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and Red Guard units from the small group of radical leaders running the Revolution. They more resembled deliberate Government leaks than popular protests. The recent poster attacks on Wang Tung-hsing on Wu Teh, the former Mayor of Peking, on 1 Chih-fu, the tele union leader, and the extended criticism of Lao ere probably prompted in this way and when the movement threatened to get out of hand Teng rapidly called it to order. It was in part at least a public demonstration of his power related to debate within the Politburo and so far as we know the posters were largely confined to Peking and Shanghai.
13.
But, and here is the necessary qualification, it turned out to be not altogether artificial. Given the green light and encouraged to honest speaking,the young activists took their masters at their word and went further and faster than had been expected. Posters claimed the classical elements of liberty constitutional government, governments elected and recalled by the people, freedom of expression, the rule of law. Others sought free contacts with foreigners and foreign culture and a free market for labour. The authorities were referred to sceptically ("Don't expect our leaders to make us a present of democracy. We shall have to fight for it".) The most striking posters swept aside the slogans and dogmas of thirty years of Communist rule with an angry eloquence that was both exhilarating and touching. "For several decades the Chinese people, following the "Communist ideal" of the "Great Helmsman" went through the "Great Leap Forward" and "the Three Red Flags", always marching onwards. Thirty years passed like a day, and gave us this lesson: the people are like the monkey grasping at a reflection in the pond. Do they not realise there is nothing there? Is it that the people do not want to be their own masters? Of course they do.
Are the people happy?
they prosperous? We cannot hide the fact that they are more
...
Are
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