getfiscal
4th February 2012, 18:10
Historical Background
Following Mao's death in 1976, a power struggle took place within the Communist Party of China (CPC). The leftist Gang of Four were imprisoned by Mao's designated successor Hua Guofeng. Hua tried to rally the country behind him by adopting what has been called "the two whatevers". That is, party officials ought to follow "whatever Mao said and whatever Mao did". After the disastrous failure of the Cultural Revolution, this was widely seen as a lack of vision, with little evidence it would lead to something better. Real wages had stagnated in China for two decades and military leaders were concerned that Mao's ideological strategy of relying on popular guerrilla warfare had no relevance to China's contemporary situation.
In this vacuum, the formerly disgraced "rightist" Deng Xiaoping had his allies arrange a power struggle that ended with Deng in the position of "paramount leader". Deng's influence led to dramatic agricultural reforms that were based on a price increase and decollectivization. The immediate and large benefits of this policy impressed people. Deng pushed for an end to "political campaigns" and the emphasis on class struggle and announced that China would focus on "reform and opening" in order to modernize the economy. This was an uneven process, continuing to this day, that included marketization of the economy, export-oriented growth, limited cultural freedoms and more foreign investment. However, Deng insisted this must happen within a stable framework under the leadership of the Communists.
China has experienced rapid economic growth since the reforms started. This growth has been very uneven. There is a layer of well-off city-living Chinese that has benefited greatly from the reforms. These people enjoy most material privileges that the West does, and consider themselves well-educated professionals. Then there is a large layer of an urban working class that struggles, but has access to a lot more material and cultural consumption than previously was available in China. However, below these two layers are poor migrant workers (the "floating population") and a huge impoverished rural class that has not benefited as much from the reforms. Other problems include the brutal repression of dissent (such as at Tiananmen Square in 1989) and the economic problems associated with land (displacement, land speculation, etc.).
The Theory
Deng Xiaoping Theory holds that Mao was "70% good", but that Mao often deviated from the core of Mao Zedong Thought in order to engage in leftist campaigns that proved disastrous. Deng emphasized "seeking truth from facts" - that is, officials should try to see what "works" instead of always trying to be perfectly ideologically correct. Deng believed China should developed a "socialist market economy" that used the market framework to build "socialism with Chinese characteristics".
The idea of a market framework as socialist was accepted by the Chinese leadership because they believed that Mao was correct that socialism had been built "in the main" in China. This meant that a higher level of productive capacity was built and that backsliding towards feudalism and capitalism was unlikely. This is criticized by leftists, who believe that markets are intrinsically capitalist. A wide variety of people tend to believe that China is presently capitalist.
Jiang Zemin added to Deng Xiaoping Theory a theory called The Three Represents. This basically was a strategy to try to integrate entrepreneurs into the party as an advancing or leading sector of production. This shift, to essentially allow capitalists into the party, was criticized by leftists as abandoning the working class nature of the Party. Likewise, China has revised its constitution to refer to the CPC as a "ruling" party rather than a "revolutionary" one. This is because they see the core of the revolution as being consolidated and are emphasizing "rule by law."
More recently, Hu Jintao has focused on concepts such as "socialist spiritual civilization" which emphasizes the need for everyday morality and non-corrupt practices. Both Jiang and Hu's ideological contributions have been seen as limited and largely unimportant compared to the huge shifts introduced by both Mao and Deng.
DXT Today
Deng Xiaoping Theory is typically seen as a sort of ideologically gloss for pragmatism. However, many people inside China take DXT seriously and it is widely taught and debated. The Chinese New Left includes people who press for a dramatic shift to the radical left through party channels or a new revolution from below, but also much more moderate contributions from social-democrats like Wang Hui.
What do you think of Deng Xiaoping Theory? Is it totally bogus? Or useful to you in some way?
Following Mao's death in 1976, a power struggle took place within the Communist Party of China (CPC). The leftist Gang of Four were imprisoned by Mao's designated successor Hua Guofeng. Hua tried to rally the country behind him by adopting what has been called "the two whatevers". That is, party officials ought to follow "whatever Mao said and whatever Mao did". After the disastrous failure of the Cultural Revolution, this was widely seen as a lack of vision, with little evidence it would lead to something better. Real wages had stagnated in China for two decades and military leaders were concerned that Mao's ideological strategy of relying on popular guerrilla warfare had no relevance to China's contemporary situation.
In this vacuum, the formerly disgraced "rightist" Deng Xiaoping had his allies arrange a power struggle that ended with Deng in the position of "paramount leader". Deng's influence led to dramatic agricultural reforms that were based on a price increase and decollectivization. The immediate and large benefits of this policy impressed people. Deng pushed for an end to "political campaigns" and the emphasis on class struggle and announced that China would focus on "reform and opening" in order to modernize the economy. This was an uneven process, continuing to this day, that included marketization of the economy, export-oriented growth, limited cultural freedoms and more foreign investment. However, Deng insisted this must happen within a stable framework under the leadership of the Communists.
China has experienced rapid economic growth since the reforms started. This growth has been very uneven. There is a layer of well-off city-living Chinese that has benefited greatly from the reforms. These people enjoy most material privileges that the West does, and consider themselves well-educated professionals. Then there is a large layer of an urban working class that struggles, but has access to a lot more material and cultural consumption than previously was available in China. However, below these two layers are poor migrant workers (the "floating population") and a huge impoverished rural class that has not benefited as much from the reforms. Other problems include the brutal repression of dissent (such as at Tiananmen Square in 1989) and the economic problems associated with land (displacement, land speculation, etc.).
The Theory
Deng Xiaoping Theory holds that Mao was "70% good", but that Mao often deviated from the core of Mao Zedong Thought in order to engage in leftist campaigns that proved disastrous. Deng emphasized "seeking truth from facts" - that is, officials should try to see what "works" instead of always trying to be perfectly ideologically correct. Deng believed China should developed a "socialist market economy" that used the market framework to build "socialism with Chinese characteristics".
The idea of a market framework as socialist was accepted by the Chinese leadership because they believed that Mao was correct that socialism had been built "in the main" in China. This meant that a higher level of productive capacity was built and that backsliding towards feudalism and capitalism was unlikely. This is criticized by leftists, who believe that markets are intrinsically capitalist. A wide variety of people tend to believe that China is presently capitalist.
Jiang Zemin added to Deng Xiaoping Theory a theory called The Three Represents. This basically was a strategy to try to integrate entrepreneurs into the party as an advancing or leading sector of production. This shift, to essentially allow capitalists into the party, was criticized by leftists as abandoning the working class nature of the Party. Likewise, China has revised its constitution to refer to the CPC as a "ruling" party rather than a "revolutionary" one. This is because they see the core of the revolution as being consolidated and are emphasizing "rule by law."
More recently, Hu Jintao has focused on concepts such as "socialist spiritual civilization" which emphasizes the need for everyday morality and non-corrupt practices. Both Jiang and Hu's ideological contributions have been seen as limited and largely unimportant compared to the huge shifts introduced by both Mao and Deng.
DXT Today
Deng Xiaoping Theory is typically seen as a sort of ideologically gloss for pragmatism. However, many people inside China take DXT seriously and it is widely taught and debated. The Chinese New Left includes people who press for a dramatic shift to the radical left through party channels or a new revolution from below, but also much more moderate contributions from social-democrats like Wang Hui.
What do you think of Deng Xiaoping Theory? Is it totally bogus? Or useful to you in some way?