Prince William Born Prince William Arthur Philip Louis Windsor, on June 21, 1982, the eldest son of Diana, Princess of Wales, and Charles, Prince of Wales. His official title is His Royal Highness Prince William of Wales.

William attended Mrs. Mynor's Nursery school in West London (1985-87), Wetherby School in Kensington, London (1987-90), and Ludgrove School in Wokingham (1990-95). In 1995, at the urging of his grandfather, the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince William (nicknamed "Wills") entered Eton College, one of England's most prestigious secondary schools. A serious student with excellent grades, he also excelled in sports at Eton, particularly swimming. With his father and brother, he enjoys outdoor sports including riding, skiing, shooting and fishing.

As he is directly in line to the British throne after his father, Charles, he spends a good deal of time at Windsor Castle with Queen Elizabeth, who is very concerned with his upbringing and career development.

Affected by both his parents' divorce in 1996 and his mother's tragic death in 1997, the tall and handsome young William publicly stated his dislike for the press, and expressed discomfort with the growing attention he received from love-struck adolescent girls. William gives the impression of being a well-mannered, responsible and mature young man who shows a strong sense of duty and loyalty to the royal family, fully aware of the role he is to play in the future as the King of England.

Upon his graduation from Eton, William took a break from his studies to visit South America and Africa. He then attended Scotland's St Andrew's University, where he received a degree in geography in 2005. Following in the footsteps of his younger brother, Prince Harry, William joined the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst as a military cadet and received his commission as a second lieutenant in the Household Cavalry in December 2006. In 2008, he was appointed to be a Royal Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter. He is now training to be a search and rescue pilot with the Royal Air Force.

Along with his military career, William supports numerous charities, including serving as patron to Centrepoint, an organization for homeless youth, and the Tusk Trust, which is dedicated to the preservation of African wildlife. In 2007, William and his brother Harry hosted a special concert to celebrate their late mother and raise funds for charities that Princess Diana supported during her life as well as charities supported by the princes.

As the future king of England, William's personal life has been the subject of much media attention. He had been romantically linked to Kate Middleton; the couple met while attending St. Andrew's University. Rumors of a possible engagement swirled around the pair for months, but to the surprise of royal watchers, the couple announced that they were splitting up in April 2007. However, in the time since that announcement, Middleton had attended several public and official events, as well as traveled on vacation with Prince William. Speculation about a wedding engagement between Prince William and Kate Middleton continued to swell.

On November 16, 2010, it was announced that Prince William and Kate Middleton were engaged. Prince William had popped the question in October during a holiday in Kenya, using his mother's engagement ring. It was also stated that the couple would live in North Wales, where Prince William is stationed with the Royal Air Force. Middleton is not of royal or aristocratic lineage, which is a break from longtime royal tradition.

With his marriage at Westminster Abbey on April 29, 2011, the Queen officially conferred her grandson with Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, as well as the additional titles Earl of Strathearn and Baron Carrickfergus.

Lady Diana was born on July 1st, 1961, near Sandringham, England. Her born name is Diana Spencer was one of the most adored members of the British royal family. She was the daughter of Edward John Spencer, Viscount Althorp, and Frances Ruth Burke Roche, Viscountess Althorp (later known as the Honorable Frances Shand Kydd). Her parents divorced when Diana was young, and her father won custody of her and her siblings. She was educated first at Riddlesworth Hall and then went to boarding school at West Heath School.

She became Lady Diana Spencer after her father inherited the title of Earl Spencer in 1975. Although she was known for her shyness growing up, she did show an interest in music and dancing. Diana also had a great fondness for children. After attending finishing school at the Institut Alpin Videmanette in Switzerland, she moved to London. She began working with children, eventually becoming a kindergarten teacher at the Young England School.

Diana was no stranger to the British royal family, having reportedly played with Prince Andrew and Prince Edward as a child while her family rented Park House, an estate owned by Queen Elizabeth II. In 1977, she became reacquainted with their older brother, Prince Charles, who was 13 years her senior.

As the heir to the British throne, Prince Charles was usually the subject of media attention and his courtship of Diana was no exception. The press and the public were fascinated by this seemingly odd couple — the reserved, garden-loving prince and the shy young woman with an interest in fashion and popular culture. When the couple married on July 29, 1981, the ceremony was broadcast on television around the world, with millions of people tuning in to see what many considered to be the wedding of the century.

On June 21, 1982, Diana and Charles had their first child: Prince William Arthur Philip Louis. He was joined by a brother, Prince Henry Charles Albert David — known widely as "Prince Harry" — more than two years later on September 15, 1984. Initially overwhelmed by her royal duties and the intense media coverage of nearly every aspect of her life, she began to develop and pursue her own interests. Diana served a strong supporter of many charities and worked to help the homeless, people living with HIV and AIDS, and children in need.

Unfortunately, the fairy tale wedding of Princess Diana and Prince Charles did not lead to a happily-ever-after marriage. The two became estranged over the years, and there were reports of infidelities from both parties. During their union, Diana struggled with depression and bulimia. The couple's separation was announced in December 1992 by British Prime Minister John Major, who read a statement from the royal family to the House of Commons. The divorce was finalized in 1996.

Even after the divorce, Diana maintained a high level of popularity. She devoted herself to her sons and to such charitable efforts as the battle against the use of land mines. Diana used her international celebrity to help raise awareness about this issue. She also continued to experience the negative aspects of fame — her 1997 romance with Egyptian film producer and playboy Dodi Al-Fayed caused quite a stir and created a media frenzy. While visiting Paris, the couple was involved in a car crash after trying to escape from the paparazzi on the night of August 30, 1997.

Diana initially survived the crash, but later succumbed to her injuries at a Paris hospital a few hours later. Al-Fayed and the driver were also killed, and a bodyguard was seriously injured. French authorities investigated the crash and the driver was found to have a high level of alcohol in his system at the time of the accident. The role of the pursuing photographers in the tragedy was also scrutinized.

News of her sudden, senseless death shocked the world. Thousands turned out to pay tribute to the "people's princess" during her funeral procession. The funeral was held at Westminister Abbey, which was broadcast on television. Her body was later buried at her family's estate, Althorp.

In 2007, marking the tenth anniversary of her death, her sons, Princes William and Harry, honored their beloved mother with a special concert to be held on what would have been her 46th birthday. The proceeds of the event went to charities supported by Diana and her sons.

Continuing her charitable efforts is the Lady Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund. Established after her death, the fund provides grants to numerous organizations and supports initiatives to provide care to the sick in Africa, help refugees, and stop the use of land mines.

Ossma Bin Laden has born name Osama bin Mohammed bin Awad bin Laden on March 10, 1957, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to construction billionaire Mohammed Awad bin Laden and Mohammed's 10th wife, Syrian-born Alia Ghanem. Osama was the seventh of 50 children born to Muhammad bin Laden, but the only child from his father's marriage to Alia Ghanem.

Osama's father started his professional life in the 1930s in relative poverty, working as a porter in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. During his time as a young laborer, Mohammed impressed the royal family with his work on their palaces, which he built at a much lower cost than any of his competitors could, and with a much greater attention to detail. By the 1960s, he had managed to land several large government contracts to build extensions on the Mecca, Medina and Al-Aqsa mosques. He became a highly influential figure in Jeddah; when the city fell on hard financial times, Mohammed used his wealth to pay all civil servants' wages for the entire kingdom for a six-month period. As a result, Mohammed bin Laden became well respected in his community.

As a father, he was very strict, insisting that all his children live under one roof and observe a rigid religious and moral code. He dealt with his children, especially his sons, as if they were adults, and demanded they become confident and self-sufficient at an early age.

Osama, however, barely came to know his father before his parents divorced. After his family split, Osama's mother took him to live with her new husband, Muhammad al-Attas. The couple had four children together, and Osama spent most of his childhood living with his step-siblings, and attending Al Thagher Model School at the time the most prestigious high school in Jedda. His biological father would go on to marry two more times, until his death in a charter plane crash in September 1967.

At the age of 14, Osama was recognized as an outstanding, if somewhat shy, student at Al Thagher. As a result, he received a personal invitation to join a small Islamic study group with the promise of earning extra credit. Osama, along with the sons of several prominent Jedda families, were told the group would memorize the entire Koran, a prestigious accomplishment, by the time they graduated from the institution. But the group soon lost its original focus, and during this time Osama received the beginnings of an education in some of the principles of violent jihad.

The teacher who educated the children, influenced in part by a sect of Islam called The Brotherhood, began instructing his pupils in the importance of instituting a pure, Islamic law around the Arab world. Using parables with often-violent endings, their teacher explained that the most loyal observers of Islam would institute the holy word even if it meant supporting death and destruction. By the second year of their studies, Osama Bin Laden and his friends had openly adopted the attitude and styles of teen Islamic activists. They preached the importance of instituting a pure Islamic law at Al Thagher; grew untrimmed beards; and wore shorter pants and wrinkled shirts in imitation of the Prophet's dress.

Mao Zedong was born in a poor peasant family, since young Mao had to work hard and life is concerned. Although later on her family's economic situation improved, but the misery in childhood that affect his life much later. As a child, Mao sent to study in elementary school. Childhood education also includes the teachings of the Confucian classics. But at age 13, his father told him to stop going to school and told him to work in the fields.


Mao's rebellious and determined to finish his education so he is desperate to run away from home and continue their education elsewhere.

In 1905, he followed the state exam at the time it began to remove the old Confucian ideologies; replaced by Western-style education. This marks the beginning of an intellectual uncertainty in China.

In 1911, Mao was involved in the Xinhai Revolution which is a revolution against the Qing Dynasty, which resulted in the collapse of imperial China who had ruled over 2000 years since 221 BC. In 1912, the Republic of China was proclaimed by Sun Yat-sen and China officially entered the era of the republic. Mao then continues her schooling and learn many things such as western culture. In 1918 he graduated and then studied at Beijing University. There he will meet with the founders of the CCP's Marxist-leaning.

Mao and the party
Mao in Yan'an in 1946

the party was founded in 1921 Mao and Mao's increasingly vocal. Between the years 1934 - 1935 he held the lead role and led the Chinese Red Army undergoing "Length Mars." Then since 1937 he participated to help Dai Nippon combat troops that occupied much of China's territory. Finally, World War II ended and civil war flared again. In the war against the nationalists of this, Mao became the leader of the Reds and he finally won in 1949. On October 1, 1949, People's Republic of China was proclaimed and the Chinese nationalist leader, Chiang Kai Shek fled to Taiwan.

In the CCP Mao himself since 1943 is chairman of the party secretariat and the Politburo, but he actually control the entire party until his death in 1976. Leadership may not be vulgar like Stalin's cruel but its policy of violence and conduct that arbitrarily brought the Chinese people themselves collapsed into ruin and misery are extraordinary.

Mao's Philosophy
Mao Zedong in 1936

Mao was not an original philosopher. His ideas on socialism fathers such as Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels, Lenin and Stalin. But he thought a lot about dialectical materialism is the basis of socialism and the application of these ideas in practice such original work can be said of Mao. Mao could also be said of a Chinese philosopher whose influence is greatest in this 20th Century.

Mao's most important philosophical concept is the conflict. He said: "Conflicts are universal and absolute; it is in the process of development of all goods and possess all the process from beginning to end." Karl Marx's historical model is also based on the principles of conflict: the oppressed classes and oppressed classes, capital and jobs are in a eternal conflict. At some point this will lead to a crisis and the workers will win. In the end this new situation will lead to a crisis again, but eventually all the processes logically according to Mao, will bring us to a stable and harmonious balance. Mao be argued that all conflicts are universal and absolute, so in other words are immortal. Mao's concept of conflict is no resemblance to the philosophical concept of yin-yang. It all sounds like a dogma of faith. The following are a sample of his thinking about the conflict.

In all of science is divided on the basis of certain conflicts inherent to the objects of their research. Conflicts have been the basic form of discipline than anything scientific. Here can be presented a few examples: positive and negative numbers in mathematics, action and reaction in mechanics, electricity positive and negative in physics, the attraction and repulsion in chemistry, class conflict in the social sciences, attack and defense in the science war, idealism and materialism and dialectical perspective in the science of metaphysics and philosophy and so on. These are all objects of research disciplines of science different because each discipline has a specific conflict and the essence or gist of each.

The examples given by Mao Zedong on 'conflict' in different disciplines taken from Lenin. Some analogy does fit but others do not. Negative numbers and positive is a bad example of the dialectics of Marxism because of their differences is not dynamic: there are only numbers negative and positive just emerging. Opinion Mao into doubt when he says that 'conflict' “conflict' this is the 'essence' rather than knowledge of the relevant disciplines. Positive and negative numbers is not the essence of mathematics, as well as metaphysics and dialectics is not the essence of philosophy. Mao is one of high learning and understanding-understanding that one can be explained from because he was obsessed with the concept of this conflict. This obsession also influence political decisions such as will be explained below later.
The concept of Yin Yang affects the philosophical views of Mao Zedong.

Mao's second important concept is the concept of knowledge which he also took from Marxism. Mao believes that knowledge is a continuation of the experience in the physical nature and that the experience was the same as engagement.

If you seek knowledge and you have to engage with the state of changed circumstances. If you want to know how it feels a pink, then pink it should be changed in a way to eat it. If you want to know the atomic structure, then you have to do experiments in physics and chemistry to change the status of these atoms. If you want to know the theory and method revolution, then you must follow. All true knowledge comes from direct experience.


Only after a person gain experience, then he could just jump to the front. After that knowledge practiced again that makes a person gain more experience and so on. Here shown that Mao's Marxism was not only familiar but also understand neo-Confucianism as proposed by Wang Yangmin who lived in the 15th century to the 16th century.

Mao and political policy

Mao distinguish two types of conflict, conflict antagonists and non-antagonistic conflicts. Antagonistic conflict can only be solved according to a just battle, while non-antagonistic conflict can be resolved by a discussion. According to Mao conflict between the workers and workers with the capitalists is an antagonistic conflict while the conflict between the Chinese people with the Party is a non-antagonistic conflict.

In 1956 Mao introduced a new policy in which the intellectuals can issue their opinion as a compromise against the party who pressed it because they want to avoid the cruel oppression is accompanied by the motto: "Let a hundred flowers and a hundred different thoughts compete." But ironically policy This political failure: the intellectuals were not satisfied and release much criticism. Mao himself argued that he had been betrayed by them and his revenge. About 700,000 members of the intelligentsia that he catches and forcibly made to work in rural areas.

Mao believed in the eternal nature of a revolution. He also believes that any revolution would result in the counter-revolutionary. Therefore, he regularly and eradicate what he considered arresting political opponents and the traitors or the counter-revolutionary. Event of the most dramatic and tragic events is the heart of the Cultural Revolution that occurred in 1966. In the 1960s the students in the whole world is on the happy-happy rebel against what they consider the Establishment or the ruling. Similarly, in China. The difference in China they are supported by their teachers and dignitaries of the Party including Mao himself. The students and faculty establish what is called the Red Guard, a paramilitary unit. Armed with Mao's Red Book, they attacked the lackeys of capitalism and Western influences and the other counter-revolutionary. As an example of their fanaticism, they are among others refused to stop on the highway when the red light because they suggest that the color red, a symbol of socialism might mean something not quit. So the members of the Red Guards in 1966 is very indiscriminate in combating the counter-revolutionary China in a state so that the country is very precarious and almost destroyed; his economic has no prospect. Finally, Mao was forced to reduce the PLA to overcome them and block their fanaticism. The result is a new civil war which ended in 1968.

Failure Mao

In 1958 Mao launched what he called the Great Leap Forward in which rural areas are totally reorganized. Everywhere established association’s villages (communes). Economically this was all failed. These communes into units that is too large and not able to be solved. It is estimated that approximately nearly 20 million people have died in China at that time in vain

Mao Zedong and the UN
Mao Zedong proclaimed the People's Republic of China on October 1, 1949.

People's Republic of China since Mao proclaimed in 1949 not recognized by the United States. United States still recognizes the Nationalist Republic of China since 1949, only controlled the island of Formosa or Taiwan and surrounding areas. China since the founding of the United Nations in 1945 has become a permanent Security Council members along with the United States, Great Britain, France and the Soviet Union (Russia) as the winner of World War II, still represented too. Just who is representing the nationalist government that ruled Taiwan is now only just. This is a strange because the mainland Chinese who was then a population of approximately 800 million people are not represented at the United Nations, which represents only Taiwan has a population of just who was then probably no more than 10 million people.

So at the end of the 1960s the United States president, Richard Nixon, began to approach the People's Republic of China and finally with the approval of the Soviet Union became China's UN Security Council members began in 1972 and replaced Taiwan.


The legacy of Mao and the People's Republic of China at this time

In 1976 Mao Zedong died. After the People's Republic of China becomes more independent. Normalization of diplomatic relations with Indonesia are also materialized in 1992. At this moment China appears as a giant that just woke from his sleep and rapid economic growth. Even China could surpass Russia in its development. It is contested now is whether this can all be achieved thanks to Mao's merits or because the effect is already thin.

Ref: http://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mao_Zedong

Fidel Castro has the original name of Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz (born August 13, 1926) is the President of Cuba from 1976 to 2008. Previously, he served as Prime Minister on his appointment in February 1959 after appearing as a commander of a failed revolution concurrent position of President of the State Council as the Council of Ministers of Fulgencio Batista in 1976. Castro appeared as the first secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba (Communist Party of Cuba) in 1965 and transformed Cuba into a one-party socialist republic. After appearing as president, he appeared as a Cuban military commander. On July 31, 2006, Castro handed over his presidential position to his younger brother, Raúl for some time.


In 1947, he participated in the coup attempt dictator Rafael Trujillo of the Dominican Republic and fled to New York (United States) because of the threat will be finished his political opponents. After finishing her doctorate in law in 1950, he protested and led the underground movement of anti-government for the takeover of power in a coup by Fulgencio Batista in 1952. In 1953, he led an assault on the Moncada military barracks of Santiago de Cuba, but failed. A total of 69 people from 111 people who took part in the raid that killed and he was jailed for 15 years.

After obtaining the pardon and was released on May 15, 1955, he led the effort to overthrow the dictator Batista. Resistance was then known by the 26th of July Movement. On July 7, 1955, he fled to Mexico and met with revolutionary fighter Che Guevara. Together with 81 others, he returned to Cuba on December 2, 1956 and conduct guerrilla insurgency for 25 months in the Sierra Maestra Mountains.

Outside Cuba, Castro began to gather strength to resist the domination of the United States and the former Soviet Union countries. After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the ideals and dreams began to be realized with met Hugo Chávez in Venezuela and Evo Morales of Bolivia.

By the day of his 80th birthday which falls on August 13, 2006, he handed over the reins of leadership to his brother temporarily. Practical, Raúl concurrently, ie, as President of Cuba and the Cuban defense minister. Submission of this rule is the first time since he ran the country in 1959. Castro also asked the birthday celebration of the 80th was delayed until December 2, 2006. In fact, during the four-day festive feast at Havana's main streets had been prepared, including a magnificent concert of Latin American musicians and singers.

Castro's health had declined after the fall when a speech in 2004. At that time, the left knee and right arm were injured.

After surgery the digestive organs in 2006, the day he handed over power to brother, Raul. He was then only a few times appeared on the tape before claiming to resign in 2008.


On February 19, 2008, five days before the mandate ended, Fidel Castro said he would not nominate himself or accept a new term of office as president or commander of the Cuban armed forces. His position was replaced by his younger brother, Raul Castro.

Mao Zedong Lahir di sebuah keluarga petani miskin, sejak kecil Mao harus bekerja keras dan hidup prihatin. Meskipun di kemudian hari keadaan ekonomi keluarganya meningkat, tetapi kesengsaraan di masa kecil itu banyak mempengaruhi kehidupannya kelak. Ketika kecil, Mao dikirim untuk belajar di sekolah dasar. Pendidikannya sewaktu kecil juga mencakup ajaran-ajaran klasik Konfusianisme. Tetapi pada usia 13 tahun, ayahnya menyuruhnya berhenti bersekolah dan menyuruhnya bekerja di ladang-ladang.


Mao memberontak dan bertekad ingin menyelesaikan pendidikannya sehingga ia nekat kabur dari rumah dan melanjutkan pendidikannya di tempat lain.

Pada tahun 1905, ia mengikuti ujian negara yang pada saat itu mulai menghapus paham-paham konfusianisme lama; digantikan oleh pendidikan gaya Barat. Hal ini menandakan permulaan ketidakpastian intelektual di Cina.

Pada tahun 1911, Mao terlibat dalam Revolusi Xinhai yang merupakan revolusi melawan Dinasti Qing yang berakibat kepada runtuhnya kekaisaran Cina yang sudah berkuasa lebih 2000 tahun sejak tahun 221 SM. Tahun 1912, Republik Cina diproklamasikan oleh Sun Yat-sen dan Cina dengan resmi masuk ke zaman republik. Mao lalu melanjutkan sekolahnya dan mempelajari banyak hal antara lain budaya barat. Pada tahun 1918 ia lulus dan lalu kuliah di Universitas Beijing. Di sana ia akan berjumpa dengan para pendiri PKT yang berhaluan Marxis.

Mao dan Partainya
Mao pada tahun 1946 di Yan'an

Partai Mao didirikan pada tahun 1921 dan Mao semakin hari semakin vokal. Antara tahun 1934 – 1935 ia memegang peran utama dan memimpin Tentara Merah Cina menjalani “Mars Panjang”. Lalu semenjak tahun 1937 ia ikut menolong memerangi Tentara Dai Nippon yang menduduki banyak wilayah Cina. Akhirnya Perang Dunia II berakhir dan perang saudara berkobar lagi. Dalam perang yang melawan kaum nasionalis ini, Mao menjadi pemimpin kaum Merah dan akhirnya ia menangkan pada tahun 1949. Pada tanggal 1 Oktober tahun 1949, Republik Rakyat Cina diproklamasikan dan pemimpin Cina nasionalis; Chiang Kai Shek melarikan diri ke Taiwan.

Dalam PKT Mao sendiri sejak tahun 1943 adalah ketua sekretariat partai dan Politbiro tetapi sebenarnya ia mengontrol seluruh partai sampai ia mati pada tahun 1976. Kepemimpinan mungkin tidak kejam secara vulgar seperti Stalin tetapi kekerasan kebijakannya dan kelakuannya yang semau dirinya sendiri membawa rakyat Cina terpuruk ke dalam kehancuran dan kesengsaraan yang luar biasa.

Falsafah Mao
Mao Zedong di tahun 1936

Mao sebenarnya bukan seorang filsuf yang orisinil. Gagasan-gagasannya berdasarkan bapak-bapak sosialisme lainnya seperti Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels, Lenin dan Stalin. Tetapi ia banyak berpikir tentang materialisme dialektik yang menjadi dasar sosialisme dan penerapan gagasan-gagasan ini dalam praktek seperti dikerjakan Mao bisa dikatakan orisinil. Mao bisa pula dikatakan seorang filsuf Cina yang pengaruhnya paling besar dalam Abad ke 20 ini.

