What is a ''communist'' country? According to Wikipedia it is this:
'''Communist state, in popular usage, is a state with a form of government characterized by single-party rule or dominant-party rule of a communist party and a professed allegiance to a Leninist or Marxist–Leninist ideology as the guiding principle of the state. Technically, "communist state" is a contradictio in terminis as a communist society as defined by both Marxists and anarcho-communists is in principle stateless. From this perspective, the term Marxist-Leninist state is more appropriate''
Wikipedia portraits the classic western version about what a communist society looks like. For many people communism means:
- A single party dictatorship
- A totalitarian state that forces you to worship Marxism-Leninism
- A poor economy, because of a failed economic model
In reality a communist society is anti-state, anti-dictatorship and anti-totalitarianism. Communism is a democratic ideal and unfortunate abused by people who had no desire of building a workers state. In China we see the worse of Stalinist dogmatism and totalitarianism. It is ironic that Mao Zedong rule led to the state-capitalist dictatorship we see today. Russian revolutionary leader Leon Trotsky predicted this in his 1936 book ''The Revolution Betrayed''
The Chinese ''Communist'' Party was never a genuine proletarian party. Already by 1949 it was degenerated into the madness that is stalinism. But Mao Zedong made it even worse. His stalinism was based on agrarianism and a farmers revolution. Never did Mao Zedong gave any political power to the workers of China, there were no free soviets like in early Soviet Russia. Mao's revolution never could degenerate because it was deformed since he became party leader!
Mao was a true dictator and he abused his power many times. Like the hundred flowers campaign in 1957. Mao claimed that workers and farmers should have the freedom to criticize their government. So he gave them that freedom ( briefly ). He also asked loyal communist party members to give him criticism on how he could improve China. Many young idealists gave supportive criticism, but others praised the USA and wanted an end to communist party rule. The ruling Maoists were shocked by the criticism of so many Chinese intellectuals. But it gave Mao Zedong what he wanted. He now knew who were critical of him and who not. So he arrested more then 500.000 people, including loyal communist party members. Mao's henchman made sure that only few survived the concentration camps!
The Great Leap Forwards was one big disaster. 25 million peasants starved to death because of a lack of food. Instead of working in the fields, Mao ordered them to produce useless steel. Huge efforts on the part of peasants and other workers were made to produce steel out of scrap metal. To fuel the furnaces the local environment was denuded of trees and wood taken from the doors and furniture of peasants' houses. Pots, pans, and other metal artifacts were requisitioned to supply the "scrap" for the furnaces so that the wildly optimistic production targets could be met. Many of the male agricultural workers were diverted from the harvest to help the iron production as were the workers at many factories, schools and even hospitals. Although the output consisted of low quality lumps of pig iron which was of negligible economic worth, Mao had a deep distrust of intellectuals and faith in the power of the mass mobilization of the peasants
All stalinists hate the rule of the people, they live under the wrong conception that the communist party must rule. This we see in today's Cuba, China, North Korea, Vietnam and Laos. In those societies only the members of the ruling communist parties have the right to be elected into offices. The anticommunists claim that this is Lenin's work. But Lenin never spoke of a single party state. Both Marx and Lenin wanted the rule of ordinary workers. The ideal of a vanguard party does not mean that this party has the right to rule supreme. Even the early Soviet constitutions did not spoke of the communist party as supreme ruler. It was the Soviet Constitution of 1936, that gave the Soviet Communist Party absolute constitutional power!
In China the Great Leap Forwards was politically disastrous for Mao Zedong. He lost many supporters and that is why he launched the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution in 1966. This cultural revolution destroyed so much, that it paralyzed China for 12 years. Millions of people were persecuted in the violent factional struggles that ensued across the country and suffered a wide range of abuses including public humiliation, arbitrary imprisonment, torture, sustained harassment, and seizure of property. A large segment of the population was forcibly displaced, most notably the transfer of urban youth to rural regions during the Down to the Countryside Movement. Historical relics and artifacts were destroyed. Cultural and religious sites were ransacked!
After the death of Mao Zedong the reformist Maoists led by Deng Xiaoping took power. They were victims of the cultural revolution and hated by the dogmatic Maoists who had supported chairman Mao. But Deng was able to defeat them and by 1983 he and his reformists were in complete control of the Chinese ''Communist'' Party. This was welcomed by most party members. Because the CCP was in total chaos. The party was also victimized by the Red Guards, the youth group that Mao Zedong used to destroy his opponents!
To make China rich and powerful, Deng Xiaoping started to use capitalist methods The first of Special Economical Zones were opened around 1983. These zones gave foreign capitalists easy and cheap Chinese workers. By 1990 many western companies were very positive about these zones. They loved the discipline of the Chinese worker and his/her inability to strike for better wages. Also the absolute control of the CCP over China made sure that any workers rebellion would be crushed.
The Chinese workers did not liked the capitalist reforms. Soon they and students rose up to demonstrate in Beijing. The Tiananmen Square protests of 1989 shocked the CCP and even Deng Xiaoping. Workers and students both wanted an end to CCP rule. Workers wanted an end to the capitalist transformation of their nation and the students wanted free elections. Yet the party was not ready to give up power. The People's Liberation Army did not liberate the people. They crushed the demonstration killing 2.000 workers and students!
