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00:00:07,145 --> 00:00:11,114
Where's the little red book?
2
00:00:11,149 --> 00:00:12,771
This it--yeah.
3
00:00:12,805 --> 00:00:14,324
This is a copy
4
00:00:14,359 --> 00:00:18,708
of the "Book of Quotations"
from Mao Zedong
5
00:00:18,742 --> 00:00:20,606
that was universal during
6
00:00:20,641 --> 00:00:24,679
the Cultural Revolution and, um,
7
00:00:24,714 --> 00:00:29,650
on May 1, 1967,
8
00:00:29,684 --> 00:00:33,792
up on the Tiananmen Gate Tower
with Chairman Mao,
9
00:00:33,826 --> 00:00:37,278
I got him
to autograph my copy.
10
00:00:37,313 --> 00:00:38,797
Now that was one
11
00:00:38,831 --> 00:00:41,627
of the stupidest
moments of my life,
12
00:00:41,662 --> 00:00:44,492
because I really missed
a terrific opportunity,
13
00:00:44,527 --> 00:00:49,497
because with--I gave him
my little ballpoint pen.
14
00:00:49,532 --> 00:00:53,363
And with pen poised in hand,
he looked at me and said,
15
00:00:53,398 --> 00:00:56,090
"What do you want
me to write?"
16
00:00:56,125 --> 00:00:58,748
And I could've said,
"Write a line of poetry,
17
00:00:58,782 --> 00:01:02,234
or write a message
to the American people,"
18
00:01:02,269 --> 00:01:03,546
or whatever.
19
00:01:03,580 --> 00:01:07,101
But I totally froze
and I said,
20
00:01:07,136 --> 00:01:10,587
"Oh, just sign your name."
21
00:01:10,622 --> 00:01:11,761
What a jerk.
22
00:01:11,795 --> 00:01:14,177
So he just
signed his name.
23
00:01:14,212 --> 00:01:20,804
♪
24
00:01:20,839 --> 00:01:22,530
He was a great hero
25
00:01:22,565 --> 00:01:26,810
and a great criminal
all rolled up into one.
26
00:01:26,845 --> 00:01:31,781
He was a genius whose genius
got completely out of control.
27
00:01:31,815 --> 00:01:39,168
♪
28
00:01:39,202 --> 00:01:44,138
What every revolution
needs are true believers.
29
00:01:44,173 --> 00:01:48,108
In America, Sidney Rittenberg
had taken the side of workers,
30
00:01:48,142 --> 00:01:49,868
and of civil rights.
31
00:01:49,902 --> 00:01:54,424
In China he saw himself
on the side of history.
32
00:01:54,459 --> 00:01:57,289
And if only for one
brief historic moment,
33
00:01:57,324 --> 00:01:58,704
he would become known
34
00:01:58,739 --> 00:02:00,327
as the most
important foreigner
35
00:02:00,361 --> 00:02:04,227
in China
since Marco Polo.
36
00:02:04,262 --> 00:02:07,989
I'm thinking that
I'm part of history.
37
00:02:08,024 --> 00:02:11,683
That thought was
my undoing later on.
38
00:02:11,717 --> 00:02:12,925
But that's what
I'm thinking.
39
00:02:12,960 --> 00:02:15,687
I'm really--I'm getting
to be part of history.
40
00:02:15,721 --> 00:02:18,068
I can play a role.
41
00:02:21,693 --> 00:02:26,836
♪
42
00:02:26,836 --> 00:02:31,703
♪
43
00:03:01,215 --> 00:03:03,217
Are my feet gonna
be on camera?
44
00:03:03,252 --> 00:03:04,287
No, they are not.
45
00:03:04,322 --> 00:03:05,219
Okay.
46
00:03:05,254 --> 00:03:07,221
They are not.
47
00:03:07,256 --> 00:03:09,119
And we're rolling.
48
00:03:09,154 --> 00:03:10,983
Okay.
49
00:03:11,018 --> 00:03:13,400
Sidney, tell me
50
00:03:13,434 --> 00:03:16,230
where and when
you were born.
51
00:03:16,265 --> 00:03:19,613
I was born
on Rutledge Avenue
52
00:03:19,647 --> 00:03:21,753
in Charleston,
South Carolina,
53
00:03:21,787 --> 00:03:26,654
August 14, 1921.
54
00:03:26,689 --> 00:03:29,588
This was the start
of a five year conversation.
55
00:03:29,623 --> 00:03:31,625
One man's account
of a journey
56
00:03:31,659 --> 00:03:34,006
through the 20th Century's
biggest revolution.
57
00:03:34,041 --> 00:03:36,906
♪
58
00:03:36,940 --> 00:03:38,114
For many Americans,
59
00:03:38,148 --> 00:03:41,324
it was an event both
remote and frightening.
60
00:03:41,359 --> 00:03:44,016
China and America were
isolated from one another
61
00:03:44,051 --> 00:03:45,811
by the Cold War,
62
00:03:45,846 --> 00:03:50,057
the politics and passions
of the 1950s and '60s.
63
00:03:50,091 --> 00:03:53,094
♪
64
00:03:53,129 --> 00:03:56,339
But one American,
Sidney Rittenberg, was there.
65
00:03:56,374 --> 00:03:58,376
As close
as a foreigner could be
66
00:03:58,410 --> 00:04:03,277
to China's
revolutionary upheaval.
67
00:04:03,312 --> 00:04:07,799
It's an unlikely story,
far removed from its beginnings
68
00:04:07,833 --> 00:04:09,283
in Charleston,
South Carolina.
69
00:04:09,318 --> 00:04:15,462
♪
70
00:04:15,496 --> 00:04:18,430
As a prominent Jewish family
in the Old South,
71
00:04:18,465 --> 00:04:22,641
the Rittenbergs
still were outsiders.
72
00:04:22,676 --> 00:04:26,542
From an early age, Sidney knew
something about injustice,
73
00:04:26,576 --> 00:04:29,269
and about China.
74
00:04:29,303 --> 00:04:32,133
I grew up hearing that
there were three things
75
00:04:32,168 --> 00:04:36,068
that Charlestonians shared
in common with Chinese.
76
00:04:36,103 --> 00:04:39,279
First was that
we ate rice everyday.
77
00:04:39,313 --> 00:04:42,765
The second was that
we worship our ancestors.
78
00:04:42,799 --> 00:04:47,287
And the third was that
we don't speak English.
79
00:04:47,321 --> 00:04:49,185
Raised to be
a southern gentleman,
80
00:04:49,219 --> 00:04:50,807
he was headed
to Princeton.
81
00:04:50,842 --> 00:04:54,155
Instead he chose the University
of North Carolina,
82
00:04:54,190 --> 00:04:56,848
whose progressive environment
of the 1930s
83
00:04:56,882 --> 00:05:00,092
was tolerant
of student activism.
84
00:05:00,127 --> 00:05:02,302
By the time he was 19,
85
00:05:02,336 --> 00:05:05,512
Sidney's participation
in undergraduate politics,
86
00:05:05,546 --> 00:05:08,515
and community action
had attracted the attention
87
00:05:08,549 --> 00:05:11,241
of a union organizer
named Carpenter
88
00:05:11,276 --> 00:05:14,279
in the nearby mill town
of Roanoke Rapids.
89
00:05:14,314 --> 00:05:16,626
Every month they put
90
00:05:16,661 --> 00:05:19,629
one dollar each
into a cigar box,
91
00:05:19,664 --> 00:05:22,977
waiting for the day when they
could hire their own guy
92
00:05:23,012 --> 00:05:25,532
to organize
a real union.
93
00:05:25,566 --> 00:05:28,155
And then it
was Carpenter
94
00:05:28,189 --> 00:05:31,261
who wrote me a letter
to Chapel Hill
95
00:05:31,296 --> 00:05:34,126
saying that they had
this cigar box of money
96
00:05:34,161 --> 00:05:36,991
and that if
I could come out
97
00:05:37,026 --> 00:05:40,270
and help them
set up a union,
98
00:05:40,305 --> 00:05:44,205
they could afford
to pay $6.00 a week,
99
00:05:44,240 --> 00:05:47,208
which would go
to Mrs. Glasgow,
100
00:05:47,243 --> 00:05:52,041
who would give me bed and board
in her boarding house.
101
00:05:52,075 --> 00:05:54,802
And so that's what I did.
102
00:05:54,837 --> 00:05:59,600
♪
103
00:05:59,635 --> 00:06:02,051
At a time when American
workers were struggling
104
00:06:02,085 --> 00:06:05,468
for collective bargaining rights
and a minimum wage,
105
00:06:05,503 --> 00:06:08,437
Rittenberg took up the fight for
textile workers,
106
00:06:08,471 --> 00:06:10,887
for tobacco
and quarry workers,
107
00:06:10,922 --> 00:06:13,580
bus drivers,
and steel workers.
108
00:06:13,614 --> 00:06:17,929
And in Birmingham, Alabama,
the newspaper guild.
109
00:06:17,963 --> 00:06:19,344
His most memorable lessons
110
00:06:19,379 --> 00:06:22,692
were being learned
outside the classroom.
111
00:06:22,727 --> 00:06:26,558
This big Birmingham cop
comes up and he says,
112
00:06:26,593 --> 00:06:28,388
"You can't be
on the sidewalk.
113
00:06:28,422 --> 00:06:30,528
You gotta get
away from here."
114
00:06:30,562 --> 00:06:35,498
And I said, "Look, according
to police regulations,
115
00:06:35,533 --> 00:06:37,983
half of this sidewalk
is for pickets.
116
00:06:38,018 --> 00:06:40,227
The other half
is pedestrians."
117
00:06:40,261 --> 00:06:42,332
And he says, "Yeah,
but, you can't be a picket
118
00:06:42,367 --> 00:06:43,817
because you
don't work there."
119
00:06:43,851 --> 00:06:45,991
And I said, "Okay,
so I'm a pedestrian.
120
00:06:46,026 --> 00:06:48,580
So I have a right
to be here."
121
00:06:48,615 --> 00:06:50,444
The right to be here.
122
00:06:50,479 --> 00:06:55,415
So he looks at me with real
pity in his eyes, real pity,
123
00:06:55,449 --> 00:06:58,832
and he says, "Son,
you ain't got no rights.
124
00:06:58,866 --> 00:07:02,042
Rights are what you
think you got."
125
00:07:02,076 --> 00:07:04,976
Lesson in political science
I never forgot.
126
00:07:05,010 --> 00:07:07,288
Really.
127
00:07:07,323 --> 00:07:11,051
What led you to China
and to the Chinese Revolution?
128
00:07:11,085 --> 00:07:14,434
Uncle Sam.
129
00:07:14,468 --> 00:07:16,539
When America entered
World War II,
130
00:07:16,574 --> 00:07:18,645
Rittenberg was drafted.
131
00:07:18,679 --> 00:07:20,543
The Army put him back
in the classroom
132
00:07:20,578 --> 00:07:24,789
for a crash course
in Chinese.
133
00:07:24,823 --> 00:07:28,482
Next thing I know, I'm
on a train headed for Stanford.
134
00:07:28,517 --> 00:07:31,036
Then I find myself
in Chinese.
135
00:07:31,071 --> 00:07:35,903
And quite to my surprise,
from the very first class,
136
00:07:35,938 --> 00:07:38,872
I just totally fell
in love with this language.
137
00:07:38,906 --> 00:07:42,427
♪
138
00:07:42,462 --> 00:07:44,912
By the time Rittenberg
shipped out to China,
139
00:07:44,947 --> 00:07:46,845
the World War was over.
140
00:07:46,880 --> 00:07:49,745
But a Civil War
was in progress.
141
00:07:49,779 --> 00:07:52,402
China's future would be
decided in the conflict
142
00:07:52,437 --> 00:07:54,577
between the ruling
Nationalist Party,
143
00:07:54,612 --> 00:07:58,098
and the insurgent
Chinese Communists.
144
00:07:58,132 --> 00:08:01,964
All around him, first as a GI,
and then as an observer
145
00:08:01,998 --> 00:08:04,898
for the United Nations
Relief Organization,
146
00:08:04,932 --> 00:08:07,452
Rittenberg was exposed
to the corruption
147
00:08:07,487 --> 00:08:12,319
and inequalities of Chinese life
under the Nationalists.
148
00:08:12,353 --> 00:08:15,495
He had made contacts
among Chinese reformers,
149
00:08:15,529 --> 00:08:19,257
including underground members
of the Communist Party.
150
00:08:19,291 --> 00:08:21,708
He was about
to return to America
151
00:08:21,742 --> 00:08:26,195
when a Party leader came
to him with a question.
152
00:08:26,229 --> 00:08:29,094
"Suppose I
detained you here
153
00:08:29,129 --> 00:08:31,752
and didn't let
you leave tomorrow?"
154
00:08:31,787 --> 00:08:34,168
And I said,
"What would I do?"
155
00:08:34,203 --> 00:08:37,206
He said, "Well,
we need an engineer."
156
00:08:37,240 --> 00:08:39,139
And I said,
"Well, I'm not an engineer."
157
00:08:39,173 --> 00:08:41,624
He said, "No, not that
kind of an engineer.
158
00:08:41,659 --> 00:08:44,800
We need an engineer
to help us build a bridge
159
00:08:44,834 --> 00:08:49,459
from the Chinese people
to the American people."
160
00:08:49,494 --> 00:08:54,430
And I said, "I would
be overjoyed to stay.
161
00:08:54,464 --> 00:08:59,055
My one request would
be that if I stay,
162
00:08:59,090 --> 00:09:03,232
I would like to be admitted
to the Chinese Party."
163
00:09:03,266 --> 00:09:09,238
♪
164
00:09:09,272 --> 00:09:13,518
It was a life changing decision
that began with a 500 mile trek,
165
00:09:13,553 --> 00:09:18,074
mostly on foot, across terrain
made perilous by steep mountains
166
00:09:18,109 --> 00:09:21,630
and the Civil War's
shifting battle lines.
167
00:09:21,664 --> 00:09:23,217
It took him 45 days
168
00:09:23,252 --> 00:09:26,945
to reach the Communist Guerilla
headquarters in Yan'an.
169
00:09:26,980 --> 00:09:31,156
For Rittenberg, there
would be no turning back.
170
00:09:31,191 --> 00:09:34,090
You were leaving
America behind you.
171
00:09:34,125 --> 00:09:37,266
Was there not pause
for thought about that?
172
00:09:37,300 --> 00:09:40,683
Not a bit,
not at the time.
173
00:09:40,718 --> 00:09:45,032
No, I thought I'm doing what
I'm supposed to be doing.
174
00:09:47,241 --> 00:09:50,210
You know, for America's
sake, as well
175
00:09:50,244 --> 00:09:53,109
as for the Chinese Revolution.
176
00:09:53,144 --> 00:09:58,114
I'm doing--these are the people
that bear the banners of hope.
177
00:09:58,149 --> 00:10:01,497
And I'm doing what I
can to support them, so.
178
00:10:01,531 --> 00:10:05,605
I had no hesitation
about that whatsoever.
179
00:10:05,639 --> 00:10:06,778
But you must've realized
180
00:10:06,813 --> 00:10:08,711
it would not be viewed
that way in America.
181
00:10:08,746 --> 00:10:13,509
Well, of course, but look,
when we were organizing
182
00:10:13,543 --> 00:10:15,856
textile workers
in North Carolina
183
00:10:15,891 --> 00:10:20,516
it wasn't viewed
very favorably either.
184
00:10:20,550 --> 00:10:22,829
You know, really.
185
00:10:22,863 --> 00:10:26,384
I mean, it was no better.
186
00:10:26,418 --> 00:10:29,111
The Roanoke Rapids paper
carried an editorial
187
00:10:29,145 --> 00:10:31,803
about this alien element
188
00:10:31,838 --> 00:10:36,497
who's here spreading class
hatred in our little community.
189
00:10:36,532 --> 00:10:39,397
So I was used to that.
190
00:10:42,055 --> 00:10:50,926
♪
191
00:10:50,960 --> 00:10:53,100
It is Yan'an that
holds pride of place
192
00:10:53,135 --> 00:10:57,173
in the story
of the Chinese Revolution.
193
00:10:57,208 --> 00:11:01,039
The romantic idea that a band
of visionaries living in caves,
194
00:11:01,074 --> 00:11:04,594
vastly outgunned
and outnumbered, could one day
195
00:11:04,629 --> 00:11:08,909
take over the biggest
country in the world.
196
00:11:08,944 --> 00:11:13,086
Their long march,
a 6,000 mile strategic retreat,
197
00:11:13,120 --> 00:11:15,847
found refuge
here in the 1930s.
198
00:11:15,882 --> 00:11:19,575
Their leader, a peasant
rebel named Mao Zedong.
199
00:11:19,609 --> 00:11:22,612
♪
200
00:11:22,647 --> 00:11:24,718
I met Mao
for the first time
201
00:11:24,753 --> 00:11:27,721
on the day I
arrived in Yan'an.
202
00:11:27,756 --> 00:11:30,655
I walked in the door
and there he was.
203
00:11:30,690 --> 00:11:35,625
And I thought, "It's like
a picture right out of history."
204
00:11:35,660 --> 00:11:38,387
Here's a picture
out of history.
205
00:11:38,421 --> 00:11:42,080
Here's the man
that's on the walls."
206
00:11:42,115 --> 00:11:43,357
That's what
I was thinking.
207
00:11:43,392 --> 00:11:46,222
And underneath
that was the feeling,
208
00:11:46,257 --> 00:11:50,502
"And I am now part
of that history."
209
00:11:50,537 --> 00:11:54,783
The first thing he said
to me was, he said,
210
00:11:54,817 --> 00:11:57,613
"If you don't object,
211
00:11:57,647 --> 00:12:00,064
I'm going
to ask my secretary
212
00:12:00,098 --> 00:12:02,273
to arrange a time
for you to come
213
00:12:02,307 --> 00:12:07,243
and spend a whole day
or maybe two days with me,
214
00:12:07,278 --> 00:12:09,418
just talking about America.
215
00:12:09,452 --> 00:12:12,766
Not anything special,
just about America.
216
00:12:12,801 --> 00:12:15,631
Just talk."
217
00:12:15,665 --> 00:12:18,047
His major interest
in foreign countries
218
00:12:18,082 --> 00:12:22,638
was always
the United States.
219
00:12:22,672 --> 00:12:24,847
The Communist leaders
needed a fluent speaker
220
00:12:24,882 --> 00:12:27,056
of both Chinese and English
221
00:12:27,091 --> 00:12:29,576
to help establish
an English language section
222
00:12:29,610 --> 00:12:32,199
of what would
become Radio Beijing,
223
00:12:32,234 --> 00:12:36,031
the transmitter
of Party policy to the world.
224
00:12:36,065 --> 00:12:38,619
Sidney Rittenberg
took the job.
225
00:12:38,654 --> 00:12:41,381
But more than that,
he wanted to belong,
226
00:12:41,415 --> 00:12:43,693
to be one of them.
227
00:12:43,728 --> 00:12:45,592
You had told
the Communist leaders
228
00:12:45,626 --> 00:12:47,525
you wanted to be a member
of the Chinese Communist Party.
229
00:12:47,559 --> 00:12:48,871
Why?
230
00:12:48,906 --> 00:12:50,839
Well, what I said was,
231
00:12:50,873 --> 00:12:55,533
"If I stay here, I'm going to be
cut off from the outside world.
232
00:12:55,567 --> 00:12:57,742
And if I'm not
a Party member,
233
00:12:57,777 --> 00:13:00,365
I'll be cut off
from the inside world too.
234
00:13:00,400 --> 00:13:02,885
I won't know
what's really going on.
235
00:13:02,920 --> 00:13:06,924
So I want to be a member
of the Chinese Party.
236
00:13:06,958 --> 00:13:11,514
♪
237
00:13:11,549 --> 00:13:14,172
Yan'an took on a meaning
of its own.
238
00:13:14,207 --> 00:13:17,658
It was a combat zone
in the ongoing Civil War.
239
00:13:17,693 --> 00:13:20,489
It was an incubator
for many of Mao's ideas,
240
00:13:20,523 --> 00:13:22,663
where Party loyalty
and discipline
241
00:13:22,698 --> 00:13:25,149
often were put
to the test.
242
00:13:25,183 --> 00:13:28,359
Those that survived the war,
and the politics,
243
00:13:28,393 --> 00:13:32,604
possessed a valuable
revolutionary credential.
244
00:13:32,639 --> 00:13:34,744
There was
also an intimacy,
245
00:13:34,779 --> 00:13:37,920
where friendships were
formed, and marriages.
246
00:13:37,955 --> 00:13:41,165
Rittenberg to a young
radio broadcaster.
247
00:13:41,199 --> 00:13:44,789
Mao to an actress
from Shanghai named Jiang Qing,
248
00:13:44,824 --> 00:13:49,483
who later would play a dramatic
role in Party politics.
249
00:13:49,518 --> 00:13:51,623
In Yan'an,
Sidney Rittenberg
250
00:13:51,658 --> 00:13:54,695
rubbed shoulders
with China's future leaders.
251
00:13:54,730 --> 00:13:57,837
On the left, Zhou Enlai,
the future premier.
252
00:13:57,871 --> 00:14:01,771
On the right, Zhu De,
the military commander.
253
00:14:01,806 --> 00:14:04,257
Rittenberg had
become one of them.
254
00:14:04,291 --> 00:14:08,123
At work, socially,
at the movies.
255
00:14:08,157 --> 00:14:12,127
There was an American
diplomatic mission in Yan'an.
256
00:14:12,161 --> 00:14:15,130
And once a week,
there was a U.S. Army plane
257
00:14:15,164 --> 00:14:17,718
that would fly
in to bring supplies.
258
00:14:17,753 --> 00:14:21,653
And they would also bring
a new Hollywood film.
259
00:14:21,688 --> 00:14:24,518
This was new to us.
260
00:14:24,553 --> 00:14:29,006
Mao, and Zhu De, and Zhou Enlai,
you would say are the leaders,
261
00:14:29,040 --> 00:14:33,286
would gather in a little room
at the U.S. Army Liaison Center
262
00:14:33,320 --> 00:14:37,048
and watch this film,
and I would translate.
263
00:14:39,085 --> 00:14:43,813
The favorite, favorite
films by all odds,
264
00:14:43,848 --> 00:14:45,954
were Laurel and Hardy.
265
00:14:45,988 --> 00:14:47,748
"Lolly Hardy."
266
00:14:47,783 --> 00:14:50,751
As soon as they heard
"Lolly Hardy" was gonna perform,
267
00:14:50,786 --> 00:14:54,617
they would--everybody who
could move would go there.
268
00:14:54,652 --> 00:14:56,136
And it's very funny
and they would make
269
00:14:56,171 --> 00:14:59,036
lots of wisecracks
and have great fun.
270
00:14:59,070 --> 00:15:01,762
But they enjoyed
these Hollywood movies.
271
00:15:01,797 --> 00:15:02,867
And Mao would go to them?
272
00:15:02,902 --> 00:15:06,664
Yeah.
273
00:15:06,698 --> 00:15:08,942
To be fair,
you have to say
274
00:15:08,977 --> 00:15:13,947
that he tried to establish
good relations
275
00:15:13,982 --> 00:15:16,708
with the United States
and Europe.
276
00:15:16,743 --> 00:15:21,713
I was twice the interpreter
when the message from him
277
00:15:21,748 --> 00:15:24,924
was given to, once
to an American diplomat,
278
00:15:24,958 --> 00:15:27,892
once to a military
man in China,
279
00:15:27,927 --> 00:15:30,791
that he wanted good
relations with America.
280
00:15:30,826 --> 00:15:34,657
And specifically he said
because he did not want
281
00:15:34,692 --> 00:15:39,076
to be unilaterally dependent
on the Soviet Union,
282
00:15:39,110 --> 00:15:42,044
after the Communists
came to power in China.
283
00:15:42,079 --> 00:15:46,221
So there was an opening
wide open for us at the time
284
00:15:46,255 --> 00:15:50,397
which we ignored
285
00:15:50,432 --> 00:15:53,262
because we were
thinking ideologically.
286
00:15:53,297 --> 00:15:55,678
Strange as it sounds.
287
00:15:55,713 --> 00:15:58,647
And he was not.
288
00:15:58,681 --> 00:16:02,409
And Mao always
289
00:16:02,444 --> 00:16:04,894
longed to show
the world
290
00:16:04,929 --> 00:16:09,485
that China could be
civilized and Democratic,
291
00:16:09,520 --> 00:16:13,213
not like the crude Russians.
292
00:16:13,248 --> 00:16:16,734
And he made several attempts
293
00:16:16,768 --> 00:16:21,014
at opening the arena
of public opinion
294
00:16:21,049 --> 00:16:22,429
and every time he did,
295
00:16:22,464 --> 00:16:26,295
the results didn't turn
out the way he hoped they would.
296
00:16:26,330 --> 00:16:28,573
And then he resorted
297
00:16:28,608 --> 00:16:32,957
to the traditional system
of Chinese rulers,
298
00:16:32,992 --> 00:16:35,891
which was called
in China,
299
00:16:35,925 --> 00:16:40,654
"You kill the chicken to teach
the monkeys a lesson."
300
00:16:40,689 --> 00:16:43,554
So, the monkeys
are the majority.
301
00:16:43,588 --> 00:16:45,211
You can't kill them.
302
00:16:45,245 --> 00:16:48,524
But you have to teach them
to keep them in line.
303
00:16:48,559 --> 00:16:51,044
So you take a chicken
304
00:16:51,079 --> 00:16:53,598
and you hold him
up before the monkeys.
305
00:16:53,633 --> 00:16:55,462
And you excoriate him.
306
00:16:55,497 --> 00:16:58,948
Everything
from political conspiracies,
307
00:16:58,983 --> 00:17:01,537
to he slept
with his sister,
308
00:17:01,572 --> 00:17:04,678
to everything about
his personal life.
309
00:17:04,713 --> 00:17:08,924
He was 100 percent low life.
310
00:17:08,958 --> 00:17:10,615
It's called in Chinese,
311
00:17:10,650 --> 00:17:14,447
"Making him
stink," literally.
312
00:17:14,481 --> 00:17:19,452
So, then after
having exposed him
313
00:17:19,486 --> 00:17:23,490
and turned everybody against
him, you chop his head off.
314
00:17:23,525 --> 00:17:26,252
Then you say
to the monkeys,
315
00:17:26,286 --> 00:17:30,842
"You see, aren't you glad
you're not a chicken.
316
00:17:30,877 --> 00:17:31,843
You're not chickens.
317
00:17:31,878 --> 00:17:33,880
You're monkeys,
you're okay.
318
00:17:33,914 --> 00:17:35,295
Aren't you glad
you aren't a chicken?
319
00:17:35,330 --> 00:17:36,952
And by the way,
320
00:17:36,986 --> 00:17:40,852
I know you will want
to watch yourself carefully
321
00:17:40,887 --> 00:17:42,820
that you don't get
322
00:17:42,854 --> 00:17:45,995
into any of the ways
of chickens.
323
00:17:46,030 --> 00:17:48,619
You don't have
chickenish ways
324
00:17:48,653 --> 00:17:52,312
so that you might one
day fall into the same,
325
00:17:52,347 --> 00:17:56,627
kind of, in this category,
and get same kind of treatment."
326
00:17:56,661 --> 00:18:07,500
♪
327
00:18:07,534 --> 00:18:11,400
The roots of China's Civil War
went back to the 1920s.
328
00:18:11,435 --> 00:18:15,577
The final showdown coming
in the years after World War II.
329
00:18:15,611 --> 00:18:19,684
By 1949, the fighting
had turned in Mao's favor.
330
00:18:19,719 --> 00:18:22,825
With Beijing about to fall
to Communist troops,
331
00:18:22,860 --> 00:18:26,760
Rittenberg was told to report
for a special assignment.
332
00:18:26,795 --> 00:18:29,936
The Nationalist commander
of Beijing
333
00:18:29,970 --> 00:18:32,663
was in process
of surrendering.
334
00:18:32,697 --> 00:18:35,217
They were still
negotiating the terms,
335
00:18:35,252 --> 00:18:36,874
and I knew that.
336
00:18:36,908 --> 00:18:41,568
So very shortly they would
peacefully entering Beijing
337
00:18:41,603 --> 00:18:45,883
and I thought
I'm going early
338
00:18:45,917 --> 00:18:47,643
because I'm going to be
339
00:18:47,678 --> 00:18:51,854
a liaison/interpreter
in talks
340
00:18:51,889 --> 00:18:53,891
between the new
Chinese government
341
00:18:53,925 --> 00:18:55,720
and my American government.
342
00:18:55,755 --> 00:18:59,586
And I was just
on top of the world.
343
00:18:59,621 --> 00:19:01,312
But that's not
what happened.
344
00:19:01,347 --> 00:19:04,453
Not exactly what happened.
345
00:19:08,285 --> 00:19:18,950
♪
346
00:19:18,985 --> 00:19:20,297
What Rittenberg
didn't know
347
00:19:20,331 --> 00:19:23,196
was that the Soviet leader,
Josef Stalin,
348
00:19:23,231 --> 00:19:26,095
had named him as part
of an international spy ring
349
00:19:26,130 --> 00:19:28,236
uncovered in Moscow.
350
00:19:28,270 --> 00:19:32,032
And that Stalin had asked
Mao to have him arrested.
351
00:19:32,067 --> 00:19:34,449
Instead of being
on his way to Beijing,
352
00:19:34,483 --> 00:19:38,418
Rittenberg was detained
and on his way to prison.
353
00:19:38,453 --> 00:19:42,905
And then I heard this
tapping outside, approaching.
354
00:19:42,940 --> 00:19:46,633
Tap, tap, tap, tap,
355
00:19:46,668 --> 00:19:48,980
on the flagstones outside.
356
00:19:49,015 --> 00:19:52,501
And what ran
through my head was,
357
00:19:52,536 --> 00:19:55,297
"Quoth the Raven,
nevermore."
358
00:19:55,332 --> 00:19:57,955
And the door opens
359
00:19:57,989 --> 00:20:02,856
and this horrifying
figure appears.
360
00:20:02,891 --> 00:20:07,585
A, sort of,
short thickset man
361
00:20:07,620 --> 00:20:11,762
with huge eyes the size
of cart wheels,
362
00:20:11,796 --> 00:20:15,283
it looked like,
and very thick glasses,
363
00:20:15,317 --> 00:20:19,218
carrying a cane, which
was what was tapping.
364
00:20:19,252 --> 00:20:22,704
And as he came
365
00:20:22,738 --> 00:20:24,464
and stood
in the doorway,
366
00:20:24,499 --> 00:20:29,158
he pointed at me and he said
in a voice of thunder,
367
00:20:29,193 --> 00:20:32,541
"Li Dunbai",
my Chinese name,
368
00:20:32,576 --> 00:20:36,614
"We have received orders
from the Chinese People's
369
00:20:36,649 --> 00:20:41,619
Revolutionary Military
Commission to arrest you.
370
00:20:41,654 --> 00:20:46,141
You have accepted a mission
from U.S. imperialism
371
00:20:46,175 --> 00:20:49,248
to sabotage
the Chinese Revolution."
372
00:20:51,319 --> 00:20:55,840
And the room spun
round and round.
373
00:20:55,875 --> 00:20:58,015
Just spun round
and round.
374
00:20:58,049 --> 00:21:03,054
And I saw stars shooting
all over the place.
375
00:21:03,089 --> 00:21:04,918
I just--
376
00:21:04,953 --> 00:21:06,748
just shock, you know.
377
00:21:06,782 --> 00:21:10,683
Just terrific shock.
378
00:21:10,717 --> 00:21:13,306
You know, everyday
is miserable
379
00:21:13,341 --> 00:21:15,964
because you're alone,
but you're not really alone
380
00:21:15,998 --> 00:21:19,208
because every day
you're sitting there
381
00:21:19,243 --> 00:21:23,627
with your own potential madness
sitting across from you,
382
00:21:23,661 --> 00:21:24,800
watching you.
383
00:21:24,835 --> 00:21:27,458
And you know, it's
either you or him.
384
00:21:27,493 --> 00:21:31,255
And every day,
as I woke up,
385
00:21:33,153 --> 00:21:35,224
I would--
386
00:21:35,259 --> 00:21:38,435
right after starting
to be conscious,
387
00:21:38,469 --> 00:21:42,956
I would have this feeling that
this huge stone is on top of me,
388
00:21:42,991 --> 00:21:44,406
weighing me down.
389
00:21:44,441 --> 00:21:47,616
My God, I'm still
in this place.
390
00:21:47,651 --> 00:21:51,586
Can't believe it,
I'm still in this place.
391
00:21:51,620 --> 00:21:54,243
I was confident
when they would say,
392
00:21:54,278 --> 00:21:56,556
"We have investigators
all over the place.
393
00:21:56,591 --> 00:21:58,040
They're checking you out.
394
00:21:58,075 --> 00:21:59,766
They know everything
about you."
395
00:21:59,801 --> 00:22:03,460
I could say with confidence,
"The more you investigate,
396
00:22:03,494 --> 00:22:05,910
the more you'll find
I'm telling the truth."
397
00:22:05,945 --> 00:22:07,878
'Cause I did
tell the truth.
398
00:22:07,912 --> 00:22:11,709
So, I even told
about my cousin Arthur
399
00:22:11,744 --> 00:22:15,092
in Charleston
who was in the FBI.
