All nations have a blend of “Aspects” of different economic ideas and mechanisms. The US has a history of unions, a few communist parties running around, some worker co-ops, residual federal labor protections and welfare programs from the New Deal, and a ton of people ready to eat the rich but no one is going to call the US anything socialist adjacent because its ruling class/leadership is devoutly capitalist.
Inversely, China has its own blend, obviously, as history is an ongoing process - but there is no reason to not call China Communist because its ruling class/leadership is the CPC. I know there is a strain of person who thinks they are only rhetorically Communist but if that were true:
There is no clear geopolitical benefit from this currently, they could have “restored Capitalist rule” officially at any point, hell 1989 was their grand opportunity if they had any desire to do so.
They would not be demonized by the Western press as they have been from time immemorial. They’d be one of the “good ones” like South Korea and Japan.
There is no clear geopolitical benefit from this currently, they could have “restored Capitalist rule” officially at any point, hell 1989 was their grand opportunity if they had any desire to do so.
As an aside, I’ve always been a hair concerned about china, if only because they still have billionaires (which I consider very not-socialist). Despite being aware of a lot of the very good arguments that china is building socialism rather than settling into its own rut, I still retain concerns that the presence of so much private enterprise leaves the whole country open to revisionism. “Why would they not just restore capitalist rule in 1989?” Despite its simplicity is an unironically good point that gives me hope I’m wrong and the smart people saying so are right. Thanks!
Glad to help, comrade. I think many of us took some time to warm to China, my self included; I think most of us still crave the firebrand socialism of the USSR’s legacy. But seriously, they could have just went down with all the other color revolutions if the liberals had control since Dengism was implemented.
presence of so much private enterprise leaves the whole country open to revisionism
This is a valid fear, nonetheless. But, let’s not give up on our Chinese comrades to keep the capitalists supplanted.
Funnily enough, I actually really love China, even since before I became a socialist! I went there on holiday around 15 years ago and had an absolute blast. One of the best I’ve done. Being close to Asia is one of the benefits of living in Australia and I have taken advantage of that quite a few times in the past (although probably not so much going forward - much as I love to travel, it gets harder and harder to justify as I understand more about politics and the environment). Beautiful country, lovely people, wonderful food.
Comes to mind because one of my advisors/#supervisors is currently on his way there, I think for research, lucky sod!:)
What is the ideology of the CPC if not communism? Keep in mind, just because China currently has one economic system, that doesn’t mean the ideology of its ruling party is the same as the status quo.
China is communist though, as I’ve just explained.
/thread
Sure, they have aspects of communism, but they also have aspects of capitalism and socialism. I wouldn’t call them communist myself.
All nations have a blend of “Aspects” of different economic ideas and mechanisms. The US has a history of unions, a few communist parties running around, some worker co-ops, residual federal labor protections and welfare programs from the New Deal, and a ton of people ready to eat the rich but no one is going to call the US anything socialist adjacent because its ruling class/leadership is devoutly capitalist.
Inversely, China has its own blend, obviously, as history is an ongoing process - but there is no reason to not call China Communist because its ruling class/leadership is the CPC. I know there is a strain of person who thinks they are only rhetorically Communist but if that were true:
There is no clear geopolitical benefit from this currently, they could have “restored Capitalist rule” officially at any point, hell 1989 was their grand opportunity if they had any desire to do so.
They would not be demonized by the Western press as they have been from time immemorial. They’d be one of the “good ones” like South Korea and Japan.
As an aside, I’ve always been a hair concerned about china, if only because they still have billionaires (which I consider very not-socialist). Despite being aware of a lot of the very good arguments that china is building socialism rather than settling into its own rut, I still retain concerns that the presence of so much private enterprise leaves the whole country open to revisionism. “Why would they not just restore capitalist rule in 1989?” Despite its simplicity is an unironically good point that gives me hope I’m wrong and the smart people saying so are right. Thanks!
Glad to help, comrade. I think many of us took some time to warm to China, my self included; I think most of us still crave the firebrand socialism of the USSR’s legacy. But seriously, they could have just went down with all the other color revolutions if the liberals had control since Dengism was implemented.
This is a valid fear, nonetheless. But, let’s not give up on our Chinese comrades to keep the capitalists supplanted.
Funnily enough, I actually really love China, even since before I became a socialist! I went there on holiday around 15 years ago and had an absolute blast. One of the best I’ve done. Being close to Asia is one of the benefits of living in Australia and I have taken advantage of that quite a few times in the past (although probably not so much going forward - much as I love to travel, it gets harder and harder to justify as I understand more about politics and the environment). Beautiful country, lovely people, wonderful food.
Comes to mind because one of my advisors/#supervisors is currently on his way there, I think for research, lucky sod!:)
There was some good reading linked elsewhere in this
like https://redsails.org/china-has-billionaires/ about this topic
What is the ideology of the CPC if not communism? Keep in mind, just because China currently has one economic system, that doesn’t mean the ideology of its ruling party is the same as the status quo.