A million creationists believe the Creation myth from Genesis over things like reductionism and positivism, aka quantifiable evidence, does that make their mythologies any more valid or true?
Of course not.
If every academic in the world said Mao wasn't communist, they'd still be wrong, because Mao himself presented himself as such, and thus must be taken at face value that he was, in fact, what he said he was. This isn't like a doctorate where you have to earn it and be awarded it. If you say you're a communist, lead a communist revolution and a communist nation and write entire fucking bibles worth of treatises on communist theory and ideas, you're a communist.
Its really that simple. His actions, his writings, his leadership, his choices, its all in accordance with his ideological framwork, which he labeled as Marxist and Leninist in framework. No ifs ands or buts about it. Dumar you are not the authority on Mao's personal feelings. Mao was the authority on that.
Its as simple as that.