Konsep falsafi Mao yang terpenting adalah konflik. Menurutnya: “Konflik bersifat semesta dan absolut, hal ini ada dalam proses perkembangan semua barang dan merasuki semua proses dari mula sampai akhir.” Model sejarah Karl Marx juga berdasarkan prinsip konflik: kelas yang menindas dan kelas yang tertindas, kapital dan pekerjaan berada dalam sebuah konflik kekal. Pada suatu saat hal ini akan menjurus pada sebuah krisis dan kaum pekerja akan menang. Pada akhirnya situasi baru ini akan menjurus kepada sebuah krisis lagi, tetapi secara logis semua proses akhirnya menurut Mao, akan membawa kita kepada sebuah keseimbangan yang stabil dan harmonis. Mao jadi berpendapat bahwa semua konflik bersifat semesta dan absolut, jadi dengan kata lain bersifat abadi. Konsep konflik Mao ini ada kemiripannya dengan konsep falsafi yin-yang. Semuanya terdengar seperti sebuah dogma kepercayaan. Di bawah ini disajikan sebuah cuplikan tentang pemikirannya tentang konflik.

Dalam ilmu pengetahuan semuanya dibagi berdasarkan konflik-konflik tertentu yang melekat kepada obyek-obyek penelitian masing-masing. Konflik jadi merupakan dasar daripada sesuatu bentuk disiplin ilmu pengetahuan. Di sini bisa disajikan beberapa contoh: bilangan negatif dan positif dalam matematika, aksi dan reaksi dalam ilmu mekanika, aliran listrik positif dan negatifa dalam ilmu fisika, daya tarik dan daya tolak dalam ilmu kimia, konflik kelas dalam ilmu sosial, penyerangan dan pertahanan dalam ilmu perang, idealisme dan materialisme serta perspektif metafisika dan dialektik dalam ilmu filsafat dan seterusnya. Ini semua obyek penelitian disiplin-disiplin ilmu pengetahuan yang berbeda-beda karena setiap disiplin memiliki konfliknya yang spesifik dan esensi atau intisarinya masing-masing.

Contoh-contoh yang diberikan oleh Mao Zedong mengenai 'konflik' dalam disiplin yang berbeda-beda diambilnya dari Lenin. Beberapa analogi memang pas tetapi yang lain-lain tidak. Bilangan-bilangan negatif dan positif merupakan sebuah contoh yang buruk mengenai dialektika marxisme karena perbedaan mereka tidak dinamis: hanya ada bilangan-bilangan negatif dan positif baru yang bermunculan. Pendapat Mao menjadi meragukan lagi apabila ia mengatakan bahwa 'konflik'-'konflik' ini merupakan 'intisari' daripada disiplin ilmu pengetahuan yang bersangkutan. Bilangan negatif dan positif bukanlah intisari ilmu matematika, begitu pula metafisika dan dialektika bukanlah intisari dari filsafat. Mao adalah seseorang yang terpelajar dan pengertian-pengertiannya yang salah bisa diterangkan dari sebab ia sangat terobsesi dengan konsep konflik ini. Obsesi ini juga mempengaruhi keputusan-keputusan politiknya seperti akan dipaparkan di bawah nanti.
Konsep Yin Yang mempengaruhi pandangan falsafi Mao Zedong.

Konsep Mao kedua yang penting adalah konsepnya mengenai pengetahuan yang juga ia ambil dari paham Marxisme. Mao berpendapat bahwa pengetahuan merupakan lanjutan dari pengalaman di alam fisik dan bahwa pengalaman itu sama dengan keterlibatan.

Jika engkau mencari pengetahuan maka engkau harus terlibat dengan keadaan situasi yang berubah. Jika kau ingin mengetahui bagaimana sebuah jambu rasanya, maka jambu itu harus diubah dengan cara memakannya. Jika engkau ingin mengetahui sebuah struktur atom, maka engkau harus melakukan eksperimen-eksperimen fisika dan kimia untuk mengubah status atom ini. Jika engkau ingin mengetahui teori dan metoed revolusi, maka engkau harus mengikutinya. Semua pengetahuan sejati muncul dari pengalaman langsung.

Hanya setelah seseorang mendapatkan pengalaman, maka ia baru bisa melompat ke depan. Setelah itu pengathuan dipraktekkan kembali yang membuat seseorang mendapatkan pengalaman lagi dan seterusnya. Di sini diperlihatkan bahwa Mao tidak saja mengenal paham Marxisme tetapi juga paham neokonfusianisme seperti dikemukakan oleh Wang Yangmin yang hidup pada abad ke 15 sampai ke abad ke 16.

