"margerine" communists, and when he was trying to get Mao to form a co-alition with Chiang. It was not fully realised at the time that the famous interview with Mao where he first describes the imperialists and the A-Bomb as "paper tigers" was aimed as much towards the Soviet Union as against the United States. Mao argues quite clearly that the USSR need not take up defensive positions through fear of nuclear weapons, but rather should take an offensive strategy where the US was gaining ground—in the colonial coun tries. Originally titled "World's eye view from a Yenan Cave" Mao is arguing to a Moscow journalist that mass struggle and people's war is the answer to the US's bomb. (Below we print excerpts from the interview). STRONG: Do you think there is hope for political, peaceful settlement of China's problems in the near future? MAO: That depends on the attitude of the U.S. government. If the American people stay in the hands of American reactionaries who are helping Chiang Kai-shek fight the civil war, there is no hope for peace.
STRONG: Suppose the United States gives Chiang Kai-shek no help besides that already given, how long can Chiang Kai-shek keep on fighting?
MAO: More than a year.
STRONG: Can Chiang Kai-shek keep on that long, economically? aries are paper tigers. In appearance, the reactionaries are terrifying, but in reality they are not so powerful. From a long term point of view, it is not the reactionaries but the people who are really powerful..
Take the case of, China. We have only millet plus rifles to rely on, but history will finally prove that our millet plus rifles is more powerful than Chiang Kai-shek's aeroplanes plus tanks. Although the Chinese people still face many difficulties and will long suffer hardships from the joint attacks of U.S. imperialism and the Chinese reactionaries, the day will come when these reactionaries are defeated and we are victorious. The reason is simply this: the reactionaries represent reaction, we represent progress.