re: #40 Ben Hur

“…the third lesson and tip actually comes from two of my favorite political philosophers, Mao Tse Tung and Mother Teresa, not often coupled with each other, but the two people that I turn to most to basically deliver a simple point which is you’re going to make choices, you’re going to challenge, you’re going to say why not. You’re going to figure out how to do things that have never been done before. But here’s the deal, these are your choices, they are no one else’s. In 1947, when Mao Tse Tung was being challenged within his own party on his plan to basically take China over Chiang Kai-Shek and the nationalist Chinese held the cities, they had the army, they had the airforce, they had everything on their side and people said how can you win, how can you do this, how can you do this against all of the odds against you, and Mao Tes Tung said you fight your war and I’ll fight mine…”

It’s a brain-dead comment, like praising Hitler for keeping the trains running on time.

Here’s the kind of war Mao was fighting:

en.wikipedia.org

Beginning in May 23, 1948, the People’s Liberation Army began to encircle the Nationalist defenders in Changchun while cutting off the air transportation and unfolded the siege that would last for 150 days. There were several major engagements and ten minor clashes between these two sides during the military encirclement and economical blockade. Civilians were forcibly prevented from leaving by the People’s Liberation Army. As the fuel and food supply diminished, 160,000 civilians starved to death, leaving only 40,000 survivors[1]. The siege ended when the People’s Liberation Army entered Changchun after the Nationalist 60th Army and New 7th Army surrendered. The Siege of Changchun was part of the Liaoshen Campaign, and the fall of Changchun marked the end of the first stage in Liaoshen Campaign.