Mao dan Kebijakan Politiknya

Mao membedakan dua jenis konflik; konflik antagonis dan konflik non-antagonis. Konflik antagonis menurutnya hanya bisa dipecahkan dengan sebuah pertempuran saja sedangkan konflik non-antagonis bisa dipecahkan dengan sebuah diskusi. Menurut Mao konflik antara para buruh dan pekerja dengan kaum kapitalis adalah sebuah konflik antagonis sedangkan konflik antara rakyat Cina dengan Partai adalah sebuah konflik non-antagonis.

Pada tahun 1956 Mao memperkenalkan sebuah kebijakan politik baru di mana kaum intelektual boleh mengeluarkan pendapat mereka sebagai kompromis terhadap Partai yang menekannya karena ingin menghindari penindasan kejam disertai dengan motto: “Biarkan seratus bunga berkembang dan seratus pikiran yang berbeda-beda bersaing.” Tetapi ironisnya kebijakan politik ini gagal: kaum intelektual merasa tidak puas dan banyak mengeluarkan kritik. Mao sendiri berpendapat bahwa ia telah dikhianati oleh mereka dan ia membalas dendam. Sekitar 700.000 anggota kaum intelektual ditangkapinya dan disuruh bekerja paksa di daerah pedesaan.

Mao percaya akan sebuah revolusi yang kekal sifatnya. Ia juga percaya bahwa setiap revolusi pasti menghasilkan kaum kontra-revolusioner. Oleh karena itu secara teratur ia memberantas dan menangkapi apa yang ia anggap lawan-lawan politiknya dan para pengkhianat atau kaum kontra-revolusioner. Peristiwa yang paling dramatis dan mengenaskan hati ialah peristiwa Revolusi Kebudayaan yang terjadi pada tahun 1966. Pada tahun 1960an para mahasiswa di seluruh dunia memang pada senang-senangnya memberontak terhadap apa yang mereka anggap The Establishment atau kaum yang memerintah. Begitu pula di Cina. Bedanya di Cina mereka didukung oleh para dosen-dosen mereka dan pembesar-pembesar Partai termasuk Mao sendiri. Para mahasiswa dan dosen mendirikan apa yang disebut Garda Merah, yaitu sebuah unit paramiliter. Dibekali dengan Buku Merah Mao, mereka menyerang antek-antek kapitalisme dan pengaruh-pengaruh Barat serta kaum kontra-revolusioner lainnya. Sebagai contoh fanatisme mereka, mereka antara lain menolak berhenti di jalan raya apabila lampu merah menyala karena mereka berpendapat bahwa warna merah, yang merupakan simbol sosialisme tidak mungkin mengartikan sesuatu yang berhenti. Maka para anggota Garda Merah ini pada tahun 1966 sangat membabi buta dalam memberantas kaum kontra revolusioner sehingga negara Cina dalam keadaan amat genting dan hampir hancur; ekonominyapun tak jalan. Akhirnya Mao terpaksa menurunkan Tentara Pembebasan Rakyat untuk menanggulangi mereka dan membendung fanatisme mereka. Hasilnya adalah perang saudara yang baru berakhir pada tahun 1968.

Kegagalan Mao

Pada tahun 1958 Mao meluncurkan apa yang ia sebut Lompatan Jauh ke Depan di mana daerah pedesaan direorganisasi secara total. Di mana-mana didirikan perkumpulan-perkumpulan desa (komune). Secara ekonomis ternyata ini semua gagal. Komune-komune ini menjadi satuan-satuan yang terlalu besar dan tak bisa terurusi. Diperkirakan kurang lebih hampir 20 juta jiwa penduduk Cina kala itu tewas secara sia-sia

Mao Zedong dan PBB
Mao Zedong memproklamasikan Republik Rakyat Cina pada tanggal 1 Oktober 1949.

Republik Rakyat Cina semenjak diproklamasikan oleh Mao pada tahun 1949 tidak diakui oleh Amerika Serikat. Amerika Serikat tetap mengakui Republik Nasionalis Cina yang semenjak tahun 1949 hanya menguasai pulau Formosa atau Taiwan dan sekitarnya. Cina yang sejak didirikannya PBB pada tahun 1945 sudah menjadi anggota Dewan Keamanan secara tetap bersama dengan Amerika Serikat, Britania Raya, Perancis dan Uni Soviet (Rusia) sebagai pemenang Perang Dunia II, tetap diwakili pula. Cuma yang mewakili adalah pemerintah nasionalis yang sekarang hanya memerintah Taiwan saja. Hal ini menjadi aneh sebab Cina daratan yang kala itu berpenduduk kurang lebih 800 juta jiwa tidak diwakili di PBB; yang mewakili hanya Taiwan saja yang kala itu berpenduduk mungkin tidak lebih dari 10 juta jiwa.