400
00:22:17,197 --> 00:22:18,371
What did that have to do?
401
00:22:18,406 --> 00:22:19,717
Nothing.
402
00:22:19,752 --> 00:22:22,030
But I didn't want
anything hidden
403
00:22:22,064 --> 00:22:26,759
that they might dig up
that I hadn't told 'em.
404
00:22:28,105 --> 00:22:29,969
Then one day
the door opened
405
00:22:30,003 --> 00:22:34,974
and in came the warden
of the prison, Yao Lun,
406
00:22:35,008 --> 00:22:39,150
who was a high ranking official
in the Security Ministry.
407
00:22:39,185 --> 00:22:41,429
And he came in
and brought a chair
408
00:22:41,463 --> 00:22:44,604
and he shook
hands with me.
409
00:22:44,639 --> 00:22:47,400
Shook hands.
410
00:22:47,435 --> 00:22:50,403
You do not shake hands
with a counter-revolutionary.
411
00:22:50,438 --> 00:22:55,235
And you don't sit down in
a chair opposite him either.
412
00:22:55,270 --> 00:22:58,549
So he said, "Look--"
413
00:22:58,584 --> 00:23:01,621
He says, "We
understand you now.
414
00:23:01,656 --> 00:23:02,726
We understand you.
415
00:23:02,760 --> 00:23:05,211
We know who you are."
416
00:23:05,245 --> 00:23:06,730
He said, "We're
going to give you
417
00:23:06,764 --> 00:23:10,112
the best possible
conditions for studying.
418
00:23:10,147 --> 00:23:13,564
We'll give you paper,
and pencil,
419
00:23:13,599 --> 00:23:16,187
and any books
that you want,
420
00:23:16,222 --> 00:23:18,811
we'll do our best
to find them.
421
00:23:18,845 --> 00:23:21,917
And we'll give you
a table, a chair here.
422
00:23:21,952 --> 00:23:26,646
And we're gonna take
the boards off the windows.
423
00:23:28,683 --> 00:23:32,307
And you can stay here and study
until your case is solved.
424
00:23:32,341 --> 00:23:35,448
Or you can just
forget about China
425
00:23:35,483 --> 00:23:38,762
for the rest of your life
and go back to America.
426
00:23:38,796 --> 00:23:41,661
We'll let you go back."
427
00:23:41,696 --> 00:23:44,802
And I said, "I'll
stay here and study."
428
00:23:44,837 --> 00:23:49,807
And I gradually stabilized
and I studied,
429
00:23:49,842 --> 00:23:52,914
like, I used to think
430
00:23:52,948 --> 00:23:56,538
of those little monks
in medieval cells,
431
00:23:56,573 --> 00:23:59,748
voluntarily under
a vow of silence,
432
00:23:59,783 --> 00:24:04,270
and they're copying
the ancient books and studying.
433
00:24:04,304 --> 00:24:07,618
And I thought, "If they could
do it, why can't I do it?"
434
00:24:07,653 --> 00:24:09,758
And I did.
435
00:24:09,793 --> 00:24:15,212
♪
436
00:24:15,246 --> 00:24:17,525
Sidney Rittenberg
will remain in solitary
437
00:24:17,559 --> 00:24:19,699
for another five years,
438
00:24:19,734 --> 00:24:22,391
during which China began
to repair the damage
439
00:24:22,426 --> 00:24:24,566
caused by years of war,
440
00:24:24,601 --> 00:24:28,190
which included fighting
American troops in Korea.
441
00:24:28,225 --> 00:24:32,367
His wife, having no idea
where he was, divorced him.
442
00:24:32,401 --> 00:24:34,783
It was 1955
when his cell door
443
00:24:34,818 --> 00:24:38,546
again opened
to an official visitor.
444
00:24:38,580 --> 00:24:40,927
So I sat down.
445
00:24:40,962 --> 00:24:43,792
He shook hands
and he turned--
446
00:24:43,827 --> 00:24:46,001
he did not
give his name,
447
00:24:46,036 --> 00:24:48,694
but I found out later
it was Ling Yun,
448
00:24:48,728 --> 00:24:51,144
who was the director
449
00:24:51,179 --> 00:24:55,079
of the counter-intelligence
bureau,
450
00:24:55,114 --> 00:24:59,083
and who later became
the first minister
451
00:24:59,118 --> 00:25:01,396
of the State
Security Ministry,
452
00:25:01,430 --> 00:25:04,572
which is, sort of,
the Chinese CIA.
453
00:25:04,606 --> 00:25:09,473
And, um, he told
me that--
454
00:25:09,508 --> 00:25:13,857
he said, "On behalf of
the Central Government of China,
455
00:25:13,891 --> 00:25:16,825
I'm here
to apologize to you.
456
00:25:16,860 --> 00:25:18,033
We got you wrong.
457
00:25:18,068 --> 00:25:20,553
We made a bad mistake."
458
00:25:20,588 --> 00:25:25,558
And after six years in prison,
in 1955, you were released.
459
00:25:25,593 --> 00:25:26,628
Why?
460
00:25:26,663 --> 00:25:29,562
Why, finally, did
they let you out?
461
00:25:29,597 --> 00:25:32,876
Because Josef Stalin
did the best thing
462
00:25:32,910 --> 00:25:34,325
he ever did
in his life.
463
00:25:34,360 --> 00:25:38,744
He died.
464
00:25:38,778 --> 00:25:41,298
Was the Party
testing you?
465
00:25:41,332 --> 00:25:43,956
Yeah.
466
00:25:43,990 --> 00:25:46,717
That's the way
I saw it.
467
00:25:49,962 --> 00:25:54,345
And it was true
because as soon as it was over,
468
00:25:54,380 --> 00:25:58,177
my Party membership
was not only restored,
469
00:25:58,211 --> 00:26:02,043
but then now I became
a real Party member,
470
00:26:02,077 --> 00:26:04,942
with access to top leaders
471
00:26:04,977 --> 00:26:09,706
and confidential,
classified information.
472
00:26:09,740 --> 00:26:12,501
So it was
totally different.
473
00:26:15,781 --> 00:26:28,034
♪
474
00:26:28,069 --> 00:26:30,174
After I get
out of prison,
475
00:26:30,209 --> 00:26:33,315
I report to Radio Beijing
for my new job.
476
00:26:33,350 --> 00:26:35,283
And I'm
in the director's office.
477
00:26:35,317 --> 00:26:37,906
He's telling me
about my new work.
478
00:26:37,941 --> 00:26:39,874
And this young girl,
479
00:26:39,908 --> 00:26:43,740
23 years old,
22 at that time,
480
00:26:43,774 --> 00:26:45,776
brought his tea.
481
00:26:45,811 --> 00:26:50,125
And when she went--
long pigtails.
482
00:26:50,160 --> 00:26:54,302
And when she went out,
she left the door ajar,
483
00:26:54,336 --> 00:26:58,375
which she still does.
484
00:26:58,409 --> 00:27:01,412
Left the door ajar,
didn't really close it well.
485
00:27:01,447 --> 00:27:05,451
And, uh...
as he's talking
486
00:27:05,485 --> 00:27:07,591
to me about my work,
487
00:27:07,626 --> 00:27:12,285
I'm hearing an argument going
on among the four secretaries
488
00:27:12,320 --> 00:27:15,081
in the central office there.
489
00:27:15,116 --> 00:27:17,705
And I hear this
woman's voice saying--
490
00:27:17,739 --> 00:27:20,949
well, they're talking
about my former wife,
491
00:27:20,984 --> 00:27:24,332
"Well, after all,
he was gone for six years
492
00:27:24,366 --> 00:27:26,368
and she didn't even
know where he was.
493
00:27:26,403 --> 00:27:27,991
So you can't blame her."
494
00:27:28,025 --> 00:27:31,719
And then I hear this
strident female voice say,
495
00:27:31,753 --> 00:27:33,686
"What do you
mean, six years?
496
00:27:33,721 --> 00:27:35,930
If you really
love somebody,
497
00:27:35,964 --> 00:27:40,003
you're supposed to wait
6 years, 10 years, 20 years.
498
00:27:40,037 --> 00:27:42,764
What does it matter?"
499
00:27:42,799 --> 00:27:44,697
So that sort
of got my attention.
500
00:27:44,732 --> 00:27:48,528
And I heard the responses
I couldn't hear very clearly.
501
00:27:48,563 --> 00:27:51,083
And then I hear this
strident voice again say,
502
00:27:51,117 --> 00:27:54,638
"Well it seems to me,
you gotta be pretty stupid
503
00:27:54,673 --> 00:27:55,881
if you don't know
504
00:27:55,915 --> 00:27:58,918
whether your own
husband is an enemy."
505
00:28:01,714 --> 00:28:04,613
I'm the secretary
for the boss.
506
00:28:04,648 --> 00:28:07,444
So everything
he has a problem,
507
00:28:07,478 --> 00:28:10,136
it just come
to me to ask.
508
00:28:10,171 --> 00:28:12,760
So, that's a start.
509
00:28:12,794 --> 00:28:14,071
He was an American.
510
00:28:14,106 --> 00:28:15,624
That's right.
511
00:28:15,659 --> 00:28:19,180
And he just spent
six years in prison.
512
00:28:19,214 --> 00:28:22,562
I mean, what did
you think of that?
513
00:28:22,597 --> 00:28:24,564
You know,
as, at the beginning
514
00:28:24,599 --> 00:28:27,982
I didn't think he was
American or Chinese
515
00:28:28,016 --> 00:28:30,225
because just like it
516
00:28:30,260 --> 00:28:34,367
is my job
to help him.
517
00:28:34,402 --> 00:28:38,337
So, I think of this
person as honest
518
00:28:38,371 --> 00:28:41,754
and for six years
519
00:28:41,789 --> 00:28:44,999
he didn't give up
or complain
520
00:28:45,033 --> 00:28:47,656
or his beliefs.
521
00:28:47,691 --> 00:28:51,419
So I thought this
person is a good guy.
522
00:28:51,453 --> 00:28:55,768
We found, in the course
of all this coming and going,
523
00:28:55,803 --> 00:28:58,598
that we shared certain
things in common.
524
00:28:58,633 --> 00:29:02,430
We both loved eating
from the street stalls.
525
00:29:02,464 --> 00:29:04,432
Loved it.
526
00:29:04,466 --> 00:29:08,574
We both loved going
to the movies.
527
00:29:08,608 --> 00:29:09,955
And we loved to argue.
528
00:29:09,989 --> 00:29:12,716
We argued incessantly
about everything.
529
00:29:12,751 --> 00:29:14,200
Incessantly.
530
00:29:14,235 --> 00:29:18,377
And our viewpoints
were very far apart.
531
00:29:18,411 --> 00:29:20,793
And we enjoyed it.
532
00:29:20,828 --> 00:29:22,553
You know, after
that several months
533
00:29:22,588 --> 00:29:25,211
that he wrote
letter to me.
534
00:29:25,246 --> 00:29:27,938
So ask me proud
I would can,
535
00:29:27,973 --> 00:29:30,907
you know,
to be a good friends.
536
00:29:30,941 --> 00:29:32,287
For someday
we could marry.
537
00:29:32,322 --> 00:29:35,152
Someday we can
set up a family.
538
00:29:35,187 --> 00:29:38,293
Then I should--
I got really angry.
539
00:29:38,328 --> 00:29:42,953
I said, "I never have
the mind--cross my mind."
540
00:29:42,988 --> 00:29:47,268
I said, "What--
what is he thinking?"
541
00:29:47,302 --> 00:29:51,513
So I left this note
on her desk and I went home.
542
00:29:51,548 --> 00:29:55,552
Next morning, early,
I'm in my office
543
00:29:55,586 --> 00:29:57,312
and I hear
these footsteps.
544
00:29:57,347 --> 00:29:59,349
Stomp, stomp,
stomp, stomp.
545
00:29:59,383 --> 00:30:01,213
Very determined coming in.
546
00:30:01,247 --> 00:30:04,941
And I know it's her, and over my
shoulder from behind my back,
547
00:30:04,975 --> 00:30:07,633
she flings this note
down on the table.
548
00:30:07,667 --> 00:30:09,704
Stomp, stomp,
stomp, leaves.
549
00:30:09,738 --> 00:30:13,397
And the note is written
on a sheet of paper
550
00:30:13,432 --> 00:30:16,055
and then twisted up,
guerilla fashion,
551
00:30:16,090 --> 00:30:18,471
the way they used to do
the secret notes.
552
00:30:18,506 --> 00:30:22,372
So I unfold it and it says,
"Dear Comrade So and So--".
553
00:30:22,406 --> 00:30:25,996
So I know this is trouble
'cause it's formal.
554
00:30:26,031 --> 00:30:28,481
She says, "The kind
of relationship
555
00:30:28,516 --> 00:30:31,864
you have suggested
has never entered my head
556
00:30:31,899 --> 00:30:34,936
and is totally
out of the question.
557
00:30:34,971 --> 00:30:38,388
So the only
road open to us
558
00:30:38,422 --> 00:30:40,252
is to break
off all relations.
559
00:30:40,286 --> 00:30:43,289
Stop seeing each
other totally.
560
00:30:43,324 --> 00:30:46,085
I wish you success
in all your endeavors.
561
00:30:46,120 --> 00:30:49,606
Signed, Yulin.
562
00:30:49,640 --> 00:30:54,300
P.S., since I've already
promised to go with you
563
00:30:54,335 --> 00:30:57,200
to Sun Yat Sen Park this
evening,
564
00:30:57,234 --> 00:30:59,788
I will, of course,
honor my promise."
565
00:30:59,823 --> 00:31:01,963
So I knew it was there.
566
00:31:01,998 --> 00:31:05,898
I knew when I saw that P.S.
so it...it was working.
567
00:31:05,933 --> 00:31:09,522
So, that night, we went
to the park and we were engaged.
568
00:31:10,903 --> 00:31:14,182
♪
569
00:31:14,217 --> 00:31:17,116
The Broadcast Administration
was among the most important
570
00:31:17,151 --> 00:31:18,911
agencies of government.
571
00:31:18,946 --> 00:31:20,809
The voice of the Party.
572
00:31:20,844 --> 00:31:24,054
And Radio, reaching into
every corner of the country,
573
00:31:24,089 --> 00:31:26,332
was its nerve center.
574
00:31:26,367 --> 00:31:28,541
Not only was he
back in the favor,
575
00:31:28,576 --> 00:31:31,579
Rittenberg had been taken
into the inner circle.
576
00:31:31,613 --> 00:31:35,169
The only U.S. citizen
who was a Party member.
577
00:31:35,203 --> 00:31:37,585
What was your job at Radio?
578
00:31:37,619 --> 00:31:45,662
I was a foreign expert...
to, uh, polish the material
579
00:31:45,696 --> 00:31:49,010
that went out in English
and to advise
580
00:31:49,045 --> 00:31:53,256
the Radio leadership
on English language
581
00:31:53,290 --> 00:31:59,710
broadcast issues, but actually
I was the only Party member
582
00:31:59,745 --> 00:32:01,816
in the English language section.
583
00:32:01,850 --> 00:32:07,891
So, I was in fact, but not de--
de-facto, but not de jure,
584
00:32:07,926 --> 00:32:09,444
I was in charge of that section.
585
00:32:10,756 --> 00:32:17,866
What was life like for a foreign
expert of your status?
586
00:32:17,901 --> 00:32:20,628
Um...
587
00:32:20,662 --> 00:32:24,804
I had the use of a car
and driver at any time
588
00:32:24,839 --> 00:32:27,462
for business or pleasure.
589
00:32:27,497 --> 00:32:32,019
We had an apartment in the
foreign experts building,
590
00:32:32,053 --> 00:32:34,953
which meant we had hot water.
591
00:32:34,987 --> 00:32:41,407
Nobody in China,
except for a few tip-top leaders
592
00:32:41,442 --> 00:32:45,653
and foreigners,
had hot water, nobody.
593
00:32:45,687 --> 00:32:52,901
We got tickets to all the great
plays and operas and circuses.
594
00:32:52,936 --> 00:32:58,631
We got, uh, vacation travel
every year and so on,
595
00:32:58,666 --> 00:33:02,566
so we were
quite privileged and for me...
596
00:33:02,601 --> 00:33:07,778
I got to go and listen
to top leaders give talks,
597
00:33:07,813 --> 00:33:11,299
give briefings,
and things of that sort.
598
00:33:11,334 --> 00:33:14,475
And you were well paid?
599
00:33:14,509 --> 00:33:19,894
Well, in the local terms,
I was paid better than Mao.
600
00:33:20,860 --> 00:33:26,590
♪
601
00:33:26,625 --> 00:33:29,490
According to Mao,
the revolution required
602
00:33:29,524 --> 00:33:32,044
constant renewal and vigilance,
603
00:33:32,079 --> 00:33:35,530
often inspiring campaigns
to target opposition
604
00:33:35,565 --> 00:33:38,706
and to mobilize support
for the Party.
