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China: The Roots of Madness, a Documentary
192 pages. An award winning documentary
Paperback
Published January 1, 1970
19 people want to read
About the author
Theodore H. White
36 books74 followersTheodore Harold White was an American political journalist, historian, and novelist, best known for his accounts of the 1960, 1964, 1968, and 1972 presidential elections.
White became one of Time magazine's first foreign correspondents, serving in East Asia and later as a European correspondent. He is best known for his accounts of two presidential elections, The Making of the President, 1960 (1961, Pulitzer Prize) and The Making of the President, 1964 (1965), and for associating the short-lived presidency of John F. Kennedy with the legend of Camelot. His intimate style of journalism, centring on the personalities of his subjects, strongly influenced the course of political journalism and campaign coverage.
White became one of Time magazine's first foreign correspondents, serving in East Asia and later as a European correspondent. He is best known for his accounts of two presidential elections, The Making of the President, 1960 (1961, Pulitzer Prize) and The Making of the President, 1964 (1965), and for associating the short-lived presidency of John F. Kennedy with the legend of Camelot. His intimate style of journalism, centring on the personalities of his subjects, strongly influenced the course of political journalism and campaign coverage.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
October 24, 2008
This book is virtually a transcript of a documentary from the mid 1960s about the tyranny of the Manchu emperors and the Boxer Rebellion to the tyranny of Communism and Mao.
Slowing I'm beginning to get a picture of the turbulent conditions that made people ripe for Mao's message of Communism.
Theodore White asked Mao what his policy was with regard to freedom of the press. Mao said that he believed in absolute freedom of the press and absolute freedom of speech. "Do you really mean it?" White pressed further, "that if you come to power, anybody will be able to print anything he wants in a newspaper?" And Mao Tse-tung replied, "Of course, except for enemies of the people."
It scares me to think how even the noblest of ideals can devolve into an unbelievably cruel system. If I'm honest with myself I see that I, too could easily get caught up in one of these "movements" and unknowingly proselytize for a force that would become a monster. Which is pretty much why I choose to be cynical and distrusting of every "movement" or ideological distinction.
Damn it, I still believe in love though..............I keep it on the downlow, so don't out me.
Slowing I'm beginning to get a picture of the turbulent conditions that made people ripe for Mao's message of Communism.
Theodore White asked Mao what his policy was with regard to freedom of the press. Mao said that he believed in absolute freedom of the press and absolute freedom of speech. "Do you really mean it?" White pressed further, "that if you come to power, anybody will be able to print anything he wants in a newspaper?" And Mao Tse-tung replied, "Of course, except for enemies of the people."
It scares me to think how even the noblest of ideals can devolve into an unbelievably cruel system. If I'm honest with myself I see that I, too could easily get caught up in one of these "movements" and unknowingly proselytize for a force that would become a monster. Which is pretty much why I choose to be cynical and distrusting of every "movement" or ideological distinction.
Damn it, I still believe in love though..............I keep it on the downlow, so don't out me.
June 27, 2024
I'm reading this again since I've decided to have a scene in my novel-in-progress where Nixon and 2 of my fictional characters, and perhaps White himself, watch the documentary in the White House screening room
***
excellent portrayal of what Americans thought about China in 1967
some excerpts ...
... in the end, China moved from tyranny to tyranny ... from the tyranny of Confucious and the Manchu Emperors to the tyranny of communism and Mao
... from the beginning (1927) Mao sought to turn peasant anger against the gentry, the rich, and foreigners
... White: I asked Mao what his policy ws with regard to freedom of the press ... Mao said they believed in absolute freedom of the press and absolute freedom of speech ... I said: do you really mean that ... Mao: of course, except for enemies of the people ...ie, anyone who disagreed with Mao
***
excellent portrayal of what Americans thought about China in 1967
some excerpts ...
... in the end, China moved from tyranny to tyranny ... from the tyranny of Confucious and the Manchu Emperors to the tyranny of communism and Mao
... from the beginning (1927) Mao sought to turn peasant anger against the gentry, the rich, and foreigners
... White: I asked Mao what his policy ws with regard to freedom of the press ... Mao said they believed in absolute freedom of the press and absolute freedom of speech ... I said: do you really mean that ... Mao: of course, except for enemies of the people ...ie, anyone who disagreed with Mao
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews