People's History of Ideas Podcast

How Brainwashing was Good and Maoist Propaganda was True: An Interview with leading China scholar Aminda Smith

March 7, 2026·58 min
Episode Description from the Publisher

This interview with Dr. Aminda Smith of Michigan State University touches on topics including why good PRC history is left history; thought reform, reeducation through labor, and brainwashing; the veracity of the propaganda produced for a global audience during the Mao years; and the Maoist legacy in China today. Further reading and watching: Aminda Smith, Thought Reform and China’s Dangerous Classes Aminda Smith, “The Maoism of PRC History” Aminda Smith, “Brainwashing and World Revolution”...

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