Talk:Lei Feng

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no. the guy was not important militarily. There would have been no difference if the chinese military had or didn't have this guy. he is a cultural figure. stop putting in the tag for "Military History Wikiproject".

[edit] Authenticity?

I'm going to look for some sources. Almost every English-language source I've read about Lei Feng at least mentions that his diary was likely an invention, and that his life was largely appropriated for propaganda purposes. Sliderman 06:41, 26 July 2007 (UTC)

Pages 35-36 of Michael Lynch's "The People's Republic of China since 1949" has the following: "The Maoist propaganda campaign made further ground with the publication in 1963 of The Diary of Lei Feng. This book purported to be the daily journal of a humble PLA lorry driver whose every thought and action were inspired by his devotion to Mao. The manner in which Lei died, accidentally crushed under the wheels of a truck while faithfully performing his assigned duties, was held up as a symbol of martyrdom for the revolutionary cause. That the story was a total fabrication did not prevent its hero from achieving secular sainthood. Lei Feng was extolled by Maoists as the embodiment of the loyalty of the ordinary Chinese, a loyalty that by implication stood in stark contrast to the time-serving careerism of many in the CCP. Lei Feng's Diary joined the Little Red Book as an essential text for study in China's schools." IMHO this article needs some serious editing, it appears too skewed towards China's "official" version of things, which is usually not the most accurate. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 123.243.99.2 (talk) 10:07, 11 September 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Uncle vs. Comrade

I remember him as "Uncle Lei Feng." Yes? No? --AStanhope 11:52, 19 October 2007 (UTC)

Hmm, I dont think it's the same "uncle" as "uncle sam" It's just pretty common to call an adult male figure "uncle"(2/29/08) —Preceding unsigned comment added by 66.159.224.65 (talk) 06:51, 1 March 2008 (UTC)

[edit] In the West?

"In the West, Lei Feng is most often seen as a T-shirt motif, similar to other revolutionary symbols including Mao and Che Guevera."

While I've seen plenty of people wearing Che Guevara t-shirts, I've seldom seen Mao (maybe in the late sixties?), and I don't think I've ever see Lei Feng. He's not really the kind of "hero" that would appeal to many people in the west, IMHO. A bit of CCP propaganda here? Camillus (talk) 21:44, 6 March 2008 (UTC)