Sublime

In the days after Mao’s death, I did a lot of thinking. I knew he was considered a philosopher, and I tried to think what his “philosophy” really was. It seemed to me that its central principle was the need—or the desire?—for perpetual conflict. The core of his thinking seemed to be that human struggles were the motivating force of history, and tha

quests for self-determination. One of the few states that did offer such open support was China during the Mao era, strongly endorsing independence for East Timor, Angola,…

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