I. Frost's Selected Quotations

Everything at Amazon by and about: Mao Tse-Tung

To read too many books is harmful. Mao Tse-Tung

Communism is not love. Communism is a hammer which we use to crush the enemy. Mao Tse-Tung

Knowledge is a matter of science, and no dishonesty or conceit whatsoever is permissible. What is required is definitely the reverse -honesty and modesty. Mao Tse-Tung

Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun. Mao Tse-Tung

Despise the enemy strategically, but take him seriously tactically. Mao Tse-Tung

Politics is war without bloodshed while war is politics with bloodshed Mao Tse-Tung

If you want to know the taste of a pear, you must change the pear by eating it yourself. If you want to know the theory and methods of revolution, you must take part in revolution. All genuine knowledge originates in direct experience Mao Tse-Tung

Once all struggle is grasped, miracles are possible. Mao Tse-Tung

People like me sound like a lot of big cannons. Mao Tse-Tung

We should support whatever the enemy opposes and oppose whatever the enemy supports. Mao Tse-Tung

We must have faith in the masses and we must have faith in the Party. These are two cardinal principles. If we doubt these principles, we shall accomplish nothing. Mao Tse-Tung

Education in democracy must be carried on within the Party so that members can understand the meaning of democratic life. Only in this way can we really extend democracy within the Party and at the same time avoid ultra-democracy and the laissez-faire which destroys discipline. Mao Tse-Tung

Weapons are an important factor in war, but not the decisive factor; it is people, not things, that are decisive. Mao Tse-Tung

The guerrilla must move amongst the people as a fish swims in the sea. Mao Tse-Tung

Communists must be ready at all times to stand up for the truth, because truth is in the interests of the people; Communists must be ready at all times to correct their mistakes, because mistakes are against the interests of the people. Mao Tse-Tung

When the enemy advances, withdraw; when he stops, harass; when he tires, strike; when he retreats, pursue. Mao Tse-Tung

Letting a hundred flowers blossom and a hundred schools of thought contend is the policy for promoting the progress of the arts and the sciences and a flourishing culture in our land. Mao Tse-Tung

All our literature and art are for the masses of the people, and in the first place for the workers, peasants and soldiers; they are created for the workers, peasants and soldiers and are for their use. Mao Tse-Tung

We think too small, like the frog at the bottom of the well. He thinks the sky is only as big as the top of the well. If he surfaced, he would have an entirely different view. Mao Tse-Tung

Genuine equality between the sexes can only be realized in the process of the socialist transformation of society as a whole. Mao Tse-Tung

Take the ideas of the masses (scattered and unsystematic ideas) and concentrate them (through study turn them into concentrated and systematic ideas), then go to the masses and propagate and explain these ideas until the masses embrace them as their own. Mao Tse-Tung

All reactionaries are paper tigers. Mao Tse-Tung

Revolution is not a dinner party, not an essay, nor a painting, nor a piece of embroidery; it cannot be advanced softly, gradually, carefully, considerately, respectfully, politely, plainly and modestly. Mao Tse-Tung

Classes struggle, some classes triumph, others are eliminated. Such is history; such is the history of civilization for thousands of years." Mao Tse-Tung

There is in fact no such thing as art for art's sake, art that stands above classes, art that is detached from or independent of politics. Proletarian literature and art are part of the whole proletarian revolutionary cause. Mao Tse-Tung

The people, and the people alone, are the motive force in the making of world history. Mao Tse-Tung

Liberalism is extremely harmful in a revolutionary collective. It is a corrosive which eats away unity, undermines cohesion, causes apathy and creates dissension. It robs the revolutionary ranks of compact organization and strict discipline, prevents policies from being carried through and alienates the Party organizations from the masses which the Party leads. It is an extremely bad tendency. Mao Tse-Tung

Changes in society are due chiefly to the development of the internal contradictions in society, that is, the contradiction between the productive forces and the relations of production, the contradiction between classes and the contradiction between the old and the new; it is the development of these contradictions that pushes society forward and gives the impetus for the supersession of the old society by the new. Mao Tse-Tung

