It Doesn't Matter If a Cat Is Black or White

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It doesn’t matter if a cat is black or white as long as it catches mice. This literally translates as: It doesn't matter [if a] cat [is] black [or] white, [as long as it] can catch mice, it's a good cat. This proverb was either composed or made famous by Deng XiaoPing in 1961 when he exclaimed, "I don't care if it's a white cat or a black cat. It's a good cat so long as it catches mice" when his critics pointed out that his ideas were Capitalistic (free market). The response was meant to say, "It does not matter if it's Communist or Capitalist, as long as it works". This Chinese proverb can be used to suggest one should disregard looks or a person's race, as long as they can do the job. It can also be used as a metaphor for many other situations. Deng XiaoPing probably saved China from collapse (as the Soviet Union experienced). He changed China's economy from pure Communism to a hybrid where the free market (Capitalism) is encouraged. China’s Changing approach to Food supply China’s approach to food supply has changed massively over the past 30 years. The Communist party conference of 1978 declared Deng as leader, and he declared a period of reform. He wanted China’s economy to catch up with the West inside 20 years, in agriculture, industry and technology. His first challenge was to feed the peasants. Chairman Mao, Deng’s predecessor, instigated People’s Communes in agriculture, where people worked together as one community and shared the produce with the state and between them. This had not always worked and the great famine of 1960 killed more than 13million people and 20 years later people were still going hungry – and population was increasing. People in Anhui had instigated an illegal private farming system that had increased productivity by 3 times. In Xiao Gang people got together and divided up their land along private lines, but were
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