I was just reading a bit about Deng Xiaoping. Since it is historical, I am sure there is an opposite view. The blurb I read, by either Daron Acemoglu or James A. Robinson, said:
- He replaced Hua’s “Two Whatevers,” which translated to, “We will resolutely uphold whatever policy decisions Chairman Mao made and unswervingly follow whatever instructions Chairman Mao gave,” with, “We will seek truth from facts.”
- He encouraged public criticism of the Cultural Revolution, even dedicating the Democracy Wall as an open forum where people could post complaints about the regime. (That was back in the days of pencil and paper.)
- He advocated for material incentives to encourage production, and using prices to bring supply and demand more into alignment.
- Much of this was possible because Deng had a strong network with people in high places, but he was not so addicted to his position, or those who put him there, that he couldn’t make waves.
