m atic ▁eu ph oria ▁of ▁the ▁Ma o ▁era , ▁and ▁was , ▁in ▁fact , ▁an ▁out right ▁criticism ▁on ▁H ua ' s ▁Two ▁Wh ate vers ▁policy . ▁This ▁article ▁was ▁repr int ed ▁in ▁many ▁newsp apers ▁across ▁the ▁country , ▁and ▁echo ed ▁w ides p read ▁support ▁amongst ▁party ▁org ans ▁and ▁the ▁general ▁popul ace . ▁Disc uss ions ▁spr ung ▁up ▁nation wide ▁in ▁government ▁and ▁military ▁organizations , ▁and ▁D eng ' s ▁novel ▁and ▁p rag m atic ▁st ance ▁gained ▁increasing ▁popular ity . ▁ ▁Despite ▁the ▁fresh ness ▁of ▁D eng ' s ▁ideas , ▁in ▁truth ▁his ▁ideas ▁were ▁not ▁really ▁new , ▁but ▁merely ▁an ▁effort ▁to ▁restore ▁China ▁to ▁the ▁situation ▁of ▁the ▁mid - 1 9 6 0 s , ▁right ▁before ▁the ▁Cultural ▁Revolution ▁and ▁in ▁any ▁case , ▁the ▁Polit b uro ▁continued ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁ger onto c racy ▁domin ated ▁by ▁men ▁born ▁in ▁the ▁opening ▁years ▁of ▁the ▁ 2 0 th ▁century , ▁all ▁of ▁whom ▁had ▁participated ▁in ▁the ▁Long ▁March ▁and ▁Chinese ▁civil ▁war . ▁The ▁ 8 1 ▁year ▁old ▁Ye ▁J ian ying ▁was ▁forced ▁to ▁step ▁down ▁as ▁defense ▁minister ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 8 ▁for ▁health ▁reasons ▁and ▁even ▁with ▁the ▁death ▁of ▁several ▁party ▁el ders ▁during ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 0 s , ▁the ▁average ▁age ▁of ▁the ▁Central ▁Committee ▁was ▁still ▁around ▁ 7 0 . ▁ ▁In ▁April