China

[ioncannon152]

Now that China is capitalist(correct me if i'm wrong),

are they better or worse compared with under socialism?

[Red Leader]

That all depends. Do you think capitalism is the shiz? Then yes its better off. You think real socialism is where its at? Then it isnt better off.

[ColinH]

Well, how have the living conditions changed in China within the last few decades?

[Comrade Martin]

Living conditions, in most aspects, have increased as a result of the privatization scheme. However, one should not mistakenly blame Socialism for poor conditions. China lept from Feudalism to Socialism, missing the vital link betwixt them of Capitalism. Without that link, the chain made no sense. And thusly, China introduced Capitalism out of necessity in Socialism development. The question is, is this just the Chinese version of Lenin's N.E.P., or has China left the Socialist path under the guidance of the CPC for good?

[ReD_ReBeL]

yea i would say China is like 3 quaters Capitalists and a quater socialist becoz thy still dont completely neglect the rural areas, and have set up schools in most rural areas, but it seems to me like capitalism is winning over there well i call it 'state capitalism', and there is an increasing inequality within the rich and poor and even an article in a Chinese magazine was the '10 richest men in China' with is not socialit atall

[Red Leader]

yeah, china is obviously not socialist, and has basically been the pits since it was, unless you were rich, kinda like in north america. Back in the mao years, many things improved for the lives of the chinese, wages, jobs, health care, not to mention crime was low, prostitution, arranged marriges, drug addiction and rapes and starvation were low too. Unlike now, where sweatshops and child labour plauge the country.

[Clarksist]

Mao wasn't some "awesome dictator". The Cultural Revolution was to purge the country of intellectuals, the Great Leap Forward was an economic disaster. Monumently so. The country has never had socialism, and frankly doesn't plan to.

China isn't better off with their more privatized system, and it isn't worse. Its a different beast, but not a worse one.

[RedStarOverChina]

Living conditions, in most aspects, have increased as a result of the privatization scheme. However, one should not mistakenly blame Socialism for poor conditions.
Depend on who you are. Average workers, especially migrant workers condition did not change a bit since I left China 7 years ago.

[Comrade-Z]

If you like State-Capitalism, mixed with good ol' fashioned capitalism, then China is awesome. But if you support direct workers' control, equality, liberty, etc., then I can't see how you could support China. When you consider that the Chinese government is facilitating the oppression and exploitation of Chinese workers so that the owners of Wal-Mart can earn $18 billion...it just disgusts me.

[UltraLeftGerry]

There are of course pro and cons.
Pro: government repression and thought control is not as bad as it was under Mao
Con: the government has seized the property of peasants and awarded it to multi-national corporations
Pro: capitalism is progressing in China instead of stagnating with primitive accumulation methods under Mao.
Con: jobs are less secure than they were under Mao
Pro: Mao was the last romantic mystified dictator it seemds. Hopefully another never exists. Even the CCP has tried to decentralize power out of the hands of one man.