Introduction to The Strategy of Maoism in the West
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The neglected genealogy of the Chinese Cultural Revolution that propels radical social justice groups, like BLM, fuels the eagerness of state funded universities to 'decolonize' their curricula, and animates transnational non-governmental organizations to promote de-industrialization to save the planet, needs recalling. Why, this book asks, did a twentieth century Chinese revolutionary ideology become so adaptable and spectacularly successful in the West? The felt need to destroy an inconvenient past emerges ideologically. Ideologies, this volume will argue, function strategically. That is to say, they seek to manipulate their environment to achieve their ends. Strategy, in this context, is how an actor relates means to ends. Maoism, as a distinct ideological formation, is a consequence of the interpretation of Mao's thought within a western setting. From this perspective, we shall analyse the challenges and possibilities that Maoism poses for strategic conduct in the West.