Thread by @NonCRDDefence

1/18 Funny Cultural Revolution episode: a thread 🧵 🪡

2/18 In 1975, after a series of abnormally high failure rates in rocket launches and missile tests, the Chinese gov sent general Zhang Aiping to investigate the problems with gyroscope factory 230, which had a reputation of unruliness as it was run by worker factions.

3/18 Upon entering the facility, we immediately saw a huge poster: “Zhang Aiping, what are you doing here! You can’t suppress the revolution with production!” Clearly they were prepared. There was a poster that read “Zhang Aiping fuck off!” He raised his cane and ripped it down.

4/18 There was also a line written on the road leading into the factory: “Zhang Aiping, fuck off to where you came from!” Zhang Aiping said: “Is this how they are welcoming me? Then I will go in while trampling on it!”

5/18 What sort of factory was this? The facilities were a mess. The labs didn’t even have drinking water. Upon being asked, they said we don’t need water. The toilets have been plugged for years and sewage overflowed to the door.

6/18 This only changed after we arrived wand found some spare parts. Air conditioning was missing in a lot of places and many pipes were cracked from being frozen. Chen Baoding said: “No need to speak further about the research facilities.

7/18 One workshop had 70% deficient micrometers, how can they produce? Everyone is divided into two factions which keep trying to undermine each other. The factions are also internally organized, and criticize everyone who doesn't agree with them.

8/18 Specialist Yao Tongbin who returned from Germany died after a brawl broke out. Others are cleaning toilets and doing a bunch of things they shouldn’t be doing.

9/18Qiu Jinchun said: “In one room thick cobwebs hung from the walls to the door. The dust was so thick on the ground that footprints were visible. Machine tools were sealed and rusting. According to the workers, the machines hadn’t been used since the Cultural Revolution began.”

10/18 The basement was an airtight constant temperature and humidity cleanroom workshop. We went in and were immediately greeted by a huge icicle more than a meter tall. The commander said: “What a sight! This is a precision instrument factory and there are stalactites in it!”

11/18 Trash was in piles, cars entering and exiting drove all over them. The road was blocked by digging, and once they were repaired they were severed again.

12/18 They said they were taking the air conditioner to a pigsty, because their pigs needed to be warm. The bathroom’s water flowed from the fifth floor to the first, and no one in charge or responsible could be found.

13/18 3 months later, they submitted a report to the joint Military Commission-State Council meeting (Which was co-chaired by Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai, Ye Jianying, and Deng Xiaoping). Important records from the meeting:

14/18 Zhang Aiping: Factory 230, which is a key component of the strategic nuclear force development chain, is de facto paralyzed. Out of 4 workshops totalling 1000 employees, only 4% are at their stations. 96% aren’t coming to work at all. The workers called themselves the 8923 corps, later they began calling themselves the 8200 corps…

15/18 Deng Xiaoping (at the time vice-prime minister) interjected: What does that mean?

Zhang Aiping: This is what the workers say. 8923, means working from 8-9 am to 2-3 pm. Later they didn’t work at all and only came at 8 am and 2 pm, and left after signing in.

16/18 A female worker said to me: “These years we are eating socialism!” They are taking paychecks from the country and taking public property at will, how can this be acceptable? Isn’t this eating socialism?

Deng Xiaoping: Eating socialism? Good way to put it.

17/18 Shen Bingchen (member of the committee) interjected: The workers said, only two institutions are left: the cafeteria and paychecks. Everything else is gone.

18/18 What allowing unsupervised workers to run all the means of production does to a mf.

Excerpt from a memoir about his father, general Zhang Aiping, written by People's Liberation Army senior colonel Zhang Sheng.