# Is China still a communist country?



## zzzz

Even though the ruling party still purports to be communist can China really be called communist anymore? In reality, communist countries do not resemble what we envisioned communist countries to look like many years ago. In my opinion they have strayed from the Marxist ideologies of the past and have embraced the capitalistic ideology of the west. Vietnam is another example where a "communist" party runs the government but economically it is capitolistic.

The only reason they are still called communist is because the party running the country calls themselves communists. In reallity it is a form of dictatorship and eventually internal pressures may cause political changes. I think some of this already happening in China, where the wages have been increased because of worker unhappiness. As the Chinese people become more used to modern day products they will want more and to get these products they will need more money. Eventually this will lead to political pressure and change. 

So in my opinion China is no longer communist. The ruling class (Classes are a violation of communism) calls itself communist but in reality it is not. It has transformed into something else. So what is it?


----------



## Madeline

It was never communist in anything but name.  It was just a garden variety dictatorship that borrowed from Marx for its nomenclature.

It does seem to be more capitalistic these days -- but is it more free as a result?  I dun think democracy is about to break out there.


----------



## Douger

Put on a T shirt that says " Hu is a Nazi cocksucker" I'll buy you a plane ticket and you report back later.


----------



## rikules

zzzz said:


> Even though the ruling party still purports to be communist can China really be called communist anymore? In reality, communist countries do not resemble what we envisioned communist countries to look like many years ago. In my opinion they have strayed from the Marxist ideologies of the past and have embraced the capitalistic ideology of the west. Vietnam is another example where a "communist" party runs the government but economically it is capitolistic.
> 
> The only reason they are still called communist is because the party running the country calls themselves communists. In reallity it is a form of dictatorship and eventually internal pressures may cause political changes. I think some of this already happening in China, where the wages have been increased because of worker unhappiness. As the Chinese people become more used to modern day products they will want more and to get these products they will need more money. Eventually this will lead to political pressure and change.
> 
> So in my opinion China is no longer communist. The ruling class (Classes are a violation of communism) calls itself communist but in reality it is not. It has transformed into something else. So what is it?





about 35 years ago one of the wisest people I know (me) said to a friend....

America will become more socialistic
and russia and china will become less communistic

I believe I was right


----------



## Sallow

Douger said:


> Put on a T shirt that says " Hu is a Nazi cocksucker" I'll buy you a plane ticket and you report back later.



No need for a ticket..been there many times.

Most Americans have no idea what it is like.


----------



## Madeline

Sallow said:


> Douger said:
> 
> 
> 
> Put on a T shirt that says " Hu is a Nazi cocksucker" I'll buy you a plane ticket and you report back later.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> No need for a ticket..been there many times.
> 
> Most Americans have no idea what it is like.
Click to expand...


I have a friend who travels to China on business.  Not to cities, but to rural areas.  He has told me stories of child labor camps and body part harvesting that have made me ask him not to tell me any more.

And I believe him.


----------



## rdean

rikules said:


> zzzz said:
> 
> 
> 
> Even though the ruling party still purports to be communist can China really be called communist anymore? In reality, communist countries do not resemble what we envisioned communist countries to look like many years ago. In my opinion they have strayed from the Marxist ideologies of the past and have embraced the capitalistic ideology of the west. Vietnam is another example where a "communist" party runs the government but economically it is capitolistic.
> 
> The only reason they are still called communist is because the party running the country calls themselves communists. In reallity it is a form of dictatorship and eventually internal pressures may cause political changes. I think some of this already happening in China, where the wages have been increased because of worker unhappiness. As the Chinese people become more used to modern day products they will want more and to get these products they will need more money. Eventually this will lead to political pressure and change.
> 
> So in my opinion China is no longer communist. The ruling class (Classes are a violation of communism) calls itself communist but in reality it is not. It has transformed into something else. So what is it?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> about 35 years ago one of the wisest people I know (me) said to a friend....
> 
> America will become more socialistic
> and russia and china will become less communistic
> 
> I believe I was right
Click to expand...


Don't worry, you're not.  China has "unions", but only of they are approved by the state and if they are "state run".  China brings in foreign companies.  The people are paid 51 cents an hour, work 60 to 70 hours a week, live in state run dorms and eat out of cafeterias.  The companies there had to string up safety nets around their buildings as a deterrent to people jumping off roofs.  They have become the number one nation in the world in birth defects due to the immense pollution.

All of that made possible by having a communist government.

The scary thing is Republicans see China as a "model" of new prosperity.  Sad.

Foxconn Installing Safety Nets to Catch Jumpers?

BBC NEWS | Asia-Pacific | China birth defects 'up sharply'

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/29/world/asia/29china.html

China's Water Pollution Twice the Officially Listed Levels : TreeHugger


----------



## jckryan

rdean said:


