ABSTRACT

Politburo and production brigade politics may be different insofar as people may perceive politics and form political relationships in different ways. They certainly differ in their respective agendas of relevant political problems and issues. The relative lateness of the Cultural Revolution in the unit affected the nature of the issues which arose during the movement. The lateness of the Cultural Revolution in the unit also affected the patterns of political alignment and the major targets of the campaign. The chapter clarifies the key dimensions of the political process within the unit during the Cultural Revolution. Clearly the most important substantive issue in the unit during the Cultural Revolution was class. The chapter examines the specific charges leveled against cadres and the nature of the disagreement and antagonism which emerged during the Cultural Revolution on issues of class.