A Tragedy of Good Intentions

@article{Joseph1986ATO,
  title={A Tragedy of Good Intentions},
  author={William A. Joseph},
  journal={Modern China},
  year={1986},
  volume={12},
  pages={419 - 457}
}
In the post-Mao reconstruction of the history of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), two periods-the Great Leap Forward (1958-1960) and the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution (1966-1976)-are identified as times when extreme Leftism dominated the Chinese Communist Party and brought the country to the brink of political and economic ruin. These episodes, often referred to in such terms as the &dquo;two comprehensive Leftist mistakes,&dquo; the &dquo;two grave setbacks,&dquo; and the &dquo… 
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