Struggle session. How the fuck is a country with billionaires legitimately Communist? I’m not a chud trying to start shit. I went along with most of the apologetics while living in the US, but I’m in HCMC now, and if this is Communism we’re living in a bizzaro world. Inequality is rampant. I lived in DC for two years and never saw a Maybach, but here I see them daily. Not to mention that there’s a 150% luxury tax on imports like that. Meanwhile, I see people digging through garbage looking for scraps to feed themselves. There’s no socialized medicine or government provided housing. I’ll admit I’m ignorant to theory, but if the theory can somehow excuse this shit, it must be more complicated than quantum physics. Not that it’s even close to the degradation the poor experience in the US (especially DC). There are no tent cities here, but the government doesn’t really do shit for the people as far as a I can tell. I imagine it’s the same in China but that’s pure speculation.

    • maccruiskeen [he/him]
      ·
      edit-2
      4 years ago

      As an Americ*n I've seen plenty of pictures of sweatshops and stuff, is that just fabricated? Like there's definitely a lot of propaganda to sort through but thats the main one I've been wondering about

  • hazefoley [he/him]
    ·
    4 years ago

    China is a capitalist country with a communist government if that makes sense. They embraced capitalism to build power on a global stage and build up their economy and infrastructure. It was a necessary step to stop them from falling into the hands of liberalism. The party is in charge not the billionaires and that means if they truly do want to communize they can and they will.

  • JoeySteel [comrade/them]
    ·
    edit-2
    4 years ago

    Are you referring to china or ho chi minh city?

    So Dengs entire thing was we need to step back into capitalist relations but hold onto the Dictatorship of the proletariat and beat the capitalists at their own game instead of setting up an alternative system like Soviet Union did then have the capitalist dogs sow counter revolution in fraternally socialist nations and in your own country until you collectively commit suicide as a nation like Russia in 1991.

    By late 1980s russia was fully penetrated by Western culture and ideology

    And honestly though I generally take the view that China would've developed quicker without a market sector as markets are inefficient....I am unsure how USA would've reacted during that period. Probably going to war with China and opening up their markets at gun point

    Dengs entire thing was hide our strength, bide our time

    Today the internal market of China is estimated at 50 trillion USD. Trumps trade war failed because US companies no longer care about US politics and just want a slice of that pie.

    As US tries to gather a coalition to go to war with China (the Atlantic Council just released an article The Longer Telegram -referencing thr Long Telegram which declared for US geopolitics they must move to a cold war with Soviet Union. Along with the atrocity propaganda being pumped by USA which precedes all US wars about Uyghurs in camps/forced rape blah blah)

    USA looks pathetic. China signed the largest trade deal in history in 2020 in the asia pacific. Then at end of 2020 when Biden was trying to stop an investment treaty between China and Europe they went ahead and signed anyway.

    Back in 2016 the UK signed onto Asias Investment bank and the USA raged about this

    All in all even though I still think Deng was wrong i increasingly question whether he was. Without these tools USA couldve gathered a coalition for a cold war or hot war quite easily. Now if the USA wishes to go to war they'll destroy their own economy at that moment.

    Let's also not forget that USA deliberately bombed the Chinese embassy in Belgrade in 1999 when they were destroying Yugoslavia which killed Chinese people. Thats not something great powers would accept

    https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_bombing_of_the_Chinese_embassy_in_Belgrade

    China has only really risen in the last 10 years and if you read Wikileaks cables of Xi Jinping its obvious the USAs assessment is hes a redder than red Marxist

    https://wikileaks.org/plusd/cables/09BEIJING3128_a.html

    So it depends on whether you believe the CPCs line on socialist development or not. I think a big turning point in CPC development was the 2008 economic crisis and the nonstop war from the West. I personally have come to believe Marxist factions have risen in the CPC and displaced most of the free market liberals but also think they are very pragmatic -they will use whatever is working to surpass and displace USA.

      • invalidusernamelol [he/him]
        ·
        4 years ago

        All countries are to some degree capitalist when capitalism is still the dominant global economic mode. Places like DPRK are probably the least capitalist, but even there they still rely on trade with China and have a domestic black market that is regulated by the party.

        The process of socialism is reshaping the mode of production by resolving of capitalist contradictions. In many places, resource independence is impossible due to centuries of capitalist exploitation and resource extraction that destroyed the independent social order. Just look around you and see where everything is made. Almost nothing is made entirely in one place.

        The positive of China is that they offer an alternative to American financial hegemony. By providing that alternative, they make it easier for nations to break out of the cycle of exploitation perpetuated by the West. They aren't perfect, but they're significantly better to deal with than America.

        • wtypstanaccount04 [he/him]
          ·
          4 years ago

          I agree, actually. This is why capitalism will never truly be destroyed until the entire world is socialist. Only then can we begin to bring about full communism.

          • invalidusernamelol [he/him]
            ·
            edit-2
            4 years ago

            China becoming a socialist alternative to American Capitalist hegemony is very good. Even if they aren't whatever your definition of pure socialist is, they aren't America. That pressure is what allowed for the development of revolutions all around the world during the USSRs lifetime.

            Revolutionary states that disrupt resource extraction necessary for maintaining capitalist profits is a vital step in the process of global liberation.

  • late90smullbowl [they/them]
    ·
    4 years ago

    Are you considering that everything is happening in the context of an overwhelming global hegemon with the stated aim of extinguishing even social democracy* globally, using any and all tactics including genocide? Any administration in any country must operate in these conditions, so contradictions will arise.

    *This doesn't include countries like NZ or Sweden obviously. They're white.

  • kimilsungist [they/them]
    ·
    4 years ago

    Socialism is about changing property relations my guy. Large sums of wealth are extremely effective at creating economic growth. Is that good? idk, all i know is the CPC executes shitty billionaires. And again, reaching communism is about changing property relations, not giving people the same amount of wealth. If everyone is taken care of, as in the country has its basic needs met, what is wrong with having some wealth? (i am not saying china is at this point and the disparity is too large)

    • GenderIsOpSec [she/her]
      ·
      4 years ago

      Ultra-Luxury car brand currently owned by Mercedes-Bentz.

      And here's a fun fact, almost all nazi tank engines were made by them. These included the engines through Panzer I, II, III, IV and V, the Tiger I and II (Maybach HL230) and other heavy tanks: and also engines for half-tracks such as the Sd.Kfz. 251 personnel carrier and prime movers like the Sd.Kfz. 9.

      • SilkCutJaguar [he/him]
        ·
        edit-2
        4 years ago

        Yeah but the 'modern' Maybach brand is more of a re-invention of late 90s and 00s by the Daimler-Chrysler to build an uber luxury brand to cater to the superrich leech class amd compete with the likes of Rolls Royce.

  • TimeCubeEvangelist [none/use name]
    ·
    4 years ago

    I was just reading this, might help you understand the recent history: "David Harvey: Neoliberalism and the Restoration of Class Power" https://gsnas.files.wordpress.com/2007/10/harvey080604.pdf