April Post #4

I watched The Revolutionary, an interview-based documentary about the life of Sidney Rittenberg, an american-born translator and eventual high ranking party member of the CCP. He had a very interesting life story. He grew up as a labor organizer in Charleston SC, and was drafted in WWII, so he learned Chinese and went to China as support for the communist government while they were fighting Japan. The war soon ended however and he was asked to stay in China to serve as a link between the US and China. He worked as a translator for Radio Beijing, and was implicated in a spy ring by soviet intelligence officers, though was cleared of all charges 5 years later by the chinese government and issued an official apology. Upon his release from solitary confinement, he was promoted to be effectively the head of the foreign language division of Radio Beijing, and began a relationship with his now wife and former secretary. He served a pivotal role in the Cultural revolution, when he commanded a red guard brigade. His speeches were broadcasted across China, building support for Mao amongst those outside of the university system. He was a key balance to the power wielded by the rising Gang of Four. The youths under his command favored a return to Maoist Democracy, a concept which to some of you may seem contradictory, however, Maoist Democracy is a system which is similar to Council Communism, just without syndicalism. This style of governance is actually something I would advocate for as a transition towards a stateless society in certain circumstances.