Maka pada akhir tahun 1960-an presiden Amerika Serikat, Richard Nixon, mulai mendekati Republik Rakyat Cina dan akhirnya dengan persetujuan Uni Soviet RRT menjadi anggota Dewan Keamanan PBB mulai tahun 1972 dan menggantikan Taiwan.


Warisan Mao dan Republik Rakyat Cina saat ini

Pada tahun 1976 Mao Zedong meninggal dunia. Setelah itu Republik Rakyat Cina menjadi semakin terbuka. Normalisasi hubungan diplomatik dengan Indonesia juga terwujud pada tahun 1992. Pada saat ini Cina tampil sebagai sebuah raksasa yang baru bangun dari tidurnya dan pertumbuhan ekonomi sangat pesat. Bahkan Cina bisa melampaui Rusia dalam perkembangannya. Hal yang dipertentangkan sekarang ialah apakah ini semua bisa diraih berkat jasa-jasa Mao atau karena pengaruhnya sudah tipis.

Ref : http://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mao_Zedong

Fidel Castro mempunyai nama asli Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz (lahir 13 Agustus 1926) adalah Presiden Kuba sejak 1976 hingga 2008. Sebelumnya, ia menjabat sebagai Perdana Menteri atas penunjukannya pada Februari 1959 setelah tampil sebagai komandan revolusi yang gagal Presiden Dewan Negara merangkap jabatan sebagai Dewan Menteri Fulgencio Batista pada tahun 1976. Castro tampil sebagai sekretaris pertama Partai Komunis Kuba (Communist Party of Cuba) pada tahun 1965 dan mentransformasikan Kuba ke dalam republik sosialis satu-partai. Setelah tampil sebagai presiden, ia tampil sebagai komandan Militer Kuba. Pada 31 Juli 2006, Castro menyerahkan jabatan kepresidenannya kepada adiknya, Raúl untuk beberapa waktu.


Pada tahun 1947, ia ikut dalam upaya kudeta diktator Republik Dominika Rafael Trujillo dan lari ke New York (Amerika Serikat) karena adanya ancaman akan dihabisi lawan politiknya. Setelah meraih doktor di bidang hukum pada 1950, ia memprotes dan memimpin gerakan bawah tanah anti-pemerintah atas pengambil-alihan kekuasaan lewat kudeta oleh Fulgencio Batista pada 1952. Tahun 1953, ia memimpin serangan ke barak militer Moncada Santiago de Cuba, namun gagal. Sebanyak 69 orang dari 111 orang yang ambil bagian dalam serbuan itu tewas dan ia dipenjara selama 15 tahun.

Setelah mendapatkan pengampunan dan dibebaskan pada 15 Mei 1955, ia langsung memimpin upaya penggulingan diktator Batista. Perlawanan ini kemudian dikenal dengan Gerakan 26 Juli. Pada 7 Juli 1955, ia lari ke Meksiko dan bertemu dengan pejuang revolusioner Che Guevara. Bersama 81 orang lainnya, ia kembali ke Kuba pada 2 Desember 1956 dan melakukan perlawanan gerilya selama 25 bulan di Pegunungan Sierra Maestra.

Di luar Kuba, Castro mulai menggalang kekuatan untuk melawan dominasi Amerika Serikat dan bekas negara Uni Soviet. Setelah runtuhnya Uni Soviet pada tahun 1991, cita-cita dan impiannya mulai diwujudkan dengan bertemu Hugo Chávez di Venezuela dan Evo Morales dari Bolivia.

Menjelang hari ulang tahunnya ke-80 yang jatuh pada 13 Agustus 2006, ia menyerahkan tampuk kepemimpinannya untuk sementara waktu kepada adiknya. Praktis, Raúl merangkap jabatan, yakni sebagai Presiden Kuba dan Menteri Pertahanan Kuba. Penyerahan kekuasaan ini merupakan pertama kali sejak ia memerintah Kuba pada 1959. Castro juga meminta perayaan ulang tahunnya yang ke-80 ditunda sampai 2 Desember 2006. Padahal, pesta meriah selama empat hari di jalan-jalan utama Havana sudah disiapkan, termasuk konser megah dari musisi dan penyanyi Amerika Latin.

Kesehatan Castro sempat menurun setelah jatuh ketika berpidato pada 2004. Waktu itu, lutut kiri dan lengan kanannya terluka.

Setelah pembedahan organ pencernaan pada tahun 2006, dia menyerahkan kekuasaan hari kepada saudara, Raul. Dia kemudian hanya beberapa kali muncul dalam rekaman sebelum menyatakan diri mundur pada tahun 2008.


Pada 19 Februari 2008, lima hari sebelum mandatnya berakhir, Fidel Castro menyatakan tidak akan mencalonkan diri maupun menerima masa bakti baru sebagai presiden atau komandan angkatan bersenjata Kuba. Jabatannya digantikan oleh adiknya, Raul Castro.