The news just came out that White House communications director Anita Dunn is influenced by Communist dictator Mao Tse Tung. This will no doubt prompt further investigations and challenges regarding Dunn’s political views.
I recall from Radical Son that when you were still a Marxist and first became acquainted with Black Panther leader Huey P. Newton one of your initial disagreements was over the merits of Maoism. Even as a Marxist you were opposed to Maoism. What do people need to know about this particular school of Marxism? How should we respond differently than if Dunn had picked Lenin, Guevara, or Trotsky?
David Horowitz responds:
Mao is the greatest mass murderer in human history. Jon Halliday and his wife who have written the definitive biography of Mao estimated that he killed 70 million people.
In the Sixties only the Progressive Labor Party, a minority sect derided by everybody else was Maoist. Dunn’s comment is a reflection of the continuing intellectual degradation of the left. There are plenty of Maoists teaching in universities however. The radical caucus of the Modern Language Association (professors of literature) is run by Maoist Barbara Foley.
—
“Ask David Horowitz” is a new feature in which readers can pose questions to NewsReal’s Editor-In-Chief to help better understand the issues of the day. If you have a question you would like to be considered for this feature then please email NewsReal’s managing editor David Swindle: DavidSwindle AT Gmail Dot com. Questions pertaining to ongoing subjects of discussion and items appearing on NewsReal are more likely to be used.