After the crack down the market reforms were halted. Instead of a full capitalist society, the Chinese ''Communist'' Party choose a state-capitalist model. They call it Socialism with Chinese characteristics. In reality socialism never came to China, many party members became business leaders and embraced the new capitalist dream. Deng Xiaoping said that socialism does not mean equality, but fast economic growth. Revolutionary socialists rather call it state-capitalism with Chinese characteristics!
Jiang Zemin was the Chinese leader who replaced the planned economy with a mixed market one. By 1993 the plans were made and privatizations of state owned sectors began. Soon many business were not able to compete in a market economy. Job losses were huge and in some parts of the country more then 40% of all workers lost their income. Organized crime returned to China after more then 40 years. Criminals were able to use the corruption of party leaders to establish new criminal enterprises. Workers and the poor were the victims again!
In 2002 a new leader replaced Jiang Zemin. Hu Jintao became the next president of China and the face of the reborn Chinese bourgeoisie!
The ten richest Chinese today ( 2013 ) are:
Rank | Name | Net worth (US) | Sources of wealth |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zong Qinghou | $10 billion | Wahaha |
| 2 | Chen Shih-yu | $8.1 billion | Kelly Chen Cosmetics |
| 3 | Wang Jianlin | $8 billion | Dalian Wanda Group |
| 4 | Ma Huateng | $6.4 billion | Tencent |
| 5 | Wu Yajun | $6.2 billion | Longfor Properties |
| 6 | Liang Wengen | $5.9 billion | Sany |
| 7 | Liu Yongxing | $5.8 billion | Hope Group |
| 8 | Hui Ka Yan | $4.9 billion | Evergrande Real Estate Group |
| 9 | Yang Huiyan | $4.4 billion | Country Garden Holdings |
| 10 | Hui Wing Mau | $4 billion | Shimao Property |
All these rich billionaires depend on the Chinese ''Communist'' Party. Unlike the western world, these capitalists need the party bureaucrats for support. Because China is a state-capitalist dictatorship and the government is not fully in service of those who are wealthy and rich. The true rulers of China remain the party bureaucrats!
Out of 1,3 billion Chinese only 120 million enjoy a western live style. Those Chinese are the lucky ones, who's salary is high enough to enjoy the fruits of capitalism. But 800 million remain either poor or receive a very low income. Most of them are workers who work in factories who produce anything western business need. From Personal Computers to Toys. Made in China is on almost all products. Yet the capitalist media does not care about them. They only speak about how great China is growing. They don't care about all those workers who work long hours to produce their products!
Chinese workers have no illusions in the CCP. They know that the party is not there for them. The danger is that they can be poisoned like the Soviet workers in 1991. As the Soviet-Union collapsed most workers supported Boris Yeltsin and never understood the danger he posed. Chinese workers knew in 1989 that the party was turning capitalist and their rose up. Today there is huge anger about corruption and income inequality. Most workers know that their nation is not socialist or communist. Yet very few young people understand the historic foundation of the People's Republic of China!
The youth born after 1990 don't understand socialism. For them that is just government propaganda. They want money and are driving by dreams about profits. The capitalist media and the party leaders are encouraging young people to be pro-capitalist. Revolutionary idealism and class solidarity has been lost among many young people. Very few young Chinese feel any loyalty to socialism or communism. Most of them only care about themselves and the good image of China in the world. Even the Chinese ''Communist'' Party is realizing that revolutionary propaganda is not appealing to the youth. A recent movie about a young revolutionary communist who loved the party and chairman Mao, was a complete disaster. The youth no longer likes stories and movies about the idealistic youth who is always a loyal supporter of the communist party!
Today the Chinese ''Communist'' Party needs a new name. Chinese Capitalist Party would be nice or what about Chinese Nationalist Party? Because today's CCP is almost identical to the Kuomintang of right-wing dictator Chiang-Kai-Shek. That is the irony of this story. The once proud revolutionary party of workers and poor people, degenerated into a copy of the Kuomintang. State-capitalism was also the ideology of Chiang-Kai-Shek. He would laugh in his grave when he sees those rich billionaires in the party of his enemy: Mao Zedong!
The ideology of the party is empty and only Chinese nationalism is keeping it together. Revolutionary idealism is gone, we see it in the way the party leaders dress. Western business suites have replaced the Maoist suites worn between 1949 and 1990. For us revolutionary socialists there is nothing more criminal then betraying socialism and communism for capitalism and nationalism. The CCP is guilty of that betrayal and must be dissolved A new workers party for Chinese workers and young people is needed!
Today the Chinese ''Communist'' Party needs a new name. Chinese Capitalist Party would be nice or what about Chinese Nationalist Party? Because today's CCP is almost identical to the Kuomintang of right-wing dictator Chiang-Kai-Shek. That is the irony of this story. The once proud revolutionary party of workers and poor people, degenerated into a copy of the Kuomintang. State-capitalism was also the ideology of Chiang-Kai-Shek. He would laugh in his grave when he sees those rich billionaires in the party of his enemy: Mao Zedong!
The ideology of the party is empty and only Chinese nationalism is keeping it together. Revolutionary idealism is gone, we see it in the way the party leaders dress. Western business suites have replaced the Maoist suites worn between 1949 and 1990. For us revolutionary socialists there is nothing more criminal then betraying socialism and communism for capitalism and nationalism. The CCP is guilty of that betrayal and must be dissolved A new workers party for Chinese workers and young people is needed!
Chinese state-capitalist leaders.
The most powerful of them stand in the front.
In the center stands Hu Jintao and right next to him Jiang Zemin
