Page 127 - SELECTED WORKS OF MAO TSE-TUNG Volume I.indd

A SINGLE SPARK CAN STAART A PRAIRIE FIRE 121
the contradictions among the different cliques of China’s reactionary
rulers. In the wake of the contradictions among the reactionary ruling
cliques — the tangled warfare among the warlords — comes heavier
taxation, which steadily sharpens the contradiction between the broad
masses of taxpayers and the reactionary rulers. In the wake of the
contradiction between imperialism and China’s national industry
comes the failure of the Chinese industrialists to obtain concessions
from the imperialists, which sharpens the contradiction between the
Chinese bourgeoisie and the Chinese working class, with the Chinese
capitalists trying to find a way out by frantically exploiting the workers
and with the workers resisting. In the wake of imperialist commercial
aggression, Chinese merchant-capitalist extortions, heavier govern-
ment taxation, etc., comes the deepening of the contradiction between
the landlord class and the peasantry, that is, exploitation through
rent and usury is aggravated and the hatred of the peasants for the
landlords grows. Because of the pressure of foreign goods, the
exhaustion of the purchasing power of the worker and peasant masses,
and the increase in government taxation, more and more dealers in
Chinese-made goods and independent producers are being driven
into bankruptcy. Because the reactionary government, though short
of provisions and funds, endlessly expands its armies and thus
constantly extends the warfare, the masses of soldiers are in a constant
state of privation. Because of the growth in government taxation,
the rise in rent and interest demanded by the landlords and the daily
spread of the disasters of war, there are famine and banditry
everywhere and the peasant masses and the urban poor can hardly
keep alive. Because the schools have no money, many students fear
that their education may be interrupted; because production is
backward, many graduates have no hope of employment. Once we
understand all these contradictions, we shall see in what a despe-
rate situation, in what a chaotic state, China finds herself. We shall
also see that the high tide of revolution against the imperialists, the
warlords and the landlords is inevitable, and will come very soon.
All China is littered with dry faggots which will soon be aflame.
The saying, “A single spark can start a prairie fire”, is an apt
description of how the current situation will develop. We need only
look at the strikes by the workers, the uprisings by the peasants, the
mutinies of soldiers and the strikes of students which are developing
in many places to see that it cannot be long before a “spark” kindles
“a prairie fire”.