[Olog-hai]

They’re as “capitalist” as Lenin. Look at Lenin’s New Economic Policy. Never mind Engels’ book, “The Principles of Communism”, warning that “[i]t is impossible, of course, to carry out all of these measures at once” (meaning the ten planks of communism) and the Manifesto itself saying that “the proletariat will … wrest by degree (not all at once) all capital from the bourgeoisie, to centralize all instruments of production in the hands of the State, i.e. of the proletariat organized as the ruling class; and to increase the total productive forces as rapidly as possible”, which is what they have been doing since the days of Teng Hsiao-p’ing.

[neverevergiveup]

I’m sure you’re correct, but I do believe that after the collapse of the USSR it became more apparent to some communist nations that they couldn’t remain viable, and expand, if they didn’t strengthen themselves economically. There has been a dramatic shift since they destroyed their economy with the cultural revolution.

[Zhang Fei]

“They’re as “capitalist” as Lenin. Look at Lenin’s New Economic Policy.”

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In my view, China’s turn towards capitalism is real. What isn’t is its espousal of Marxism-Leninism, which is mostly eyewash, much as Britain’s ubiquitous displays of the symbols of its royalty are merely decorative, belying the Crown’s essential role as filigree rather than keystone. The problem is China’s return to its traditional self-conception as a universal empire, where the world is divided into two realms - current Chinese provinces and future Chinese provinces.