The Great Leap Backwards

Tom Friedman has authored another column on China and the environment that reveals, at best, his intense lack of knowledge of Chinese history and at worst a morally casual attitude towards the deaths of tens of millions of people. Unfortunately I don’t have time for a line by line breakdown of Friedman’s self-gratifying silliness (As always, Shorter Shorter Tom Friedman: “Tom Friedman!!11!”), so I’ll just skip to the end of his piece.

President Hu, over 40 years ago your country tried to make a Great Leap Forward alone — to change China. This time, let us make a Great Green Leap Forward together — and change the world.

Yes, China “tried” to make “a Great Leap Forward,” much like one tries to learn to play harmonica while camping with friends. Except this attempt cost 20 to 40 million live, so I think we should give it a bit more credence than “tried.”

The Great Leap Forward is now widely seen, both within China and outside, as a major economic disaster, being more of a Great Leap Backward that would affect China in the years to come. As inflated statistics reached planning authorities, orders were given to divert human resources into industry rather than agriculture. According to various sources, the death toll due to famine was most likely 20 to 40 million. The three years between 1959 and 1962 were known as the “Three Bitter Years” and the Three Years of Natural Disasters. Many local officials were tried and publicly executed for giving out misinformation. (Wikipedia)

A famine induced by the atrocious policies of the Chinese Communist Party wipes out tens of millions of people and gives birth to a regime of public executions and Friedman glosses it over as a failed attempt to change China. Would Friedman argue that Stalin’s gulags were a Soviet “try” for changing Russia? Or the Holocaust a “try” by the Germans to change Germany? Of course not. But he’s more than happy to forget the past, forget a criminal disaster of leadership that costs tens of millions of Chinese lives in the name Sino-American relationships today.

Tom Friedman has proven yet again that he doesn’t know what he’s talking about when it comes to China. At some point I would hope the Times’ editorial board starts to rein him in a bit; his ignorance is getting ridiculous.

Technorati Tags: China, Tom Friedman



One Responseto “The Great Leap Backwards”

1. WinC says:

   November 22, 2006 at 8:47 pm

   Hello,
   -Isn’t Friedman’s argument today that China needs to become more environmentally responsible?

   I understand that you hate China — Friedman — and was curious to hear your own logic, but only your general feelings about China and Friedman (and perhaps Jews, or should I say “Zionists”) come through…