605
00:33:38,740 --> 00:33:43,124
In 1957, Mao sought
the support of intellectuals,
606
00:33:43,159 --> 00:33:46,886
encouraging them to speak their
minds in a movement called,
607
00:33:46,921 --> 00:33:49,889
"Let a Hundred Flowers Bloom,
Let a Hundred Schools
608
00:33:49,924 --> 00:33:52,237
of Thought Contend."
609
00:33:53,686 --> 00:33:58,277
He said
"Let A Hundred Flowers Bloom,"
610
00:33:58,312 --> 00:34:01,453
in the field of arts,
literature and art.
611
00:34:01,487 --> 00:34:05,250
"Let A Hundred Schools
of Thought Contend,"
612
00:34:05,284 --> 00:34:07,390
in academia.
613
00:34:07,424 --> 00:34:13,948
But the intellectuals
turned it into in politics.
614
00:34:13,982 --> 00:34:16,399
"Let a Hundred Flowers Bloom",
in politics
615
00:34:16,433 --> 00:34:19,091
and "Let a Hundred
Schools Contend."
616
00:34:19,126 --> 00:34:23,544
So, they began saying
and writing things like,
617
00:34:23,578 --> 00:34:26,650
"Why should the Communist Party
always rule?
618
00:34:26,685 --> 00:34:29,688
Why shouldn't there be
a multi-party system?
619
00:34:29,722 --> 00:34:33,657
And why should we lean
towards the Soviet Union?
620
00:34:33,692 --> 00:34:37,075
Why shouldn't we have good
relations with-with the West?"
621
00:34:39,077 --> 00:34:43,011
It was done with great artistry,
I mean, when Mao
622
00:34:43,046 --> 00:34:46,532
was conspiratorial,
he was a master.
623
00:34:46,567 --> 00:34:49,535
A master of conspiracy.
624
00:34:49,570 --> 00:34:53,919
He let everybody talk,
unchallenged, unhindered,
625
00:34:53,953 --> 00:34:56,749
and everybody felt,
"This is great," you know,
626
00:34:56,784 --> 00:35:02,410
"This is great. What frabjous
day, callooh, callay!" you know?
627
00:35:02,445 --> 00:35:08,036
And then...an editorial
appears on the front page
628
00:35:08,071 --> 00:35:11,764
of The People's Daily,
with no warning, saying:
629
00:35:11,799 --> 00:35:13,180
"Why is this..."
630
00:35:13,214 --> 00:35:18,530
Bang, from that day on, it was
hammers down on the critics
631
00:35:18,564 --> 00:35:21,533
and they were classified
as rightists,
632
00:35:21,567 --> 00:35:25,088
they were hauled up
before big public meetings,
633
00:35:25,123 --> 00:35:28,781
which were called debates,
debates with the rightists,
634
00:35:28,816 --> 00:35:32,199
but the other side of the debate
was not allowed to speak.
635
00:35:34,580 --> 00:35:37,307
And, so this was the campaign,
636
00:35:37,342 --> 00:35:41,449
to clean out
anti-socialist elements,
637
00:35:41,484 --> 00:35:45,522
not from the Party,
so much as among intellectuals
638
00:35:45,557 --> 00:35:51,287
and Mao said, he used a very
ancient quota--quotation.
639
00:35:51,321 --> 00:35:54,704
He said, "Intellectuals
have to learn
640
00:35:54,738 --> 00:35:56,188
where their rice bowl is,"
641
00:35:56,223 --> 00:35:58,156
like which side
their bread is buttered.
642
00:35:59,605 --> 00:36:04,679
But his real view of democracy,
I think I got pretty clear on.
643
00:36:04,714 --> 00:36:08,718
His real concept was...
644
00:36:08,752 --> 00:36:11,272
he liked for people to meet
645
00:36:11,307 --> 00:36:14,310
for a lively
democratic discussion
646
00:36:14,344 --> 00:36:20,419
of why his policies were correct
and to point the finger
647
00:36:20,454 --> 00:36:25,493
at people and places that were
not correctly carrying them out.
648
00:36:25,528 --> 00:36:30,602
Criticism, or to point
to places where his policy
649
00:36:30,636 --> 00:36:33,363
could be improved
and made more effective.
650
00:36:33,398 --> 00:36:38,610
That was fine, but to go
flatly against his policy,
651
00:36:38,644 --> 00:36:41,475
that's not democracy,
it's counter-revolution.
652
00:36:43,511 --> 00:36:48,275
There was a woman working there
at Radio with me who was
653
00:36:48,309 --> 00:36:52,658
the daughter of Mr. Sachs
of Goldman-Sachs,
654
00:36:52,693 --> 00:36:54,695
one of the founders, okay?
655
00:36:54,729 --> 00:36:59,838
And she had been an American
Communist since her school days.
656
00:36:59,872 --> 00:37:04,152
Redder than a rose and...
657
00:37:04,187 --> 00:37:09,537
you know, but she grew up
on Park Avenue taking a walk
658
00:37:09,572 --> 00:37:13,955
in the park with a limousine
puttering along her side
659
00:37:13,990 --> 00:37:17,890
and so on, she was
to the manor born,
660
00:37:17,925 --> 00:37:22,378
but when she came to China
and started working there
661
00:37:22,412 --> 00:37:26,692
and they started the campaign
against the bourgeois rightists,
662
00:37:26,727 --> 00:37:30,351
including some Chinese
who were her friends,
663
00:37:30,386 --> 00:37:33,975
she would not have it,
she fought like mad
664
00:37:34,010 --> 00:37:35,943
against what
the Party was doing.
665
00:37:35,977 --> 00:37:40,465
She told him, she said,
"This is...this is a pure
666
00:37:40,499 --> 00:37:44,641
and simple civil rights case,
that's what we do in America,
667
00:37:44,676 --> 00:37:47,506
we Communists, we stick
our necks out, we fight
668
00:37:47,541 --> 00:37:50,647
for hum--for civil rights."
669
00:37:50,682 --> 00:37:54,133
And, uh, she said,
"You can't do this!"
670
00:37:54,168 --> 00:37:55,997
And I thought,
"God, how backward
671
00:37:56,032 --> 00:37:57,240
can you be," you know?
672
00:37:57,275 --> 00:37:59,104
She doesn't get it.
673
00:37:59,138 --> 00:38:03,246
And I used to try to calm
her down, counsel her and so on.
674
00:38:03,281 --> 00:38:06,836
No good, but how
right she was...
675
00:38:06,870 --> 00:38:09,045
in a sense.
676
00:38:09,079 --> 00:38:12,151
You...believed in civil rights?
677
00:38:12,186 --> 00:38:13,118
-Sure.
-As a young man, you fought
678
00:38:13,152 --> 00:38:16,328
-Sure
-for civil rights in the South?
679
00:38:16,363 --> 00:38:18,951
Absolutely...
680
00:38:18,986 --> 00:38:22,921
and we really
stuck our necks out for it.
681
00:38:22,955 --> 00:38:23,749
In America?
682
00:38:23,784 --> 00:38:24,854
Yes.
683
00:38:24,888 --> 00:38:26,062
But, in China?
684
00:38:26,096 --> 00:38:29,824
In China, until
the revolution, yes!
685
00:38:29,859 --> 00:38:32,689
Before coming to power.
686
00:38:32,724 --> 00:38:35,347
That's what happens.
687
00:38:35,382 --> 00:38:38,937
Once you get into power
and you have to protect
688
00:38:38,971 --> 00:38:45,253
your new power against the enemy
who is still stronger than you,
689
00:38:45,288 --> 00:38:49,361
civil rights becomes your enemy.
690
00:38:49,396 --> 00:38:52,882
Intellectuals talk too much,
they raise too many questions.
691
00:38:52,916 --> 00:38:54,815
You have to keep 'em quiet.
692
00:38:57,162 --> 00:39:01,477
And, uh, you know, I took part
in hassling these people
693
00:39:01,511 --> 00:39:05,446
and they were all innocent
and good people.
694
00:39:05,481 --> 00:39:08,518
That's, I think, that's the most
serious mistake
695
00:39:08,553 --> 00:39:09,519
that I have ever made.
696
00:39:11,072 --> 00:39:14,869
I think the reason I couldn't
see it was wrong was largely
697
00:39:14,904 --> 00:39:19,874
because I was living
a privileged life.
698
00:39:19,909 --> 00:39:23,257
Everything about the regime
was good for me.
699
00:39:23,291 --> 00:39:25,501
Nothing bad in it for me.
700
00:39:25,535 --> 00:39:27,951
So, I couldn't
countenance the idea
701
00:39:27,986 --> 00:39:30,471
of anything bad for anybody.
702
00:39:30,506 --> 00:39:33,612
I wasn't paying attention,
I wasn't feeling
703
00:39:33,647 --> 00:39:36,581
what happened to other people.
704
00:39:36,615 --> 00:39:39,756
Otherwise, I think
I would have seen it.
705
00:39:39,791 --> 00:39:42,172
So, it's--it's
a kind of corruption
706
00:39:42,207 --> 00:39:44,968
and that's exactly, I think,
the kind of corruption
707
00:39:45,003 --> 00:39:50,974
that ruins the whole thing
once you get into power.
708
00:39:52,631 --> 00:39:58,257
♪
709
00:39:58,292 --> 00:40:01,778
The bugler was Mao's call
to jumpstart the economy.
710
00:40:01,813 --> 00:40:04,781
A mass movement called
The Great Leap Forward
711
00:40:04,816 --> 00:40:08,785
that organized China's peasants
into vast rural communes
712
00:40:08,820 --> 00:40:12,962
and everyone into do-it-yourself
producers of steel.
713
00:40:12,996 --> 00:40:15,171
Mao set out
to challenge the Russians
714
00:40:15,205 --> 00:40:19,278
and the West at any cost.
715
00:40:19,313 --> 00:40:24,836
This was the frenzy that swept
the entire country.
716
00:40:24,870 --> 00:40:27,735
I thought it was working,
I thought it was great.
717
00:40:27,770 --> 00:40:31,774
Production was doubling
and tripling, the villages
718
00:40:31,808 --> 00:40:38,746
were serving free food,
you know, people were told,
719
00:40:38,781 --> 00:40:42,578
"Open up your stomach
and eat your fill!"
720
00:40:42,612 --> 00:40:45,235
First time in history,
this was great.
721
00:40:46,547 --> 00:40:51,690
Everything was free,
everything was public issue
722
00:40:51,725 --> 00:40:55,349
by the commune.
723
00:40:55,383 --> 00:40:58,801
It was great, it wasn't true.
724
00:40:58,835 --> 00:41:02,874
But, while I thought
it was true, it was great.
725
00:41:04,116 --> 00:41:09,294
♪
726
00:41:09,328 --> 00:41:13,747
Officially, while communes were
transforming the countryside,
727
00:41:13,781 --> 00:41:17,129
small backyard steel furnaces
were turning China
728
00:41:17,164 --> 00:41:19,649
into an industrial giant.
729
00:41:19,684 --> 00:41:25,724
In the end, neither claim would
hold up to closer inspection.
730
00:41:25,759 --> 00:41:29,728
Yulin worked on a backyard steel
furnace that was called
731
00:41:29,763 --> 00:41:32,628
The Eighth of March
Women's Day Furnace.
732
00:41:32,662 --> 00:41:35,941
I worked on another
little furnace.
733
00:41:35,976 --> 00:41:42,914
And...I, you know, I-I,
I raked out the steel
734
00:41:42,948 --> 00:41:48,402
and it was black like black mud
and I asked the guy in charge
735
00:41:48,436 --> 00:41:50,680
of the furnace, I said,
"This stuff really steel?"
736
00:41:50,715 --> 00:41:53,441
He said, "Oh, yeah, when we send
to the big steel mills,
737
00:41:53,476 --> 00:41:55,098
they-they know
what to do with it."
738
00:41:55,133 --> 00:41:56,755
Totally wasted.
739
00:41:56,790 --> 00:42:02,312
People took their pots,
the...the iron chains
740
00:42:02,347 --> 00:42:04,591
that ran along
some of the fences,
741
00:42:04,625 --> 00:42:07,283
anything metal and just
threw it into the furnace
742
00:42:07,317 --> 00:42:09,354
and melted it down.
743
00:42:09,388 --> 00:42:16,154
So...overnight it went up to
eighteen million tons of steel,
744
00:42:16,188 --> 00:42:18,881
but most of it was worthless.
745
00:42:20,330 --> 00:42:23,092
♪
746
00:42:23,126 --> 00:42:26,371
With great fanfare,
local officials reported
747
00:42:26,405 --> 00:42:29,581
the upward climb of wheat
and steel production
748
00:42:29,616 --> 00:42:33,861
and with it, a relentless rise
for the economy.
749
00:42:33,896 --> 00:42:37,865
To do otherwise was to suffer
the political consequences,
750
00:42:37,900 --> 00:42:43,664
but none of it was true
and the result was disastrous.
751
00:42:43,699 --> 00:42:47,150
The production figures
were grossly exaggerated.
752
00:42:47,185 --> 00:42:49,497
Everybody lied.
753
00:42:49,532 --> 00:42:53,812
The lower leaders lied
to the higher leaders,
754
00:42:53,847 --> 00:42:57,091
knowing that they
wanted big figures
755
00:42:57,126 --> 00:43:01,786
and the higher leaders usually,
whether they realized it or not,
756
00:43:01,820 --> 00:43:05,306
reported them on up
and the farther up you got
757
00:43:05,341 --> 00:43:07,515
the more of a fool
you were, really,
758
00:43:07,550 --> 00:43:09,621
the more grossly deceived.
759
00:43:11,796 --> 00:43:16,766
So, that was one of the great
tragedies, that he had hundreds
760
00:43:16,801 --> 00:43:22,496
of millions of villagers leaving
the fields, going out looking
761
00:43:22,530 --> 00:43:26,569
for iron ore, for copper,
for aluminum, for whatever
762
00:43:26,604 --> 00:43:31,160
minerals there were in order
to set up village industries.
763
00:43:31,194 --> 00:43:33,058
So, who was tending the crops?
764
00:43:33,093 --> 00:43:35,923
Old people and children,
that's all you saw.
765
00:43:35,958 --> 00:43:40,100
We went around the country,
that's all we saw in the fields,
766
00:43:40,134 --> 00:43:42,171
old people and children.
767
00:43:42,205 --> 00:43:44,311
So, there was
this terrible famine.
768
00:43:45,692 --> 00:43:52,353
In the famine that accompanied
the latter days
769
00:43:52,388 --> 00:43:54,321
of The Great Leap Forward,
probably something between
770
00:43:54,355 --> 00:43:58,636
25 and 35 million people died...
771
00:43:58,670 --> 00:44:00,051
of hunger.
772
00:44:02,087 --> 00:44:07,506
♪
773
00:44:07,541 --> 00:44:10,786
During these years,
Sidney not only worked at Radio,
774
00:44:10,820 --> 00:44:14,203
but was a trusted translator
of important Party documents
775
00:44:14,237 --> 00:44:16,999
and of Mao's collected works.
776
00:44:17,033 --> 00:44:20,727
He and Yulin raised a family
and lived comfortably.
777
00:44:20,761 --> 00:44:23,764
His position as a foreign expert
protecting them from the worst
778
00:44:23,799 --> 00:44:27,526
excesses of the mass movements.
779
00:44:27,561 --> 00:44:30,633
But on the horizon
was a political storm
780
00:44:30,668 --> 00:44:33,291
in which no one
would be protected.
781
00:44:33,325 --> 00:44:40,781
♪
782
00:44:44,889 --> 00:44:51,412
♪
783
00:44:51,447 --> 00:44:53,967
The tragic failure
of The Great Leap Forward
784
00:44:54,001 --> 00:44:56,728
had fractured
the Party's leadership.
785
00:44:56,763 --> 00:45:00,076
Mao and his policies
were being challenged.
786
00:45:00,111 --> 00:45:01,975
Both his vision
of the revolution
787
00:45:02,009 --> 00:45:05,461
and his historical
legacy were at stake.
788
00:45:05,495 --> 00:45:08,153
In the crucible
of the Cultural Revolution,
789
00:45:08,188 --> 00:45:10,466
Mao's struggle
for survival would become
790
00:45:10,500 --> 00:45:14,470
the country's struggle
for survival.
791
00:45:14,504 --> 00:45:16,610
It was all about
whether you were
792
00:45:16,644 --> 00:45:20,683
really following
Chairman Mao or not.
793
00:45:20,718 --> 00:45:23,513
Not the Communist Party,
the interesting thing was
794
00:45:23,548 --> 00:45:28,484
that the Cultural Revolution
began, really, as a revolution
795
00:45:28,518 --> 00:45:30,797
against the Communist Party,
796
00:45:30,831 --> 00:45:33,938
although nobody
said it like that.
