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Mao still worshipped as emperor, god, in modern China
 Just to recap, when I met up with Fred and Emily in DC, I remarked to Fred that North Korea was the first communist theocracy that I had ever heard of. He said that wasn't true, pointing to China under Mao. At the time, I wasn't too sure what he was referring to - boy do I now.In Mao Zedong's hometown of Shaoshan, 'long live Chairman Mao' booms from speakers as people tumble out of buses onto a small square, donning caps emblazoned with their tourist group affiliation. They chatter excitedly as they approach the 19.8 ft. tall bronze statue of the dictator outfitted in thick shoes and double-breasted military coat, before stopping to pose and snap photos in front of the revered revolutionary leader. Twenty-eight years after his death and despite wide recognition in China that he committed grave errors which caused the deaths of tens of millions of people, Mao is still regarded by many as the country's greatest modern leader. "I worship him. Most of the people coming here worship him," said Wang Ming, 35, a resident of eastern Nanjing who travelled more than 900 miles to Shaoshan in central Hunan province. "He had a rebellious spirit and he led such a small and tiny army to fight against Kuomintang (the political party driven to Taiwan by the Communists in 1949), and he saved the country and the people." Posted by: Dan Darling 2004-11-29 |
| http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=49993 |