One the side note about Mao and the political struggles on fledging modern China (not related to this topic though) ....
Mao thought about Democracy -- one man one vote system (You read Mao's work) very early in his life but as soon as communist ascendency, it become obvious that as soon as plebicidal-democracy is implemented, the people's victory will be usurped. Oligarch will find front man to stand for elections. Newspaper and academia will glorify organized crime (indeed they are doing it now in China). Newspaper and acadmia will brainwash people into slavery.
Most people are normally very stupid, ill informed to have a say in national affairs.
Mao decided on "people democracy" 人民民主专政. There will be a lot of discussion of policy within party, and group of experts.
After one decade, Mao sense the elitization and bureaucratization if his cadre, even under the framework of "people democracy". He feel desparate and despair as time is not in his side. Many people think Mao has absolute power but in fact there are lots of time Mao was sideline. Mao complaint even Beijing newspaper dont listen to him and curse Peng Zhen's Beijing as impetratable (北京市针插不进,水泼不进).He decided to start cultural revolution, mobilizing people to check excessive cadre (they cant be voted out).
He proudly mentioned his legacy is 2 things, first his reuniting China under communism, and 2nd is cultural revolution.
The legacy of cultural revolution will seem re-examined much later.
In fact, Xi is using cultural revolution style to purge bad elements of the party. But different from Mao, Xi has better tools, the internet, chat room. There are many newspapers fully under state control and will be ready to anchor government POV, meanwhile GoC allows large number of subversive newspaper around -- a sign of true democracy,