797
00:45:33,972 --> 00:45:37,838
The key slogan with which
the Cultural Revolution started
798
00:45:37,873 --> 00:45:42,774
was "zàofan youli,"
"It's right to rebel."
799
00:45:42,809 --> 00:45:46,157
And he put that into the hands
of the young people
800
00:45:46,191 --> 00:45:47,606
with the little red book.
801
00:45:47,641 --> 00:45:51,196
"It's right to rebel,"
and that's all they needed.
802
00:45:51,231 --> 00:45:54,993
These young people had grown up,
as the saying goes,
803
00:45:55,028 --> 00:45:57,927
"under the red banner,"
that's all they'd known
804
00:45:57,962 --> 00:46:02,173
and they had been taught
since infancy that the interests
805
00:46:02,207 --> 00:46:06,902
of the Party and the government,
the country, come first.
806
00:46:06,936 --> 00:46:10,802
So, now all of a sudden,
rebelling to reclaim
807
00:46:10,837 --> 00:46:14,599
your personal interests
became not only legitimate,
808
00:46:14,633 --> 00:46:16,808
it was revolutionary.
809
00:46:16,843 --> 00:46:21,709
And so the force with which
this exploded was tremendous.
810
00:46:21,744 --> 00:46:28,786
I saw it as a kind of, a redux
of the Protestant Revolution,
811
00:46:28,820 --> 00:46:32,065
the Protestant
Reformation in Europe.
812
00:46:32,099 --> 00:46:34,964
Previously, in the Medieval
Catholic Church,
813
00:46:34,999 --> 00:46:38,140
you didn't read the Bible,
and interpret it,
814
00:46:38,174 --> 00:46:40,521
the priesthood,
from the Pope down,
815
00:46:40,556 --> 00:46:44,491
told you what the Bible said
that you needed to know.
816
00:46:44,525 --> 00:46:47,356
Then came Martin Luther
and company
817
00:46:47,390 --> 00:46:51,774
and you had an individual,
personal relationship with God.
818
00:46:51,809 --> 00:46:55,536
You read the Bible, you decide
what it meant, you followed it.
819
00:46:55,571 --> 00:46:57,400
Exactly this.
820
00:46:57,435 --> 00:47:00,231
Everyone got a copy
of the little red book,
821
00:47:00,265 --> 00:47:02,992
"Quotations form Chairman Mao."
822
00:47:03,027 --> 00:47:04,304
What did it mean?
823
00:47:04,338 --> 00:47:05,684
Up to you.
824
00:47:05,719 --> 00:47:10,344
You read it, you decide
what it means, you act on it.
825
00:47:10,379 --> 00:47:13,727
There's no authority
that can tell you what it means,
826
00:47:13,761 --> 00:47:16,523
except for Chairman Mao,
of course.
827
00:47:18,525 --> 00:47:23,910
And one of the most enthusiastic
people that I talked with
828
00:47:23,944 --> 00:47:32,021
in the early days,
and this was in January '67,
829
00:47:32,056 --> 00:47:37,993
was Zhou Enlai, I had a long
talk with him one-on-one,
830
00:47:38,027 --> 00:47:43,170
in which he was saying,
"Look at the freedom,
831
00:47:43,205 --> 00:47:45,517
look at the atmosphere
of freedom.
832
00:47:45,552 --> 00:47:48,658
Anybody can say
anything they want."
833
00:47:48,693 --> 00:47:52,041
He says, "Can the American
President do this?
834
00:47:52,076 --> 00:47:54,802
Can he allow them
to put up wall posters
835
00:47:54,837 --> 00:47:57,184
on the walls of-of
the White House?
836
00:47:57,219 --> 00:47:58,910
Would they dare?"
837
00:47:58,945 --> 00:48:01,292
But, now we have it in China.
838
00:48:01,326 --> 00:48:02,880
He was carried away.
839
00:48:04,157 --> 00:48:08,402
♪
840
00:48:08,437 --> 00:48:13,442
It was the feeling of democratic
rebellion that was in the air.
841
00:48:13,476 --> 00:48:16,583
That was very powerful.
842
00:48:16,617 --> 00:48:20,794
Young people making speeches
that sounded like Patrick Henry
843
00:48:20,828 --> 00:48:23,141
on the streets and at Radio.
844
00:48:23,176 --> 00:48:26,455
And I remember saying to Yulin,
845
00:48:26,489 --> 00:48:29,113
when I first started
getting involved, I said,
846
00:48:29,147 --> 00:48:33,703
"You know, I may end up covered
with mud from head to foot,
847
00:48:33,738 --> 00:48:36,637
but if anything was ever
worth it, this is it."
848
00:48:37,535 --> 00:48:40,745
♪
849
00:48:40,779 --> 00:48:44,852
In the Spring of 1966,
Mao issued, what he called,
850
00:48:44,887 --> 00:48:48,166
"My Big Character Poster,"
with the slogan:
851
00:48:48,201 --> 00:48:50,375
"Bombard the Headquarters"
852
00:48:50,410 --> 00:48:52,308
♪
853
00:48:52,343 --> 00:48:56,105
The right to rebel was to be
a purge of the Party leadership,
854
00:48:56,140 --> 00:48:58,694
the Big Character Poster
became a weapon in the hands
855
00:48:58,728 --> 00:49:02,111
of China's youth,
the Red Guards.
856
00:49:02,146 --> 00:49:06,253
At first, foreigners in China
were told to stay out of it,
857
00:49:06,288 --> 00:49:08,186
but Sidney Rittenberg,
with the approval
858
00:49:08,221 --> 00:49:14,572
of Premier Zhou Enlai
insisted on taking part.
859
00:49:14,606 --> 00:49:17,471
The-the place where I
really got involved was,
860
00:49:17,506 --> 00:49:21,544
one night I was walking home...
861
00:49:21,579 --> 00:49:24,133
and I saw that,
in the Radio theater,
862
00:49:24,168 --> 00:49:26,066
there was some kind
of meeting going on,
863
00:49:26,101 --> 00:49:28,517
so I just poked
my head in to see.
864
00:49:28,551 --> 00:49:29,863
It was remarkable.
865
00:49:29,897 --> 00:49:33,073
♪
866
00:49:33,108 --> 00:49:35,524
Rival factions,
each of them claiming to be
867
00:49:35,558 --> 00:49:38,699
the true supporters
of Chairman Mao, were organizing
868
00:49:38,734 --> 00:49:42,841
throughout the country
and Radio was no exception.
869
00:49:42,876 --> 00:49:46,086
At this meeting,
the security department as one,
870
00:49:46,121 --> 00:49:48,675
resigned and joined
a rebel group,
871
00:49:48,709 --> 00:49:52,161
saying they had told
their last lies for the Party.
872
00:49:52,196 --> 00:49:55,958
Rittenberg was about
to take sides.
873
00:49:55,993 --> 00:49:59,375
That was really something to me,
I mean, that was really
874
00:49:59,410 --> 00:50:01,584
something like revolution.
875
00:50:01,619 --> 00:50:04,035
The security department saying
876
00:50:04,070 --> 00:50:07,763
that they had told
their last lies for the Party.
877
00:50:07,797 --> 00:50:12,043
Something big was happening here
and so I also joined
878
00:50:12,078 --> 00:50:13,389
the rebel organization.
879
00:50:15,943 --> 00:50:19,292
There were two different groups,
our group was called
880
00:50:19,326 --> 00:50:25,367
the Rebel Regiment...
to Defend Mao Zedong Thought.
881
00:50:25,401 --> 00:50:27,610
The other one was called
882
00:50:27,645 --> 00:50:35,722
the Brigade to Defend
Mao Zedong Thought to the Death.
883
00:50:35,756 --> 00:50:40,520
So, they were called
the "To the Death Brigade,"
884
00:50:40,554 --> 00:50:44,800
and they were set up by the
Party secretary at the Radio.
885
00:50:44,834 --> 00:50:49,149
They were his boys, his...
his followers and therefore
886
00:50:49,184 --> 00:50:53,153
they were condemned
and denounced as "royalists,"
887
00:50:53,188 --> 00:50:57,571
they were the royalists who were
protecting the leadership
888
00:50:57,606 --> 00:50:59,435
and we were the rebels.
889
00:50:59,470 --> 00:51:07,236
And one amazing episode
after the other.
890
00:51:09,307 --> 00:51:11,378
♪
891
00:51:11,413 --> 00:51:14,485
As happened elsewhere
during the Cultural Revolution,
892
00:51:14,519 --> 00:51:17,004
it wasn't long before
the rebel groups at Radio
893
00:51:17,039 --> 00:51:20,146
confronted one another,
face to face.
894
00:51:20,180 --> 00:51:23,356
♪
895
00:51:23,390 --> 00:51:27,394
In the auditorium at Radio,
Rittenberg looked on
896
00:51:27,429 --> 00:51:30,639
and then took the stage.
897
00:51:30,673 --> 00:51:34,608
A hubbub started
among the audience
898
00:51:34,643 --> 00:51:42,029
and pushing and shouting match
between the so-called royalists
899
00:51:42,064 --> 00:51:45,136
and the rebels,
these two organizations.
900
00:51:45,171 --> 00:51:50,486
So, something
is brewing a fight.
901
00:51:50,521 --> 00:51:52,109
So, I'm sitting there
and I'm thinking,
902
00:51:52,143 --> 00:51:54,525
"My goodness,
in this auditorium,
903
00:51:54,559 --> 00:51:56,665
not that easy
to get in and out of,
904
00:51:56,699 --> 00:51:58,770
if it really,
if a big fight starts here,
905
00:51:58,805 --> 00:52:00,047
it's gonna really be bad."
906
00:52:01,428 --> 00:52:05,294
So, I went up
on the stage and the girl,
907
00:52:05,329 --> 00:52:08,297
the Red Guard leader,
from the Radio Institute
908
00:52:08,332 --> 00:52:10,644
was standing up there
at the microphone,
909
00:52:10,679 --> 00:52:14,545
really not knowing what to do
and I went up to her
910
00:52:14,579 --> 00:52:19,343
and I said, "Will you
allow me to speak?"
911
00:52:19,377 --> 00:52:23,519
And I said, "Who are
these young people?
912
00:52:23,554 --> 00:52:27,213
They're our successors,
they're the successors
913
00:52:27,247 --> 00:52:30,285
to the revolution,
that's who they are.
914
00:52:30,319 --> 00:52:33,771
And what are we
supposed to be doing?
915
00:52:33,805 --> 00:52:37,947
We're supposed to be using
the democratic rights
916
00:52:37,982 --> 00:52:42,607
that Chairman Mao has given us
to air our opinions
917
00:52:42,642 --> 00:52:47,129
and our grievances
and to try to straighten out
918
00:52:47,164 --> 00:52:51,168
the wrong things or stupid
things that the leaders do."
919
00:52:51,202 --> 00:52:52,203
So on and so forth.
920
00:52:52,238 --> 00:52:53,929
That's all that's going on.
921
00:52:53,963 --> 00:52:59,452
"So, what's the...
what's the controversy about?
922
00:52:59,486 --> 00:53:03,387
What is there to disagree with
or to fight about about this?"
923
00:53:03,421 --> 00:53:06,562
Everybody was just calm,
coulda heard a pin drop.
924
00:53:08,115 --> 00:53:12,258
But, what I didn't know was that
they were recording my speech
925
00:53:12,292 --> 00:53:15,019
about democracy and the right
to speak and the right
926
00:53:15,053 --> 00:53:18,195
to oppose and it went
all over the country,
927
00:53:18,229 --> 00:53:20,921
so the next day, I'm somebody.
928
00:53:20,956 --> 00:53:24,994
I start getting phone calls from
all ov--all over the country
929
00:53:25,029 --> 00:53:28,584
and, so that, that started it.
930
00:53:28,619 --> 00:53:31,449
So, I became very much
in demand as a speaker
931
00:53:31,484 --> 00:53:34,832
at Red Guard rallies
and at universities
932
00:53:34,866 --> 00:53:37,938
and to write for the paper
and so on and so forth,
933
00:53:37,973 --> 00:53:40,182
so everything changed.
934
00:53:40,217 --> 00:53:42,426
And in the process,
you became a celebrity?
935
00:53:42,460 --> 00:53:44,566
Yeah, in the process,
I became a celebrity.
936
00:53:44,600 --> 00:53:46,844
It was the beginning of it.
937
00:53:46,878 --> 00:53:49,950
It's hard to believe,
but I spoke to everything,
938
00:53:49,985 --> 00:53:55,542
from a meeting
of over 100,000 in Tianjin
939
00:53:55,577 --> 00:53:58,649
at the university there, uh...
940
00:53:58,683 --> 00:54:00,892
to in the Great Hall
of the People,
941
00:54:00,927 --> 00:54:04,689
the Congress hall,
to 10,000 leaders
942
00:54:04,724 --> 00:54:10,005
from all over the country,
to the uh, uh...
943
00:54:10,039 --> 00:54:13,077
to the State Science Commission,
to scientists,
944
00:54:13,111 --> 00:54:16,080
and technologists,
several hundred.
945
00:54:16,114 --> 00:54:19,359
Uh, to huge audiences
at all the,
946
00:54:19,394 --> 00:54:24,399
all the major universities,
um...
947
00:54:28,575 --> 00:54:33,615
and over the phone to a meeting
of thousands of Red Guards,
948
00:54:33,649 --> 00:54:41,623
way off in Chian, to a huge
workers conference in Shanghai,
949
00:54:41,657 --> 00:54:45,385
everywhere, I was the speaker.
950
00:54:45,420 --> 00:54:48,388
What did they want
to hear from you?
951
00:54:48,423 --> 00:54:51,943
Well, you know, it was a
romantically built up figure,
952
00:54:51,978 --> 00:54:55,464
this American who spoke
fluent Chinese,
953
00:54:55,499 --> 00:54:59,330
who was from
the generation of Yan'an,
954
00:54:59,365 --> 00:55:02,782
but unlike most
of that generation,
955
00:55:02,816 --> 00:55:06,130
actively supported the Cultural
Revolution and stood
956
00:55:06,164 --> 00:55:12,343
with the young people and was,
had been named by Mao as a,
957
00:55:12,378 --> 00:55:16,554
quote unquote, "international
communist fighter."
958
00:55:18,349 --> 00:55:20,351
This didn't surprise you?
959
00:55:20,386 --> 00:55:22,629
That you were playing this role?
960
00:55:22,664 --> 00:55:26,253
No, that was my role,
that was my role to play.
961
00:55:26,288 --> 00:55:29,809
That's why I always
wore Western clothes,
962
00:55:29,843 --> 00:55:32,777
rather than Chinese clothes
because I wanted
963
00:55:32,812 --> 00:55:35,953
to be recognized
as an American
964
00:55:35,987 --> 00:55:39,750
who was working
for the Chinese Revolution.
965
00:55:42,408 --> 00:55:47,413
The four principal
Red Guard leaders in Beijing
966
00:55:47,447 --> 00:55:51,451
were from the four biggest
universities and I became
967
00:55:51,486 --> 00:55:55,766
sort of their father,
confessor, and counselor.
968
00:55:55,800 --> 00:56:02,289
One talk I had in the park with
these four fearsome chieftains,
969
00:56:02,324 --> 00:56:06,742
really fearsome, I mean,
they were it in those days,
970
00:56:06,777 --> 00:56:09,366
and I asked them, I said,
"What do you--what do you
971
00:56:09,400 --> 00:56:13,680
want to do after the Cultural
Revolution is over?"
972
00:56:13,715 --> 00:56:17,926
And they all said,
"We want to go to America."
973
00:56:17,960 --> 00:56:19,203
And I said, "Why?"
974
00:56:19,237 --> 00:56:22,551
I mean U.S. imperialism
was the enemy of choice
975
00:56:22,586 --> 00:56:24,450
in those days,
so why do you want to go?
976
00:56:24,484 --> 00:56:29,627
And Kuai Dafu said, "Well,"
he said, "I just wanna see
977
00:56:29,662 --> 00:56:35,978
what it is about the Capitalist
system that makes it so secure,
978
00:56:36,013 --> 00:56:39,223
makes it so stable,"
he says that,
979
00:56:39,257 --> 00:56:44,297
"There's the United States,
the chief of world imperialism,
980
00:56:44,331 --> 00:56:47,542
an exploiting society
and yet there's no worry
981
00:56:47,576 --> 00:56:52,374
about being overthrown,
you don't worry about people
982
00:56:52,409 --> 00:56:56,102
talking or whatever that the
system's gonna collapse."
983
00:56:56,136 --> 00:56:58,484
Why, he says,
"Cause I wanna go and see."
984
00:56:58,518 --> 00:57:00,382
That's what they were like.
