Introduction

The great leap forward, or tachin, as it's called in mandarin was a catastrophic case of central planning awry. Chairman mau used the full extent of his prestige to single handedly wrestle control away from the more conservative central planners who had led the economy since the country was founded ten years earlier. This mega disaster came as a direct result of mao's policies, aided and abetted by a thousand syncophants who shined mas shoes and went along with the programme. They learned a lesson in survival when in 19 57, ma had encouraged party members to speak up and even criticise the party.