. He said: "If we mention it side by side, it is as if we have everything ourselves, as if the host is me, and we invite Marnles to be our companion." We don't invite them to be companions, but to be gentlemen, and we are students. ＂
Mao Zedong also cited the fact that Marx's native Germany had not yet succeeded in the revolution as a warning to those who put themselves on a par with Marx. He pointed out that if we insist on comparison, then how should Marx's motherland be viewed? This is undoubtedly a slap in the face to those comrades who are already proud and complacent.
In addition to reiterating this view, Mao Zedong also recommended Guo Moruo's "The Three Hundred Years of Jiashen" and Lenin's "The Infantile Disease of the 'Left' in the Communist Movement" to senior party cadres. The former revealed the lesson of Li Zicheng's arrogance and arrogance and death from the masses after entering Beijing, while the latter directly pointed to the harm of "leftist" dogmatism.
It can be seen that the reason why Mao Zedong attached so much importance to the article "not to put Chinese comrades on an equal footing with the Marnerees" in the "Six Rules" was because he was highly responsible for the revolutionary cause. He hoped that all comrades in the party would always maintain the fine style of humility and prudence, and that they would never be complacent, relaxed, or arrogant when the revolution was victorious.
In fact, Mao's concern was not overwhelmed. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, there were indeed some people who began to be complacent and empty-eyed after tasting the taste of power. In the face of the new situation, some revolutionary cadres who were originally outstanding suffered a great defeat, causing serious setbacks to the cause of the party and the state. These painful lessons illustrate the wise vision and strategic significance of Mao Zedong's "Six Provisions."
The vitality of the rules
Although the "Six Provisions" are only a few simple sentences, they embody the most basic ideological cultivation and work style and ethics of communists. Their vitality has not disappeared due to the changes of the times, but has become more and more profound.
At the beginning of reform and opening up, our party followed these rules and adhered to the fine traditions of humility and prudence, guarding against arrogance and rashness, so that we could always maintain the party's physical health on the new great journey. At that time, some people had doubts about the necessity of the "Six Rules" and considered it outdated. However, Deng Xiaoping and other revolutionaries of the older generation insisted on implementing these rules and set a shining example for the whole party by setting an example.
Entering a new era, in the face of the new situation and new problems brought about by reform and opening up, our party insists on not forgetting its original intention, keeping its mission in mind, and continuing to uphold the spirit of the "Six Regulations". From the major theory of "three represents" established by the 16 th National Congress of the Communist Party of China to the "four comprehensive" strategic layout clearly put forward by the 18 th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, all of them embody the inheritance and development of the spirit of the "six provisions."
In particular, in the anti-corruption struggle, the vitality of the "six provisions" has become more and more evident. The phenomena of extravagance and waste, pursuit of privileges, and personality cults among some leading cadres are precisely those bad habits that the "Six Regulations" want to put an end to. In order to administer the party strictly and fight corruption and punish evil, our party must resolutely eradicate these phenomena that violate the party's discipline and work style and always maintain the party's physical health.
Today, when we summarize the major achievements of the party's centennial struggle, it is not difficult to find that the wisdom and enlightenment of the "six provisions" run through it. Generations of Communists have adhered to these rules, insisted on humility and prudence, and guarded against arrogance and rashness, so that they could unswervingly and never stop in the arduous and tortuous revolutionary journey.
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Why did Mao Zedong put forward these rules in those years? What kind of strategic considerations did they contain? What wisdom and enlightenment do we need to draw from them? Although these rules are simple and straightforward, they are an important magic weapon for the Communist Party of China to always maintain its advanced nature and purity, and they are the spiritual banner of our party that will never fade. As long as we always adhere to these rules, we will be able to write a more brilliant chapter in the great practice of the new era.