985
00:57:01,659 --> 00:57:07,424
You'd become
an important person.
986
00:57:07,458 --> 00:57:10,254
Sort of, yeah.
987
00:57:10,288 --> 00:57:15,017
Sidney...your words
were circulated
988
00:57:15,052 --> 00:57:16,502
throughout the country!
989
00:57:16,536 --> 00:57:18,607
People wanted you to speak,
990
00:57:18,642 --> 00:57:20,678
people wanted you
at mass rallies,
991
00:57:20,713 --> 00:57:22,784
Uh-huh.
992
00:57:22,818 --> 00:57:24,820
You had the ear of Zhou Enlai,
993
00:57:24,855 --> 00:57:31,517
you had the ear
of Jiang Qing, Mao's wife!
994
00:57:31,551 --> 00:57:35,797
Yes, and when it all collapsed
around my ears, I had the voice
995
00:57:35,831 --> 00:57:41,354
of my father saying,
"Fools names like fools faces
996
00:57:41,388 --> 00:57:47,084
often found in public places."
997
00:57:48,672 --> 00:57:53,504
Well, I was thinking that we
were building a new world.
998
00:57:53,539 --> 00:57:56,196
that the Cultural Revolution
was building
999
00:57:56,231 --> 00:58:00,304
a new democratic
socialist world.
1000
00:58:00,338 --> 00:58:04,273
And yet, you knew of
the violence that was going on
1001
00:58:04,308 --> 00:58:08,208
and people's careers
being ruined and good people,
1002
00:58:08,243 --> 00:58:10,901
people you knew,
people who were your friends
1003
00:58:10,935 --> 00:58:13,248
and colleagues,
being struggled against
1004
00:58:13,282 --> 00:58:17,390
at mass meetings
which you attended.
1005
00:58:17,424 --> 00:58:21,877
How was this affecting you?
1006
00:58:21,912 --> 00:58:27,538
You know, I made
some feeble attempts to...
1007
00:58:27,573 --> 00:58:32,198
protest or to do
something about the...
1008
00:58:32,232 --> 00:58:34,269
brutal way that people
were treated
1009
00:58:34,303 --> 00:58:38,894
at these mass-struggle meetings.
1010
00:58:38,929 --> 00:58:42,311
I felt this was wrong,
I was against it,
1011
00:58:42,346 --> 00:58:47,524
I bleated a few times at people
and then I dropped it
1012
00:58:47,558 --> 00:58:53,219
because it is written,
"A revolution is not like
1013
00:58:53,253 --> 00:58:57,050
inviting guests to dinner,"
it can't be that civilized,
1014
00:58:57,085 --> 00:59:00,882
that courteous,
that gracious, that gentle.
1015
00:59:04,610 --> 00:59:05,956
And it wasn't.
1016
00:59:05,990 --> 00:59:08,268
It wasn't.
1017
00:59:09,615 --> 00:59:14,102
♪
1018
00:59:14,136 --> 00:59:20,211
During its most violent years,
1966 to 1969, the devastation
1019
00:59:20,246 --> 00:59:23,698
and brutality of the Cultural
Revolution were not always
1020
00:59:23,732 --> 00:59:28,461
visible to the outside world,
much less understandable.
1021
00:59:28,495 --> 00:59:31,913
At the time, eyewitnesses rarely
documented the convulsions
1022
00:59:31,947 --> 00:59:35,675
of a country that had
turned against itself.
1023
00:59:35,710 --> 00:59:39,161
It was an era of chaos
and confusion.
1024
00:59:39,196 --> 00:59:41,543
♪
1025
00:59:43,096 --> 00:59:47,584
That's the Cultural Revolution,
it's like a national holiday
1026
00:59:47,618 --> 00:59:51,311
mixed with unbelievable
cruelty.
1027
00:59:53,348 --> 00:59:55,661
You see, and...
1028
00:59:58,905 --> 01:00:03,841
I mean, there were
high school Red Guards,
1029
01:00:03,876 --> 01:00:11,124
I know one high school Red Guard
unit that captured and tortured
1030
01:00:11,159 --> 01:00:15,957
the kids from a rival
high school Red Guard unit,
1031
01:00:15,991 --> 01:00:20,133
recorded their screams,
and played them
1032
01:00:20,168 --> 01:00:23,861
for all of their troops
to harden them
1033
01:00:23,896 --> 01:00:25,967
to struggle with
the class enemy.
1034
01:00:26,001 --> 01:00:33,250
So, I mean real fascist storm
trooper tactics were going on.
1035
01:00:33,284 --> 01:00:39,532
Some...elderly people
who had once been shopkeepers,
1036
01:00:39,566 --> 01:00:44,399
not a crime, according
to Mao Zedong doctrine,
1037
01:00:44,433 --> 01:00:47,851
they had been shopkeepers,
therefore viewed as capitalists,
1038
01:00:47,885 --> 01:00:53,097
and had been working
for state owned stores forever,
1039
01:00:53,132 --> 01:00:56,825
but they were killed
by these young kids
1040
01:00:56,860 --> 01:01:03,970
in their anger
at the exploiters.
1041
01:01:04,005 --> 01:01:07,353
There was a schoolteacher
who got a knock on his door
1042
01:01:07,387 --> 01:01:09,873
in the middle of the night,
opened the door,
1043
01:01:09,907 --> 01:01:14,809
and was stabbed to death
by several students.
1044
01:01:14,843 --> 01:01:18,847
It's unbelievable
brutality and cruelty
1045
01:01:18,882 --> 01:01:23,852
as the background of this whole
revolutionary firm hand.
1046
01:01:23,887 --> 01:01:31,998
And for the army and the police,
it was basically hands-off.
1047
01:01:32,033 --> 01:01:34,552
If they're not setting fire
to public property
1048
01:01:34,587 --> 01:01:39,488
and major destruction,
stay out of it.
1049
01:01:41,180 --> 01:01:46,150
It was a catastrophe
of historic proportions.
1050
01:01:46,185 --> 01:01:49,015
You could only compare it
to a catastrophe
1051
01:01:49,050 --> 01:01:52,398
like the Holocaust in Europe.
1052
01:01:52,432 --> 01:01:54,814
In fact, Li Xiannian,
when he became president,
1053
01:01:54,849 --> 01:01:56,885
called it a Holocaust,
he said,
1054
01:01:56,920 --> 01:01:59,198
"This is our Chinese Holocaust."
1055
01:02:02,201 --> 01:02:05,791
And how many millions
of people died?
1056
01:02:05,825 --> 01:02:08,276
I've never seen
an accounting,
1057
01:02:08,310 --> 01:02:09,829
and I'm not sure
anyone knows,
1058
01:02:09,864 --> 01:02:13,281
but you go to China, today,
1059
01:02:13,315 --> 01:02:16,836
and I don't think
you can find any family
1060
01:02:16,871 --> 01:02:20,115
that doesn--that didn't have
at least one member
1061
01:02:20,150 --> 01:02:24,499
that was seriously damaged
in the Cultural Revolution.
1062
01:02:24,533 --> 01:02:27,295
Because today,
this faction would be on top,
1063
01:02:27,329 --> 01:02:30,056
and tomorrow,
another faction.
1064
01:02:30,091 --> 01:02:33,370
So up and down,
round and round.
1065
01:02:33,404 --> 01:02:36,235
Lin Biao announced publicly
1066
01:02:36,269 --> 01:02:39,272
in the second year
of the Cultural Revolution--
1067
01:02:39,307 --> 01:02:43,794
Lin Baio was Mao's second
in command at that point--
1068
01:02:43,829 --> 01:02:47,108
he said that more army men,
1069
01:02:47,142 --> 01:02:50,007
more soldiers had been killed
1070
01:02:50,042 --> 01:02:53,010
in the first period
of the Cultural Revolution
1071
01:02:53,045 --> 01:02:57,497
than in the largest military
campaign in Chinese history.
1072
01:02:59,534 --> 01:03:00,777
So you can imagine,
1073
01:03:00,811 --> 01:03:03,503
millions and millions
of people perished.
1074
01:03:03,538 --> 01:03:08,025
At the Radio
where we were working,
1075
01:03:08,060 --> 01:03:10,579
four people that we knew
1076
01:03:10,614 --> 01:03:13,928
committed suicide
in the first week
1077
01:03:13,962 --> 01:03:16,723
of the Cultural Revolution.
1078
01:03:16,758 --> 01:03:21,798
People like one woman
who had been on the Long March,
1079
01:03:21,832 --> 01:03:24,628
and the old Red Army
was suddenly accused
1080
01:03:24,662 --> 01:03:28,183
of being a counter-revolutionary
and a traitor
1081
01:03:28,218 --> 01:03:29,184
to the revolution
1082
01:03:29,219 --> 01:03:31,946
and she just jumped off the roof
1083
01:03:31,980 --> 01:03:32,912
and ended it.
1084
01:03:32,947 --> 01:03:35,742
Four people
that we knew.
1085
01:03:35,777 --> 01:03:38,745
So the damage was enormous.
1086
01:03:41,438 --> 01:03:45,752
♪
1087
01:03:45,787 --> 01:03:47,478
Power at the top
was wielded
1088
01:03:47,513 --> 01:03:50,447
by the central
Cultural Revolution group,
1089
01:03:50,481 --> 01:03:54,071
whose leaders became known
as the Gang of Four.
1090
01:03:54,106 --> 01:03:57,557
Most prominent among them
was Mao's wife, Jiang Qing.
1091
01:03:58,765 --> 01:04:01,285
When the Rebel Regiment
at Radio met resistance
1092
01:04:01,320 --> 01:04:03,425
from those still in authority,
1093
01:04:03,460 --> 01:04:06,532
Rittenberg went
to Jiang Qing for help.
1094
01:04:06,566 --> 01:04:08,430
She wasn't the same woman
he remembered
1095
01:04:08,465 --> 01:04:11,813
from the Saturday night dances
in Yan'an.
1096
01:04:13,159 --> 01:04:17,543
What happened was amazing to me
because I had--
1097
01:04:17,577 --> 01:04:23,238
I had known Jiang Qing
since 1946 in Yan'an.
1098
01:04:23,273 --> 01:04:27,035
She started
as an ambitious young person,
1099
01:04:27,070 --> 01:04:30,073
very little talent
as a movie actress,
1100
01:04:30,107 --> 01:04:32,903
but great talent
as a political actress.
1101
01:04:32,938 --> 01:04:36,596
Now, I could not recognize her
as the same person I had known.
1102
01:04:36,631 --> 01:04:39,703
The thing
that popped into my head
1103
01:04:39,737 --> 01:04:44,052
was the image
from the old Hollywood movie,
1104
01:04:44,087 --> 01:04:46,503
A Tale of Two Cities,
1105
01:04:46,537 --> 01:04:48,954
in which Madame Defarge,
1106
01:04:48,988 --> 01:04:51,853
the French radical woman,
1107
01:04:51,888 --> 01:04:55,581
was played by Blanche Yurka,
terrific,
1108
01:04:55,615 --> 01:05:01,794
and, oh, she was
just storm and stress incarnate.
1109
01:05:01,828 --> 01:05:03,865
You know, just fury,
1110
01:05:03,900 --> 01:05:05,625
revolutionary fury.
1111
01:05:05,660 --> 01:05:07,696
And that's what Jiang Qing
was like,
1112
01:05:07,731 --> 01:05:09,560
not rational at all.
1113
01:05:10,941 --> 01:05:15,497
She also had the chief of staff
of the army there,
1114
01:05:15,532 --> 01:05:16,982
and the--
1115
01:05:17,016 --> 01:05:21,400
and a deputy chief of staff
in charge of military training.
1116
01:05:22,988 --> 01:05:24,092
And she said--
1117
01:05:24,127 --> 01:05:25,956
well, the gist of what she said
1118
01:05:25,991 --> 01:05:30,202
in her rantings was
that we are determined.
1119
01:05:30,236 --> 01:05:32,238
We're going to tear down
1120
01:05:32,273 --> 01:05:36,656
every single bureaucratic
institution in China
1121
01:05:36,691 --> 01:05:40,488
and build them all up again.
1122
01:05:40,522 --> 01:05:44,733
The way that chairman Mao's
revolutionary line demands,
1123
01:05:44,768 --> 01:05:47,805
to be
revolutionary institutions.
1124
01:05:47,840 --> 01:05:50,498
And she said,
1125
01:05:50,532 --> 01:05:53,397
"When I went
to the Radio institute,
1126
01:05:53,432 --> 01:05:56,745
they wouldn't let me
in the gate, at first."
1127
01:05:56,780 --> 01:05:57,954
And I told them,
1128
01:05:57,988 --> 01:05:59,472
"If you don't let me in,
1129
01:05:59,507 --> 01:06:02,096
I have a column of cadre
1130
01:06:02,130 --> 01:06:04,822
in Zhongnanhai in the central
committee quarters,
1131
01:06:04,857 --> 01:06:07,446
I'll bring them here
and we'll knock down your gate."
1132
01:06:07,480 --> 01:06:09,862
And she repeated that statement.
1133
01:06:09,896 --> 01:06:12,727
She said,
"Well, I'll knock down any gate
1134
01:06:12,761 --> 01:06:15,695
that doesn't let
in the revolution,
1135
01:06:15,730 --> 01:06:18,353
any gate
that protects revisionism."
1136
01:06:19,665 --> 01:06:23,945
♪
1137
01:06:23,980 --> 01:06:25,222
The door seemed open
1138
01:06:25,257 --> 01:06:28,225
for an unprecedented
course of action.
1139
01:06:28,260 --> 01:06:29,951
No rebel group had yet taken
1140
01:06:29,986 --> 01:06:32,471
over a central
government department,
1141
01:06:32,505 --> 01:06:34,542
let alone one
as politically sensitive
1142
01:06:34,576 --> 01:06:37,269
as the broadcast administration.
1143
01:06:37,303 --> 01:06:39,512
Rittenberg
and the Rebel Regiment
1144
01:06:39,547 --> 01:06:41,273
were emboldened to act.
1145
01:06:43,482 --> 01:06:46,002
Well, the next big thing
was on New Year's Eve
1146
01:06:46,036 --> 01:06:47,210
when we all--
1147
01:06:47,244 --> 01:06:49,108
the Rebel Regiment leaders
1148
01:06:49,143 --> 01:06:51,697
gathered...
1149
01:06:51,731 --> 01:06:54,976
in the--in their office,
1150
01:06:55,011 --> 01:06:58,255
and they decided
that the time had come
1151
01:06:58,290 --> 01:07:00,706
for them to take power,
1152
01:07:00,740 --> 01:07:04,779
to take over the leadership
of the Radio, formally.
1153
01:07:04,813 --> 01:07:06,746
Run the whole thing.
1154
01:07:06,781 --> 01:07:09,542
And nobody had ever done this
1155
01:07:09,577 --> 01:07:11,889
in a government organ before,
1156
01:07:11,924 --> 01:07:14,409
let alone in such
an important one as this.
1157
01:07:15,928 --> 01:07:18,379
So we marched in,
eight or ten of us,
1158
01:07:18,413 --> 01:07:21,934
we marched into the central
editorial office,
1159
01:07:21,968 --> 01:07:25,144
where the two deputy directors
1160
01:07:25,179 --> 01:07:26,835
were there in charge,
1161
01:07:26,870 --> 01:07:30,356
and we just read,
we read them a notice saying
1162
01:07:30,391 --> 01:07:35,465
that the Rebel Regiment
was taking over command
1163
01:07:35,499 --> 01:07:39,607
of the State
Broadcasting Institute,
1164
01:07:39,641 --> 01:07:42,230
and from this day on,
you're working for us.
1165
01:07:44,508 --> 01:07:47,063
A few days later,
1166
01:07:47,097 --> 01:07:48,133
a statement came
1167
01:07:48,167 --> 01:07:52,896
from Mao Zedong himself
saying,
1168
01:07:52,930 --> 01:07:57,452
"If rebels at Radio
have taken over, good for them.
1169
01:07:59,696 --> 01:08:05,874
Now there's some dissention
among the rebels.
1170
01:08:05,909 --> 01:08:10,086
They should be counseled
to unite."
1171
01:08:10,120 --> 01:08:11,121
That's all.
1172
01:08:11,156 --> 01:08:13,917
In those days,
a word from Mao,
1173
01:08:13,951 --> 01:08:18,542
it was called
the newest supreme directive.
1174
01:08:18,577 --> 01:08:19,578
Supreme directive,
1175
01:08:19,612 --> 01:08:22,063
so that was law.
1176
01:08:22,098 --> 01:08:26,102
And so this great elation
about we got approval.
1177
01:08:26,136 --> 01:08:29,415
But why did he imagine--
you know, that was one
1178
01:08:29,450 --> 01:08:32,315
of the greatest lessons
of my life,
1179
01:08:32,349 --> 01:08:36,733
what happened
in the next few weeks.