Liberalism stems from petty-bourgeois selfishness, it places personal interests first and the interests of the revolution second, and this gives rise to ideological, political and organizational liberalism. Mao Tse-Tung

People who are liberals look upon the principles of Marxism as abstract dogma. They approve of Marxism, but are not prepared to practice it or to practice it in full/ Mao Tse-Tung

To Be Attacked by the Enemy Is Not a Bad Thing but a Good Thing Mao Tse-Tung

In order to build a great socialist society, it is of the utmost importance to arouse the broad masses of women to join in productive activity. Men and women must receive equal pay for equal work in production. Genuine equality between the sexes can only be realized in the process of the socialist transformation of society as a whole. Mao Tse-Tung

At bluegreen twilight I see the rough pines serene under the rioting clouds. The cave of the gods was born in heaven, a vast wind-ray beauty on the dangerous peak. Mao Tse-Tung

Mountain. Peaks pierce the green sky, unblunted. The sky would fall but for the columns of mountains. Mao Tse-Tung

An army without culture is a dull-witted army, and a dull-witted army cannot defeat the enemy." Mao Tse-Tung

We must have faith in the masses and we must have faith in the Party. These are two cardinal principles. If we doubt these principles, we shall accomplish nothing Mao Tse-Tung

I have witnessed the tremendous energy of the masses. On this foundation it is possible to accomplish any task whatsoever. Mao Tse-Tung

In waking a tiger, use a long stick. Mao Tse-Tung

Be a pupil before you become a teacher; learn from the cadres at the lower levels before you issue orders. Mao Tse-Tung

No political party can possibly lead a great revolutionary movement to victory unless it possesses revolutionary theory and a knowledge of history and has a profound grasp of the practical movement Mao Tse-Tung

We should support whatever the enemy opposes and oppose whatever the enemy supports. Mao Tse-Tung

After the enemies with guns have been wiped out, there will still be enemies without guns Mao Tse-Tung

The socialist system will eventually replace the capitalist system; this is an objective law independent of man's will. Mao Tse-Tung

"Don't you want to abolish state power?" Yes, we do, but not right now; we cannot do it yet. Why? Because imperialism still exists, because domestic reaction still exists, because classes still exist in our country. Mao Tse-Tung

We are advocates of the abolition of war, we do not want war; but war can only be abolished through war, and in order to get rid of the gun it is necessary to take up the gun. Mao Tse-Tung

Without a people's army the people have nothing. Mao Tse-Tung

Our principle is that the Party commands the gun, and the gun must never be allowed to command the Party. Mao Tse-Tung

We must affirm anew the discipline of the Party, namely: (1) the individual is subordinate to the organization; (2) the minority is subordinate to the majority; (3) the lower level is subordinate to the higher level; and (4) the entire membership is subordinate to the central Committee. Whoever violates these articles of discipline disrupts Party unity. Mao Tse-Tung

The Communist Party does not fear criticism because we are Marxists, the truth is on our side, and the basic masses, the workers and peasants, are on our side. Mao Tse-Tung

We have the Marxist-Leninist weapon of criticism and self-criticism. We can get rid of a bad style and keep the good. Mao Tse-Tung

As for criticism, do it in good time; don't get into the habit of criticizing only after the event. Mao Tse-Tung

The intellectuals often tend to be subjective and individualistic, impractical in their thinking and irresolute in action until they have thrown themselves heart and soul into mass revolutionary struggles, or made up their minds to serve the interests of the masses and become one with them Mao Tse-Tung

All our literature and art are for the masses of the people, and in the first place for the workers, peasants and soldiers; they are created for the workers, peasants and soldiers and are for their use Mao Tse-Tung

We are not only good at destroying the old world, we are also good at building the new. Mao Tse-Tung

If we have a correct theory but merely prate about it, pigeonhole it and do not put it into practice, then that theory, however good, is of no significance. Mao Tse-Tung

Reading is learning, but applying is also learning and the more important kind of learning at that.