The Anarchists Who Thought Mao Was on Their Side
Sixty years after the start of China's Cultural Revolution, the article examines how some Western anarchists and libertarians misinterpreted Mao's movement as anti-authoritarian. Figures like John Cage, Stewart Brand, and Joschka Fischer saw parallels between Maoist rebellion and anarchist ideals, despite the regime's authoritarian reality. The piece highlights the disconnect between Western idealism and the violent, repressive nature of the Cultural Revolution.
- ▪Mao Zedong's May 16 Notification in 1966 marked the beginning of the Cultural Revolution, a period of widespread chaos and repression in China.
- ▪Western thinkers such as David Dellinger, John Cage, and Stewart Brand interpreted aspects of the Cultural Revolution as libertarian or anti-bureaucratic, despite its authoritarian foundations.
- ▪The article notes that figures like Colin Ward and Joschka Fischer drew connections between Maoist China and anarchist thinkers such as Peter Kropotkin, often based on superficial or idealized observations.
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| Original publisher | Reason Magazine |
| Canonical URL | https://reason.com/2026/05/16/the-anarchists-who-thought-mao-was-on-their-side/ |
| Publication time | Sat, 16 May 2026 10:00:38 +0000 |
| Retrieval time | 2026-05-16T10:10:18.168Z |
| Last seen | 2026-05-16T10:10:18.168Z |
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Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
Communism The Anarchists Who Thought Mao Was on Their Side As the Cultural Revolution turns 60, here's a look back at some of the fantasies that people projected onto it—and at one moment of possible prescience. Jesse Walker | 5.16.2026 6:00 AM Share on FacebookShare on XShare on RedditShare by emailPrint friendly versionCopy page URL Add Reason to Google Media Contact & Reprint Requests <img src="https://d2eehagpk5cl65.cloudfront.net/img/c800x450-w800-q80/uploads/2026/05/Rothbard-Mao-5-15-800x450.jpg" style="max-width: 100%; height: auto" width="1200" height="675" alt="Rothbard-Mao-5-15 | Outlook" /> (Outlook) Sixty years ago today, Mao Zedong issued the May 16 Notification, a document frequently seen as the opening shot of the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution.
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