1180
01:08:36,767 --> 01:08:39,149
Here's what happened
at Radio,
1181
01:08:39,184 --> 01:08:43,464
and similarly, everywhere.
1182
01:08:43,498 --> 01:08:46,122
These guys come into power
1183
01:08:46,156 --> 01:08:49,815
over an organization
of 7,000 people,
1184
01:08:49,849 --> 01:08:53,957
very complicated.
1185
01:08:53,991 --> 01:08:59,031
They have no idea even how
to manage the motor pool,
1186
01:08:59,065 --> 01:09:01,067
let alone the whole thing.
1187
01:09:04,899 --> 01:09:07,971
Revolutionary zeal
was the order of the day,
1188
01:09:08,005 --> 01:09:10,215
but political fury
was no substitute
1189
01:09:10,249 --> 01:09:14,253
for practical experience,
or management skills.
1190
01:09:16,186 --> 01:09:19,293
When the leadership of the Rebel
Regiment was challenged,
1191
01:09:19,327 --> 01:09:21,985
power became an end in itself.
1192
01:09:23,987 --> 01:09:26,610
And these guys,
they would go
1193
01:09:26,645 --> 01:09:29,958
to the living quarters
1194
01:09:29,993 --> 01:09:33,514
of the dissatisfied people,
1195
01:09:33,548 --> 01:09:37,000
they'd break open the locks
on their desk drawers,
1196
01:09:37,034 --> 01:09:39,002
they'd confiscate their diaries,
1197
01:09:39,036 --> 01:09:41,246
they'd read their mail,
1198
01:09:41,280 --> 01:09:43,179
they'd put them in confinement.
1199
01:09:45,457 --> 01:09:47,873
So very quickly,
1200
01:09:47,907 --> 01:09:50,772
it turned
from this great democracy
1201
01:09:50,807 --> 01:09:54,224
into a great dictatorship.
1202
01:09:54,259 --> 01:09:55,881
So that's when I came
1203
01:09:55,915 --> 01:09:59,678
into face to face argument
with Jiang Qing.
1204
01:09:59,712 --> 01:10:02,232
I said, "You shouldn't support
these people
1205
01:10:02,267 --> 01:10:05,166
because they're suppressing
their opposition.
1206
01:10:05,201 --> 01:10:07,617
They're not practicing
democracy."
1207
01:10:07,651 --> 01:10:10,136
But she was supporting them.
1208
01:10:10,171 --> 01:10:13,761
There's a meeting
of the full Radio staff
1209
01:10:13,795 --> 01:10:15,901
in which she speaks,
I speak,
1210
01:10:15,935 --> 01:10:18,006
the Rebel leader speaks,
1211
01:10:18,041 --> 01:10:19,318
and I really thought
1212
01:10:19,353 --> 01:10:21,562
I may never get
out of this place alive,
1213
01:10:21,596 --> 01:10:23,460
'cause there was
only one entrance.
1214
01:10:23,495 --> 01:10:26,394
It's a music hall,
there's no back entrance.
1215
01:10:26,429 --> 01:10:28,189
I have to go through all these--
1216
01:10:28,224 --> 01:10:30,571
this crowd to get
to the front door.
1217
01:10:30,605 --> 01:10:33,367
But I was so...
1218
01:10:33,401 --> 01:10:34,299
angry,
1219
01:10:34,333 --> 01:10:35,817
and I said, I said,
1220
01:10:35,852 --> 01:10:37,578
"You know what you're doing?
1221
01:10:37,612 --> 01:10:42,583
You're using the methods
that the oppressors use
1222
01:10:42,617 --> 01:10:44,240
to get rid of opposition.
1223
01:10:44,274 --> 01:10:46,380
You're doing
exactly the same thing,
1224
01:10:46,414 --> 01:10:48,589
you're denying them
the right to speak,
1225
01:10:48,623 --> 01:10:51,316
you're holding people by force
1226
01:10:51,350 --> 01:10:52,903
in confinement,
1227
01:10:52,938 --> 01:10:54,180
even the representative
1228
01:10:54,215 --> 01:10:56,700
of the Cultural Revolution
leading group.
1229
01:10:56,735 --> 01:10:59,082
Look what you turned into.
1230
01:10:59,116 --> 01:11:00,290
And you think you have the right
1231
01:11:00,325 --> 01:11:03,293
to call yourself
1232
01:11:03,328 --> 01:11:06,262
Regiment to Defend
Mao Zedong Thought?"
1233
01:11:06,296 --> 01:11:07,366
And they're very angry,
1234
01:11:07,401 --> 01:11:10,369
they don't like this at all.
1235
01:11:10,404 --> 01:11:12,268
Then someone,
who turned out later
1236
01:11:12,302 --> 01:11:14,994
to have been inspired
from on top,
1237
01:11:15,029 --> 01:11:18,550
suggests that we set
up a three,
1238
01:11:18,584 --> 01:11:20,828
a committee of three,
1239
01:11:20,862 --> 01:11:24,487
to conduct
a rectification campaign
1240
01:11:24,521 --> 01:11:28,594
to restore unity
at Radio through education,
1241
01:11:28,629 --> 01:11:31,252
and that I be the chairman
of this group,
1242
01:11:31,287 --> 01:11:32,218
and be in charge.
1243
01:11:34,635 --> 01:11:38,466
♪
1244
01:11:38,501 --> 01:11:41,227
Sidney Rittenberg had risen
to a political position
1245
01:11:41,262 --> 01:11:44,161
unheard of for foreigners
in China.
1246
01:11:44,196 --> 01:11:47,337
He was in charge
of a critical government agency.
1247
01:11:47,372 --> 01:11:49,339
Broadcasting was
a key battleground
1248
01:11:49,374 --> 01:11:52,342
in the Cultural Revolution.
1249
01:11:52,377 --> 01:11:54,413
But as he would soon discover,
1250
01:11:54,448 --> 01:11:57,934
his role was being manipulated
from the very top.
1251
01:11:57,968 --> 01:12:00,523
Jiang Qing was using
Rittenberg's committee
1252
01:12:00,557 --> 01:12:03,215
to put her own faction
in control.
1253
01:12:05,079 --> 01:12:08,427
Now, here's where I made
my really big mistake,
1254
01:12:08,462 --> 01:12:10,360
really big mistake.
1255
01:12:10,395 --> 01:12:13,432
I should have quit right then.
1256
01:12:13,467 --> 01:12:14,571
I should have quit,
1257
01:12:14,606 --> 01:12:15,745
but I was too much
1258
01:12:15,779 --> 01:12:19,162
into the power and the glory
to quit, really.
1259
01:12:19,196 --> 01:12:20,853
I was too much
into that feeling
1260
01:12:20,888 --> 01:12:23,131
that I'm part of history,
1261
01:12:23,166 --> 01:12:26,445
and if I quit now,
I'm nothing.
1262
01:12:26,480 --> 01:12:29,483
I just couldn't let it go,
1263
01:12:29,517 --> 01:12:32,140
so I decided, well,
I'll keep working on it,
1264
01:12:32,175 --> 01:12:33,590
you know, from the inside.
1265
01:12:33,625 --> 01:12:35,661
But I should have known,
1266
01:12:35,696 --> 01:12:39,596
I should have known.
1267
01:12:39,631 --> 01:12:42,496
You know, one day,
I had my picture taken
1268
01:12:42,530 --> 01:12:45,257
in a group photo with Mao
1269
01:12:45,291 --> 01:12:47,742
and two weeks later,
1270
01:12:47,777 --> 01:12:49,951
the picture's reprinted
in another paper,
1271
01:12:49,986 --> 01:12:51,746
and I'm blacked out.
1272
01:12:57,476 --> 01:12:59,547
What happened,
what went wrong?
1273
01:12:59,582 --> 01:13:02,239
Well, it was happening
to so many people,
1274
01:13:02,274 --> 01:13:05,519
it wasn't just me.
1275
01:13:05,553 --> 01:13:08,142
That's one thing
that impressed me
1276
01:13:08,176 --> 01:13:09,799
in solitary the second time,
1277
01:13:09,833 --> 01:13:11,421
that these people,
1278
01:13:11,456 --> 01:13:17,047
the President of the People's
Republic of China, Liu Shaoqi,
1279
01:13:17,082 --> 01:13:19,636
Mao's anointed successor
1280
01:13:19,671 --> 01:13:21,431
in writing,
1281
01:13:21,466 --> 01:13:26,747
and the leading exponent
of Mao's thought...
1282
01:13:29,681 --> 01:13:33,685
almost overnight,
he became a prisoner
1283
01:13:33,719 --> 01:13:36,204
and was finally hassled
to death.
1284
01:13:38,690 --> 01:13:41,900
So, I thought to myself,
1285
01:13:41,934 --> 01:13:45,282
these people still
haven't gotten
1286
01:13:45,317 --> 01:13:48,147
that if it's not safe
for everybody,
1287
01:13:48,182 --> 01:13:50,184
it's not safe
for anybody.
1288
01:13:50,218 --> 01:13:52,151
Whoever you are,
1289
01:13:52,186 --> 01:13:55,914
if you don't have
certain protections,
1290
01:13:55,948 --> 01:14:00,505
that you could be
the number two man in the land,
1291
01:14:00,539 --> 01:14:02,990
and you could still drop,
just like that.
1292
01:14:06,200 --> 01:14:07,477
It was happening
to so many people.
1293
01:14:07,512 --> 01:14:08,927
It wasn't just me.
1294
01:14:10,791 --> 01:14:20,835
♪
1295
01:14:20,835 --> 01:14:28,256
♪
1296
01:14:28,291 --> 01:14:30,155
Here I am,
I'm back in solitary.
1297
01:14:30,189 --> 01:14:31,225
Who would have thought it?
1298
01:14:31,259 --> 01:14:33,227
Who could believe it?
1299
01:14:33,261 --> 01:14:35,194
And one night,
1300
01:14:35,229 --> 01:14:37,438
about two, three years
1301
01:14:37,473 --> 01:14:40,199
into this term in solitary...
1302
01:14:42,132 --> 01:14:44,687
the prison is now
1303
01:14:44,721 --> 01:14:47,344
in the hands of young fanatics,
1304
01:14:47,379 --> 01:14:50,520
Red Guard types,
in the army,
1305
01:14:50,555 --> 01:14:53,799
and the original people
who ran the prison,
1306
01:14:53,834 --> 01:14:57,044
including the warden,
who came and talked to me,
1307
01:14:57,078 --> 01:15:00,530
are now locked up in cells
in the prison.
1308
01:15:01,911 --> 01:15:07,364
And, um,
I heard them one night,
1309
01:15:07,399 --> 01:15:09,712
after sleep time,
1310
01:15:09,746 --> 01:15:13,509
torturing a female prisoner.
1311
01:15:13,543 --> 01:15:15,027
You could hear the blows,
1312
01:15:15,062 --> 01:15:19,204
you could hear her scream
and groan and plead,
1313
01:15:19,238 --> 01:15:21,206
and you have to lie there
1314
01:15:21,240 --> 01:15:24,174
and there's nothing
you can do about it.
1315
01:15:24,209 --> 01:15:26,832
And that was a terrible feeling.
1316
01:15:26,867 --> 01:15:30,077
And I felt like
the pit and the pendulum.
1317
01:15:30,111 --> 01:15:33,494
You know,
I felt the walls closing in,
1318
01:15:33,529 --> 01:15:36,842
and I'm having palpitations,
I'm sweating,
1319
01:15:36,877 --> 01:15:40,121
and I'm terrified
this time it's gonna get me.
1320
01:15:42,158 --> 01:15:45,368
And how many people
were ruined in those prisons
1321
01:15:45,402 --> 01:15:47,888
in the Cultural Revolution.
1322
01:15:47,922 --> 01:15:49,786
I--I have no idea the numbers,
1323
01:15:49,821 --> 01:15:52,478
but the wrecks all
over the place,
1324
01:15:52,513 --> 01:15:54,722
the ones still alive.
1325
01:15:54,757 --> 01:15:57,656
They got out,
but were just wrecks.
1326
01:16:01,108 --> 01:16:03,317
But I kept saying to myself,
1327
01:16:03,351 --> 01:16:06,009
they control the stimulus.
1328
01:16:06,044 --> 01:16:08,356
They try to break you down
1329
01:16:08,391 --> 01:16:10,773
and make you jump,
1330
01:16:10,807 --> 01:16:13,741
but you control the response.
1331
01:16:13,776 --> 01:16:15,536
They don't control the response.
1332
01:16:15,571 --> 01:16:18,746
So you can modulate
the response.
1333
01:16:18,781 --> 01:16:21,300
They can't...
1334
01:16:21,335 --> 01:16:24,614
make you jump
whenever they want you to jump.
1335
01:16:24,649 --> 01:16:28,480
And, those--
those were empowering,
1336
01:16:28,514 --> 01:16:32,139
those bits of knowledge
were empowering.
1337
01:16:35,867 --> 01:16:39,111
And another thing
that was--
1338
01:16:39,146 --> 01:16:41,838
you know,
another experience like that.
1339
01:16:41,873 --> 01:16:45,221
The second time in prison,
1340
01:16:45,255 --> 01:16:47,050
after a couple of years,
1341
01:16:47,085 --> 01:16:50,329
I start thinking one day,
1342
01:16:50,364 --> 01:16:53,401
you know, even if I ever get
out of this place,
1343
01:16:53,436 --> 01:16:55,403
which I didn't think
would happen.
1344
01:16:55,438 --> 01:16:56,404
Why?
1345
01:16:56,439 --> 01:16:59,028
Because the same Mao Zedong
1346
01:16:59,062 --> 01:17:01,582
had made the same mistake twice
1347
01:17:01,617 --> 01:17:04,136
about the same American,
1348
01:17:04,171 --> 01:17:06,898
and he was now a god-head.
1349
01:17:06,932 --> 01:17:10,418
Were they ever gonna be ready
to admit
1350
01:17:10,453 --> 01:17:12,248
that they'd done it again?
1351
01:17:12,282 --> 01:17:13,974
I thought very unlikely.
1352
01:17:16,804 --> 01:17:18,910
Yulin was sent to labor camp,
1353
01:17:18,944 --> 01:17:21,084
just a little over three years.
1354
01:17:21,119 --> 01:17:24,398
And because...
1355
01:17:24,432 --> 01:17:26,711
she wouldn't play ball,
1356
01:17:26,745 --> 01:17:31,232
she was given very hard labor
no other woman had.
1357
01:17:32,889 --> 01:17:34,235
Wouldn't play ball.
1358
01:17:34,270 --> 01:17:37,376
The smart thing to do
in the Cultural Revolution was
1359
01:17:37,411 --> 01:17:41,553
if your spouse, or child,
1360
01:17:41,587 --> 01:17:43,969
or parent, or close friend
1361
01:17:44,004 --> 01:17:45,177
was accused
1362
01:17:45,212 --> 01:17:47,801
of being a bad person,
1363
01:17:47,835 --> 01:17:51,943
you made a show of cooperating
with the authorities.
1364
01:17:51,977 --> 01:17:53,703
You revealed some things
1365
01:17:53,738 --> 01:17:56,672
that you figured wouldn't really
hurt the person,
1366
01:17:56,706 --> 01:17:57,603
but it'd make it look
1367
01:17:57,638 --> 01:17:59,571
like you were trying.
1368
01:18:01,090 --> 01:18:02,954
And she couldn't do that.
1369
01:18:02,988 --> 01:18:05,197
She kept saying and writing,
1370
01:18:05,232 --> 01:18:06,647
"My husband is a good man,
1371
01:18:06,682 --> 01:18:07,752
you're wrong."
1372
01:18:10,271 --> 01:18:12,032
She wrote letters to Zhou Enlai.
1373
01:18:12,066 --> 01:18:14,862
She never told me,
but after I came home,
1374
01:18:14,897 --> 01:18:16,139
I opened this old book
1375
01:18:16,174 --> 01:18:18,763
and out floated
a copy of a letter
1376
01:18:18,797 --> 01:18:20,626
that she wrote to Zhou Enlai,
1377
01:18:20,661 --> 01:18:22,939
and turned out,
there were lots of them.
1378
01:18:22,974 --> 01:18:24,872
"My husband is an American."
1379
01:18:24,907 --> 01:18:26,322
"He is a good man."
1380
01:18:26,356 --> 01:18:28,807
"He's a real friend of China."
1381
01:18:28,842 --> 01:18:30,257
"He's a revolutionary
1382
01:18:30,291 --> 01:18:33,225
and you're making a mistake."
1383
01:18:33,260 --> 01:18:35,434
So for that,
she got beaten,
1384
01:18:35,469 --> 01:18:37,436
she got spit on,
1385
01:18:37,471 --> 01:18:39,473
she got parked on a stool
1386
01:18:39,507 --> 01:18:43,270
outside of the women's bathroom,
1387
01:18:43,304 --> 01:18:44,789
so that everybody passing
1388
01:18:44,823 --> 01:18:49,310
would--would spit on her
or curse her.
