So, over the past year I have learnt so much about the amazing achievements these men (and the party they were the leaders of) did that I was never taught. I’ve ‘semi-intentionally’ deprogrammed myself of so much anti-communism bullshit while having to live with that most still in the West, based upon misinformation, view them as ‘evil, 100 quintillion deaths, dictator, psychopath where muh freedoms’.

The reason I am focusing on Stalin and Mao in particular in this post is, to be very open, due to a truth-seeking hyperfixation that I must satisfy so I can move on to the next topic of intense, dopamine chasing, obsession. Yeah I love being me. Anyway, propaganda, mythologising, exaggerating and misattributed blame brushed aside, what is left?

I am quite knowledgeable of, thanks to some high quality M-L documentaries, educational videos and podcast episodes, the more obvious wrongdoings such as the Great Leap Forward killing of pests worsening the famine, purges of comrades who were legitimately innocent, re-criminalising homosexuality, support of Khmer Rouge and ethnic deportations to name a few.

I wouldn’t mind hearing more obscure examples, or a deeper analysis of the mistakes and unjustifiable actions I am already aware of. And as much as a few good book recommendations probably would give me the answers I crave, I am lowkey illiterate with long-form reading thanks to my ADHD (still waiting on meds after being diagnosed 8 months ago).

  • knfrmity@lemmygrad.mlEnglish
    10·
    28 天前

    “Traditional Chinese Medicine” (TCM) was a mistake, but only because the west and capitalism corrupted it.

    As I understand the modern incarnation of TCM, it came about in the beginning of the PRC. People were poor, and didn’t have access to medical professionals (even if they had money, there wouldn’t have been many doctors and nurses available). To help with this lack of access, Mao and the central government distributed a manual which combined accessible elements of contemporary scientific medicine with various traditional practices - the goal was a healthcare manual for the masses, within the material limitations of the period. It probably worked quite well at the time, at least compared to the previous status quo of no healthcare.

    Unfortunately capitalism had to grab onto this and now TCM is huge within the “alternative health” industry. It’s mythologized as being hundreds or even thousands of years old, which elements of it may be but that doesn’t speak to efficacy or safety.

    This is, in the grand scheme of things, a small error if one at all. I just have a lot of frustration with anti-science grifters.