Trav argues that Deng bastardized socialism, and that post-Mao leadership took class struggle out of Marxism.
I’m not one to answer your question well. I am interested in seeing more people’s viewpoints and knowledge here as I did have a previous discussion on Lemmygrad where I learned that the Cultural Revolution was hijacked by ultras and Lin Biao attempted to assassinate Mao.
I disagree calling China not socialist. Forgive me if this is an oversimplification of China’s economy and government, but I view China as analagous to a computer with a Linux host with a Windows virtual machine, but instead they are a socialist country with a capitalism virtual machine, which they have done well hardening against and preventing a “capitalism vm escape”. Now in the current era of Xi Jinping, China has been shrinking the capitalist vm and gradually replacing obsolete components with state controlled industry, such as their recent vow to centralize their tech industry (just as Linux tools develop to a stage where users are enabled to replace the programs they rely on Windows for with Linux supported alternatives).
I dislike that millions of disadvantaged workers lost some of their rights and had to work in the non-unionized private firms to help China increase its production. I don’t know if China would have been able to reach the stage it has achieved today if they continued the socialist only road, but I believe considering reality, I am afraid they may have sufferred the same fate as the Soviet Union if they didn’t convince imperialist nations to invest into their economy. It’s a brutal world, and unfortunate things happen that not even the strongest socialist nation can stop 100%. Thus, I believe China did their best and managed to be successful, which I am grateful for as a USian.
What do you think of Trav’s accusation that modern China doesn’t talk about class struggle, and instead thinks that socialism is when growth?
Class struggle in China is not a primary contradiction for the world at this time. The more pressing issues to resolve are related to development of the global south and defeating imperialism’s global neoliberal hegemony.
The tasks of a ruling communist party are different from those of one that is still engaged in revolutionary struggle. The CPC has a duty to its people to maintain peace and improve their lives in tangible ways. Socialism with Chinese Characteristics allows China to do these things in a way that no capitalist system ever could. If the CPC did not fulfil its duty to the people it would lose the mandate it has to rule.
How would it benefit the class struggle if the communist government of the largest economy on the planet fell because it prioritized dogmatic ideological goals over real material improvements to the people’s lives?
Isn’t the point of class struggle that by overthrowing the dictatorship of the bourgeoisie the lives of average people can finally improve and do so without the spoils of neo-colonialism and imperialism?
And China is waging class struggle, not just globally by uplifting the global south, but also domestically by taking action against the interests of capital, by dealing with issues like inequality, corruption and rural poverty.
