Chinese Classes

In Analysis of the Classes in Chinese Society, Mao Zedong indicates the presence of five classes in China: the landlord and comprador class, the middle-bourgeois, the petty-bourgeois, the semi-proletariat, and the proletariat. Mao lists them from least revolutionary to most revolutionary and RT will follow the same format. The landlord and comprador class constitue a reactionary force with no stake in the revolution. The middle-brougeois represents a class with some revolutionary potential. They have a motivation in seeing the imperialists and warlords removed from power, but at the same time, they fear the revolution because their interests aren't aligned with the masses of the semi-proletariat and proletariat.

Mao further breaks down the petty-bourgeois into three different sections, those who have surplus money or grain, those who have enough money or grain, and those whose standard of living is declining. Each subsection of the class has varying levels of revolutionary interest, but Mao sees even the right wing of the petty-bougeois pushing for revolution if the tide of struggle favors othe communists.

The semi-proletariat consists of semi-owner peasants (they own some land, but must rent some to farm or sell labor power in order to survive), the poor peasants (who own no land and work for the landlords) ,the small handicraftsmen, the shop assistants and pedlars. In the proletariat, Mao points out the effect industrial strikes have had on winning improvements in material conditions for laborers. He also included the "rural proletariat" who have neither land nor means of production and must sell their labor power under savage conditions.

Apart from these five classes, Mao briefly engages the problematic lumpenproletariat, who according to their social position should have some interest in revolution and have some ability to struggle, but end up becoming a reactionary force. This seems to emerge from the lumpen's corrupt practices finding refuge under captialism. Mao advised: "they can become a revolutionary force if given proper guidance."

What's the application to classes within the imperialist nations, U$ in particular? The labor aristocracy falls within the "landlord and comprador" class so the majority of the U$ population constitutes a reactionary force. They are the enemies of the revolution and agents of the counter-revolution.