Hua Guofeng dies (finally) long after his relevance did

Old China hands attribute the real end of the Cultural Revolution, that most bloody and sickening episode, not to Mao's death in 1976 and the ascendency of Hua Guofeng, but to the policy shift imbued by 1978's "Socialism With Chinese Characteristics" doctrine. The project of the 2x-purged and ever wily Deng Xiaoping, it marked the Communists final turning away from the most radical elements of their philosophy. Nevermind the hundreds of millions chalked-up in the KIA column - directly or through such ancillary means as famine, disease, etc. - due to the CCP's various forays into monumental lunacy (e.g., 1959's Great Leap Forward) still stand as one solid bookend (the other being Uncle Joe Stalin's contribution) to the torture rack that is totalitarianism's true bent, ultimately, to eat its own. That all said, the passing yesterday of the aforementioned Hua Guofeng serves as a reminder of how such atrocities have - and still can - occur.

There is a well-written book from over ten years ago entitled The Private Life Of Chairman Mao by the late leader's personal physician for over twenty five years, Dr. Li Zhisui. Some of the book has been disputed (by Chinese authorities, go figure) and it can be a bit chatty in parts (but, to be fair, the power struggles around Mao, at many times, bore striking resemblance in their machinations to the plot progressions of even the most outrageous day-time soap operas). What is striking in the book are the exceptionally vivid vignettes provided by the doctor of various high-ranking communist personalities involved in some of the most wide-scale atrocities perpetuated by a long-standing government upon its very own people. In particular, I submit humbly, would be an examination of the strange case of Hua Guofeng - the eventual dupe of Deng Xiaoping, the enemy of Jiang Qing (at considerable peril to himself) and the true protector of his revered idol, Mao Zedong. With Hua Guofeng's passing not at the end of a Red Guard's bayonet but safely in doddering retirement from the Central Committee and any real power more than two decades after being pushed aside by Deng, there are some interesting moments to examine in the period just before Mao's death and Hua's rise to head of the Chinese state.

Hua was from Mao's home prefecture of Hunan and a leader there by 1955, when, according to Dr. Li, the Chairman first noticed and praised his skills. It was probably a bit of the bonhomie M.Z. developed for Hua which allowed the latter to keep his position and, possibly later, his life after uttering before seven thousand cadres the famous comment that "the people have lost weight, the cattle have lost weight and the land has lost weight" to sum-up the cumulative results from the late '50's Chinese central planning brain-child known as The Great Leap Forward. Certainly more storied heroes from the Long March, such as Peng Dehuai, had not fared nearly so well in subsequent years after espousing equally as strong criticisms. Hua, instead, rose. In 1970 Hua became First Party Secretary for Hunan, 1973 saw his ascension to the Politburo and, in 1976, he was made First Vice Chairman of the CCP, Premier and (most significantly) the specified successor to an already ailing Mao. Despite passing over - literally in one case - the charred remains of two previous Mao-decreed designees (Liu Shaoqi and Lin Biao) attempting to follow communist China's founder as its new penultimate leader, Hua actually managed to pull it off - albeit for a short tenure. All this also against the opposition of both Jiang Qing, the Zelda Fitzgerald 'Gang of Four' head, on his left and his ultimate successor, Deng Xiaoping, pushing hard for his personal rehabilitation from the right.

So, what's the point? First a question: Why did Hua survive where so many others more accomplished and clever, fail? I offer the insight that Hua's ascent, later descent and ability to peacefully (plus with, shown to top left, some meaty-lookin' naps at party meetings to warm-up) shuffle off his mortal coil all was predicated upon a remnant of humanity he kept throughout his career and which was concentrated in a deep, blinding personal loyalty to Mao regardless of its consequences. Sentimal claptrap! Perhaps. However, before cementing this opposing conclusion to mine, please read the following passage from early in Dr. Li's tome concerning the certainly nerve-racking situation for him during the Chairman's final illness in 1976:

"Hua Guofeng, in charge of the efforts to save the Chairman's life, was genuinely loyal to Mao, deeply concerned about his health and comfort, conscientiously trying to understand the doctors' explanantions, trusting that we were doing all we could to save Mao. When we recommended new, and sometimes uncomfortable, medical procedures, like running a tube through Mao's nose and into his stomach for feeding, Hua Guofeng alone among the leaders had been willing to try the new procedures first on himself. I liked Hua Guofeng. His integrity and sincerity were rare amid the corruption and decay among the party elite."

And there's the rub. On one hand, loyal lieutenant willing to take a bullet - or at least stuff his windpipe - for his man. On the other, pliant henchman to perpetuating wholesale devastation upon his own prefecture's people due to the same blind devotion.

To digress more than just a wee bit for a moment, it is often said that one of the great strengths of the British Army before the American Revolution was its ability to turn former enemies into some its most valuable fighting units. The classic example being the two voluminous regiments culled from Highland Scots, including notably the Queen's most decorated amongst all her men at arms - The Black Watch. In return for the ability to once again wear a kilt, speak Gaelic, get a snappy (indeed) uniform and serve with one's kin, these lads became some of the most loyal members of an army which their forefathers had fought (and, members of, killed). They did so out of a sense of personal loyalty - first to their kin and, extending out, to the monarch to which they swore (sometimes reluctantly) allegiance. In short, the British Army's concessions to the Scots' culture was repaid in spades (or tartan, if one prefers) many, many times over.

That kind of personal bond, I believe, Hua Guofeng knew, understood and lived. It wedded him to Mao Zedong even well after the Chairman's badly preserved body was permanently placed on display in Beijing's Great Hall of the People and Deng Xiaoping was edging Hua out of, finally, chairmanship of the powerful military commission.

Is it better to be perpetually loyal in this manner? Certainly the people covered with lime at the bottom of mass Cultural Revolution graves would not concur. However this kind of emotion is the glue that sustains the charismatic leader's edifice and no totalitarian state succeeds without such a figure. Deng Xiaoping was no choirboy and certainly played both sides of the street plus the manhole cover inbetween during his heyday of political maneuverings, but he was never the kind of zealous true believer as Hua. Lets hope there are no more like the recently deceased when it comes to the newest CCP.

[Curious postscript: It has not failed to pass my ironic notice that little more than two weeks ago - and totally in passing - I made an innocuous reference to Jiang Qing when reporting on the poor attitude encountered at my local Chinese kitchen. It was Hua Guofeng, of course, who ordered the arrest of Jiang. What kismet this represents, I won't suggest, but suffice to say that aged national leaders might start to read this compendium on a regular - possibly daily - basis to mind well the obvious tangential death pool talent its author seemingly possesses. Miscreants of humanity, you all now have been duly warned & advised!]