1389
01:18:49,345 --> 01:18:52,900
There was a big poster
behind her on the wall saying,
1390
01:18:52,935 --> 01:18:55,592
"This is the unrepentant wife
1391
01:18:55,627 --> 01:18:58,872
of the dog
of an imperialist spy."
1392
01:19:04,878 --> 01:19:07,777
One of the interrogation team
1393
01:19:07,812 --> 01:19:10,228
visited us in Beijing
1394
01:19:10,262 --> 01:19:13,472
shortly after I was released.
1395
01:19:13,507 --> 01:19:14,819
And he told us
1396
01:19:14,853 --> 01:19:19,030
that about three months
into the interrogation,
1397
01:19:19,064 --> 01:19:21,618
they had sent up a report
saying,
1398
01:19:21,653 --> 01:19:24,621
"We think this man
is telling the truth."
1399
01:19:24,656 --> 01:19:28,591
And that Jiang Qing
had sent word back saying,
1400
01:19:28,625 --> 01:19:32,457
"We know he's guilty,
your job is to make him talk."
1401
01:19:33,976 --> 01:19:38,290
♪
1402
01:19:38,325 --> 01:19:41,673
On September 9, 1976,
1403
01:19:41,707 --> 01:19:43,744
Mao Zedong died.
1404
01:19:43,779 --> 01:19:47,817
Just days later,
The Gang of Four was arrested.
1405
01:19:47,852 --> 01:19:50,820
The Cultural Revolution
was officially over,
1406
01:19:50,855 --> 01:19:54,444
but it would be another year
before Rittenberg was set free.
1407
01:19:55,618 --> 01:19:56,792
In all, he had spent
1408
01:19:56,826 --> 01:20:01,797
15 years, 11 months and 14 days
in Chinese prisons,
1409
01:20:01,831 --> 01:20:04,316
all of it
in solitary confinement.
1410
01:20:07,699 --> 01:20:11,945
Sometime in mid-October,
early October,
1411
01:20:11,979 --> 01:20:14,292
after the National Day,
1412
01:20:14,326 --> 01:20:20,505
I hear familiar tones
coming from the prison cell
1413
01:20:20,539 --> 01:20:23,301
right across the little
courtyard from me.
1414
01:20:23,335 --> 01:20:26,269
It was Jiang Qing,
1415
01:20:26,304 --> 01:20:27,546
and I immediately knew
1416
01:20:27,581 --> 01:20:29,617
if she's in, I'm going out.
1417
01:20:30,411 --> 01:20:34,381
November 18, 1977,
1418
01:20:34,415 --> 01:20:36,003
the door to the cell opened.
1419
01:20:36,038 --> 01:20:38,730
They had double padlocks
on the cell.
1420
01:20:38,764 --> 01:20:40,663
The door opened
on Saturday morning,
1421
01:20:40,697 --> 01:20:42,872
which is very unusual,
1422
01:20:42,907 --> 01:20:45,979
and the keeper came
in with a safety razor
1423
01:20:46,013 --> 01:20:47,877
and handed it to me
and said,
1424
01:20:47,912 --> 01:20:49,879
"Have a good shave,
they're gonna come
1425
01:20:49,914 --> 01:20:53,434
in a couple hours
to take you home."
1426
01:20:53,469 --> 01:20:56,265
A shave with no shaving cream,
or brush, or anything,
1427
01:20:56,299 --> 01:20:57,783
just a razor.
1428
01:20:57,818 --> 01:21:03,617
So, then began
a remarkable procession.
1429
01:21:03,651 --> 01:21:05,688
First, they brought
1430
01:21:05,722 --> 01:21:09,036
a brand new pair
of shiny leather shoes.
1431
01:21:09,071 --> 01:21:12,039
Then they brought a silk tie.
1432
01:21:12,074 --> 01:21:15,042
Then they brought
a brand new suit.
1433
01:21:15,077 --> 01:21:17,251
Then they brought a silk shirt.
1434
01:21:17,286 --> 01:21:19,909
So I'm transforming myself,
1435
01:21:19,944 --> 01:21:22,049
and the guards at the window,
1436
01:21:22,084 --> 01:21:24,189
his eyes are
as big as saucers,
1437
01:21:24,224 --> 01:21:25,570
and he opened the little door
and he said,
1438
01:21:25,604 --> 01:21:26,467
"What's going on?"
1439
01:21:26,502 --> 01:21:28,780
And I said, "I'm going home."
1440
01:21:28,814 --> 01:21:31,714
Okay.
1441
01:21:31,748 --> 01:21:33,785
So I went out
and Yulin was waiting
1442
01:21:33,819 --> 01:21:35,960
in a little reception room,
1443
01:21:35,994 --> 01:21:38,928
and...
1444
01:21:38,963 --> 01:21:41,724
I went in, some
of our old friends were there,
1445
01:21:41,758 --> 01:21:45,797
and I put my arms around her,
and she was crying,
1446
01:21:45,831 --> 01:21:48,593
and I patted her on the back
and said,
1447
01:21:48,627 --> 01:21:51,561
"It's okay now, it's all over,
it's okay, it's okay."
1448
01:21:53,391 --> 01:22:03,435
♪
1449
01:22:03,435 --> 01:22:10,891
♪
1450
01:22:10,926 --> 01:22:14,895
I was part of a movement
1451
01:22:14,930 --> 01:22:17,898
for human progress, I felt.
1452
01:22:17,933 --> 01:22:21,971
And I wasn't just a me
in a prison cell,
1453
01:22:22,006 --> 01:22:24,663
I was part of this world
1454
01:22:24,698 --> 01:22:25,906
of people
1455
01:22:25,941 --> 01:22:29,082
who were struggling
and studying and working
1456
01:22:29,116 --> 01:22:33,672
for freedom and happiness,
for progress.
1457
01:22:33,707 --> 01:22:37,124
And as long as I was part
of that,
1458
01:22:37,159 --> 01:22:38,884
wherever I was,
1459
01:22:38,919 --> 01:22:42,854
I was part of something
that was moving forward
1460
01:22:42,888 --> 01:22:45,374
and that would win.
1461
01:22:45,408 --> 01:22:48,342
So I think that's what kept me.
1462
01:22:49,895 --> 01:22:52,553
I never thought of giving up.
1463
01:22:54,728 --> 01:22:57,903
What don't we know
about the Cultural Revolution?
1464
01:22:57,938 --> 01:23:01,321
Oh, I think 95 percent
we don't know.
1465
01:23:01,355 --> 01:23:03,254
And when I say we don't know,
1466
01:23:03,288 --> 01:23:06,878
this generation of Chinese
don't have a clue
1467
01:23:06,912 --> 01:23:09,985
about what happened,
not a clue.
1468
01:23:10,019 --> 01:23:11,400
They don't know anything,
1469
01:23:11,434 --> 01:23:15,714
maybe someone in their family
told them a story or two,
1470
01:23:15,749 --> 01:23:19,580
but most people don't talk
about it.
1471
01:23:19,615 --> 01:23:22,376
Though these young kids--
and if you talk to them
1472
01:23:22,411 --> 01:23:24,723
about the Cultural Revolution
they say,
1473
01:23:24,758 --> 01:23:26,415
"How, how could that happen,
1474
01:23:26,449 --> 01:23:29,901
how could people
be like that?"
1475
01:23:29,935 --> 01:23:33,456
I think it's
an enormously important period
1476
01:23:33,491 --> 01:23:38,565
in human history to study
and to draw lessons from.
1477
01:23:38,599 --> 01:23:43,225
How do people behave
when there are no holds barred,
1478
01:23:43,259 --> 01:23:45,641
when everything is up for grabs,
1479
01:23:45,675 --> 01:23:48,471
when you can do it
any way you want,
1480
01:23:48,506 --> 01:23:50,715
together
with anyone you choose,
1481
01:23:50,749 --> 01:23:53,787
how do they behave
under those circumstances?
1482
01:23:53,821 --> 01:24:00,380
It's--it's important information
for the human race, I think.
1483
01:24:03,590 --> 01:24:09,837
♪
1484
01:24:09,872 --> 01:24:13,669
What should we understand
about Mao Zedong?
1485
01:24:13,703 --> 01:24:18,881
I think he was
a great historic leader
1486
01:24:18,915 --> 01:24:21,746
and a great historic criminal,
1487
01:24:21,780 --> 01:24:23,161
both parts.
1488
01:24:23,196 --> 01:24:26,302
And I think the reason
I say criminal is
1489
01:24:26,337 --> 01:24:32,308
that he arrogated to himself
the right to conduct
1490
01:24:32,343 --> 01:24:36,105
these enormous
social experiments
1491
01:24:36,140 --> 01:24:39,453
that involved upturning
the lives
1492
01:24:39,488 --> 01:24:42,007
of hundreds of millions
of people,
1493
01:24:42,042 --> 01:24:44,734
when he himself did not know
1494
01:24:44,769 --> 01:24:47,841
what the outcome was gonna be.
1495
01:24:47,875 --> 01:24:51,155
He thought it was okay for him
1496
01:24:51,189 --> 01:24:53,433
to experiment like that.
1497
01:24:53,467 --> 01:24:56,746
And that, I think,
was criminal
1498
01:24:56,781 --> 01:24:59,853
because
1499
01:24:59,887 --> 01:25:04,961
it created famines,
in which tens of millions died,
1500
01:25:04,996 --> 01:25:08,551
and it created
the Cultural Revolution,
1501
01:25:08,586 --> 01:25:12,141
in which nobody knows
how many died,
1502
01:25:12,176 --> 01:25:16,766
and it--usually
when he took off,
1503
01:25:16,801 --> 01:25:19,079
it ended in disaster,
1504
01:25:19,114 --> 01:25:22,186
but he kept trying.
1505
01:25:22,220 --> 01:25:25,948
Are there things that you look
back on with personal regret
1506
01:25:25,982 --> 01:25:27,812
that you're sorry for,
or sorry about?
1507
01:25:27,846 --> 01:25:31,471
Mhm, sure.
1508
01:25:34,301 --> 01:25:40,204
Yeah, being involved
in struggles against people
1509
01:25:40,238 --> 01:25:42,137
in China.
1510
01:25:42,171 --> 01:25:44,173
With one group
against another group,
1511
01:25:44,208 --> 01:25:48,350
or with a party against people
who were singled out
1512
01:25:48,384 --> 01:25:50,006
for struggle for criticism,
1513
01:25:50,041 --> 01:25:52,319
that was terribly wrong.
1514
01:25:52,354 --> 01:25:55,771
Wrong--more wrong for me,
I think,
1515
01:25:55,805 --> 01:25:59,257
because being an American,
1516
01:25:59,292 --> 01:26:03,192
so an outsider, really.
1517
01:26:03,227 --> 01:26:04,883
What went wrong?
1518
01:26:07,817 --> 01:26:11,304
Two of my closest,
longest friends in China
1519
01:26:11,338 --> 01:26:15,066
both described what went wrong
in exactly the same words.
1520
01:26:15,100 --> 01:26:17,206
After it was all over,
1521
01:26:17,241 --> 01:26:18,311
they said to me,
1522
01:26:18,345 --> 01:26:21,659
"You forgot
you were a foreigner."
1523
01:26:21,693 --> 01:26:25,973
I think in a word that's part
of what went wrong anyway.
1524
01:26:26,008 --> 01:26:29,080
More seriously,
more basically what went wrong
1525
01:26:29,114 --> 01:26:35,949
was that I was in total delusion
as to what was possible
1526
01:26:35,983 --> 01:26:39,055
and what was really happening
in China.
1527
01:26:40,850 --> 01:26:44,785
After I got out of prison,
and I was able to see
1528
01:26:44,820 --> 01:26:49,928
that the problems in the system
were systemic problems,
1529
01:26:49,963 --> 01:26:53,000
not problems of good man
and bad man,
1530
01:26:53,035 --> 01:26:55,071
and that some
of the basic tenets
1531
01:26:55,106 --> 01:27:00,732
of what was called
Marxism-Leninism were wrong,
1532
01:27:00,767 --> 01:27:04,046
then I restored my ability
to criticize
1533
01:27:04,080 --> 01:27:06,255
my own basic premises,
1534
01:27:06,290 --> 01:27:08,430
and I felt like a free man.
1535
01:27:15,540 --> 01:27:18,440
If you put one drop
1536
01:27:18,474 --> 01:27:22,133
into the long river
of human history,
1537
01:27:22,167 --> 01:27:24,100
that's immortal,
1538
01:27:24,135 --> 01:27:26,448
that goes on wave after wave,
1539
01:27:26,482 --> 01:27:27,897
drop after drop,
1540
01:27:27,932 --> 01:27:30,762
long after you know it
or don't know it.
1541
01:27:30,797 --> 01:27:33,731
It has nothing to do
with whether you're aware of it.
1542
01:27:33,765 --> 01:27:36,768
Your contribution
is your immortality,
1543
01:27:36,803 --> 01:27:38,839
that's something that lasts.
1544
01:27:38,874 --> 01:27:41,601
So you either make a difference,
1545
01:27:41,635 --> 01:27:42,947
or you don't make a difference,
1546
01:27:42,981 --> 01:27:45,674
in which case,
you're just a piece of mud,
1547
01:27:45,708 --> 01:27:49,194
just swept away
and doesn't matter,
1548
01:27:49,229 --> 01:27:50,437
but you can matter.
1549
01:27:53,613 --> 01:27:55,580
Sidney Rittenberg
making history.
1550
01:27:55,615 --> 01:27:56,616
Yeah.
1551
01:28:01,137 --> 01:28:03,864
History rolled
right over my body.
1552
01:28:11,734 --> 01:28:16,843
I really think
that if I had gone to China
1553
01:28:16,877 --> 01:28:20,847
and just worked in English,
1554
01:28:20,881 --> 01:28:24,402
polishing and teaching
and writing and whatever,
1555
01:28:24,437 --> 01:28:27,854
and not had any part
of politics,
1556
01:28:27,888 --> 01:28:30,581
and not joined the Party,
1557
01:28:30,615 --> 01:28:36,241
I would have been able
to make more of a contribution,
1558
01:28:36,276 --> 01:28:39,141
and do less damage.
1559
01:28:39,175 --> 01:28:43,525
I think that's
undoubtedly true.
1560
01:28:49,910 --> 01:28:51,187
But that's not what I wanted.
1561
01:28:51,222 --> 01:28:55,019
I wanted to be in the Party.
1562
01:28:55,053 --> 01:28:57,642
I wanted to be a revolutionary.
1563
01:29:05,926 --> 01:29:13,071
♪
1564
01:29:13,106 --> 01:29:15,557
Shortly after he was released
from prison,
1565
01:29:15,591 --> 01:29:18,870
Rittenberg went to the American
Embassy in Beijing
1566
01:29:18,905 --> 01:29:21,977
and explained
that he had lost his passport.
1567
01:29:22,011 --> 01:29:23,875
He was given a new one.
1568
01:29:23,910 --> 01:29:25,601
With Yulin and the children,
1569
01:29:25,636 --> 01:29:28,673
he moved back
to the United States in 1980.
1570
01:29:28,708 --> 01:29:32,125
♪
1571
01:29:32,159 --> 01:29:35,197
They had left almost everything
behind in China,
1572
01:29:35,231 --> 01:29:38,269
and had to start over again
in America.
1573
01:29:38,303 --> 01:29:40,582
Yulin as a cooking instructor,
1574
01:29:40,616 --> 01:29:43,964
Sidney teaching
adult education classes.
1575
01:29:46,726 --> 01:29:49,625
Then their lives
took one more dramatic turn,
1576
01:29:49,660 --> 01:29:53,457
and put Sidney back on the road
that had taken him to Yan'an,
1577
01:29:53,491 --> 01:29:56,391
and into the heart
of the Chinese Revolution.
1578
01:29:58,669 --> 01:30:01,568
In a new era
of US-China relations,
1579
01:30:01,603 --> 01:30:03,328
he found a new role,
1580
01:30:03,363 --> 01:30:07,436
now as a valued resource
in the US-China dialogue.
1581
01:30:07,471 --> 01:30:11,267
And with Yulin as a consultant
to American companies
1582
01:30:11,302 --> 01:30:14,201
now engaged
in the new global economy.
1583
01:30:16,652 --> 01:30:19,103
Sidney Rittenberg
was back at work,
1584
01:30:19,137 --> 01:30:23,452
building his bridge
between America and China.
1585
01:30:23,487 --> 01:30:29,596
♪
1586
01:30:31,633 --> 01:30:36,776
♪
1587
01:30:36,776 --> 01:30:41,643
♪
114068
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