Thanks for the read.

The Cultural Revolution was a response, as you point out, to stop the WTF questions arising from the Mao-induced starvation of some *45 million, the numbers keep rising, of his people.

It was classic deflection.

* See: Frank Dikötter, Chair Professor of Humanities at the University of Hong Kong and the author of Mao's Great Famine, estimated that at least 45 million people died from starvation, overwork and state violence during the Great Leap Forward

When I was studying Cultural Geography, one course focussed in on the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution at University in the early 70's, the numbers being bandied about were in the 20-25 million mark, almost the entire population of Canada.

It staggered me. Still does.

Remember reading about one Chinese general, Peng Dehuai, horrified with the tales of cannibalism and the selling of children, who tried to stop Mao's cult of personality. He died in prison.

Last I read, almost 2 million Chinese people perished in the Cultural Revolution.