Chairman Mao had a solid appreciation of the depths of the suffering and poverty of the Chinese people and the underdevelopment of the nation. Knowing better than any Western statesman or commentator how long and hard the way forward would be, and how abysmal the Chinese starting position, I think would make him more prepared than, say, FDR or Churchill, or perhaps even Stalin, to tolerate the greatest conceivable sacrifices in order to clear the way to a brighter future for his people. The sacrifices of the millions would pave the way forward for the billions.
Frankly, I think any judgment on Mao based on the sacrifices he exacted from his own people are hollow and meaningless from any source, but particularly from Western sources, who have no real idea of the challenges that had to be overcome. The proof of Mao's statesmanship is to be found in today's China, risen from the depths of foreign exploitation and oppression and now poised on the brink of becoming the world leader. Mao's way was the only way.
