But Mao never claimed to be a scholar. The Red Book is not a scholarly work - not in intent, nor in content. Remember that Mao went swimming in the rivers of China for the purpose of propaganda. According to Maoism, the *praxis* of swimming, of exercising one's body to do revolutionary work, was far superior to a lifetime of idle scholarship under the old regime. According to Maoism, all scholars are wrong *because* they are scholars. |