Selected Works of Mao Tse-tung
January 20, 1956
Source: Long Live Mao Zedong Thought, a Red Guard Publication.
The target plans of all the departments should be practicable what can be and should be done but has not yet been done, is [due to] rightist conservatism; what is ill-founded and completely unworkable and yet is being done, is [due to] a blindness or 'leftist' adventurism. In my view this [the leftist adventurism] is not the general orientation of the whole party although it is detectable. Some comrades are a bit wooly and dare not say that they are being realistic because of the ugly label of rightist conservatism and opportunism. If they examine and study [things carefully] , [they will be able lo] say or insist on saying what cannot be done. What cannot he done should be deleted from our plans so that they may rest on a solid, reliable basis.