> rikules said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> zzzz said:
> 
> 
> 
> Even though the ruling party still purports to be communist can China really be called communist anymore? In reality, communist countries do not resemble what we envisioned communist countries to look like many years ago. In my opinion they have strayed from the Marxist ideologies of the past and have embraced the capitalistic ideology of the west. Vietnam is another example where a "communist" party runs the government but economically it is capitolistic.
> 
> The only reason they are still called communist is because the party running the country calls themselves communists. In reallity it is a form of dictatorship and eventually internal pressures may cause political changes. I think some of this already happening in China, where the wages have been increased because of worker unhappiness. As the Chinese people become more used to modern day products they will want more and to get these products they will need more money. Eventually this will lead to political pressure and change.
> 
> So in my opinion China is no longer communist. The ruling class (Classes are a violation of communism) calls itself communist but in reality it is not. It has transformed into something else. So what is it?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> about 35 years ago one of the wisest people I know (me) said to a friend....
> 
> America will become more socialistic
> and russia and china will become less communistic
> 
> I believe I was right
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> Don't worry, you're not.  China has "unions", but only of they are approved by the state and if they are "state run".  China brings in foreign companies.  The people are paid 51 cents an hour, work 60 to 70 hours a week, live in state run dorms and eat out of cafeterias.  The companies there had to string up safety nets around their buildings as a deterrent to people jumping off roofs.  They have become the number one nation in the world in birth defects due to the immense pollution.
> 
> All of that made possible by having a communist government.
> 
> The scary thing is Republicans see China as a "model" of new prosperity.  Sad.
> 
> Foxconn Installing Safety Nets to Catch Jumpers?
> 
> BBC NEWS | Asia-Pacific | China birth defects 'up sharply'
> 
> http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/29/world/asia/29china.html
> 
> China's Water Pollution Twice the Officially Listed Levels : TreeHugger
Click to expand...



Thing is if they had their crap together about ten years ago . . . with their economy finding a foothold . . . they had the perfect opportunity to be a leading nation by example. Instead of building auto factories that relied solely on fossil fuels, when they were REALLY started to sell cars and trucks to their own (millions) and started building more gas stations/highways. They could have led the way with alternative energy vehicles, etc.. Heck, we've educated at least half of their university students for the last twenty years.

Instead . . .


----------



## rdean

jckryan said:


> rdean said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> rikules said:
> 
> 
> 
> about 35 years ago one of the wisest people I know (me) said to a friend....
> 
> America will become more socialistic
> and russia and china will become less communistic
> 
> I believe I was right
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Don't worry, you're not.  China has "unions", but only of they are approved by the state and if they are "state run".  China brings in foreign companies.  The people are paid 51 cents an hour, work 60 to 70 hours a week, live in state run dorms and eat out of cafeterias.  The companies there had to string up safety nets around their buildings as a deterrent to people jumping off roofs.  They have become the number one nation in the world in birth defects due to the immense pollution.
> 
> All of that made possible by having a communist government.
> 
> The scary thing is Republicans see China as a "model" of new prosperity.  Sad.
> 
> Foxconn Installing Safety Nets to Catch Jumpers?
> 
> BBC NEWS | Asia-Pacific | China birth defects 'up sharply'
> 
> http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/29/world/asia/29china.html
> 
> China's Water Pollution Twice the Officially Listed Levels : TreeHugger
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> 
> Thing is if they had their crap together about ten years ago . . . with their economy finding a foothold . . . they had the perfect opportunity to be a leading nation by example. Instead of building auto factories that relied solely on fossil fuels, when they were REALLY started to sell cars and trucks to their own (millions) and started building more gas stations/highways. They could have led the way with alternative energy vehicles, etc.. Heck, we've educated at least half of their university students for the last twenty years.
> 
> Instead . . .
Click to expand...


Their students weren't here studying engineering.  They were studying business.  Today, Republicans can only admire what the Chinese offer the US.  Lower wages, dirty air, dirty water, birth defects and the most important, "Record Profits".


----------



## R.C. Christian

Communism has simply been redefined. You people make me sick with anger when you hint at making excuses for that nation and our leaders who have sold us out to those lowlife dogs.


----------



## Sallow

Madeline said:


> Sallow said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Douger said:
> 
> 
> 
> Put on a T shirt that says " Hu is a Nazi cocksucker" I'll buy you a plane ticket and you report back later.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> No need for a ticket..been there many times.
> 
> Most Americans have no idea what it is like.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> I have a friend who travels to China on business.  Not to cities, but to rural areas.  He has told me stories of child labor camps and body part harvesting that have made me ask him not to tell me any more.
> 
> And I believe him.
Click to expand...


Rural areas are far different then cities. And this is not special to China, either.


----------



## kiarei

If you think that china is becoming less communist you are wrong.  I am chinese and can not even Facebook or have my family come to visit in the US without a good reason.  Even if they do come out, their passport is confiscated so they will not go anywhere other then what that good reason is.  Internet is used only for business, pay is still low and I can buy children for less then $100.00.  What you see on tv or hear is untrue, it is just to make you believe that they are free and not in poverty.


----------



## Kevin_Kennedy

China is communist in name only.  If they were communist their growth would be impossible, and they wouldn't be the major world player they are now.  They'd be a third world impoverished country like they were under Mao.  That doesn't mean that they're not an authoritarian country, because they most certainly are, but one can be authoritarian and not be communist.


----------



## Unkotare

Kevin_Kennedy said:


> China is communist in name only.  If they were communist their growth would be impossible, and they wouldn't be the major world player they are now.  They'd be a third world impoverished country like they were under Mao.  That doesn't mean that they're not an authoritarian country, because they most certainly are, but one can be authoritarian and not be communist.




Good points.


----------



## C_Clayton_Jones

> It was never communist in anything but name. It was just a garden variety dictatorship that borrowed from Marx for its nomenclature.



True. 


> Put on a T shirt that says " Hu is a Nazi cocksucker" I'll buy you a plane ticket and you report back later.





> If you think that china is becoming less communist you are wrong. I am chinese and can not even Facebook or have my family come to visit in the US without a good reason. Even if they do come out, their passport is confiscated so they will not go anywhere other then what that good reason is. Internet is used only for business, pay is still low and I can buy children for less then $100.00. What you see on tv or hear is untrue, it is just to make you believe that they are free and not in poverty.



That would also be the case in a fascist dictatorship, communism never had a monopoly on oppression.


----------



## Mr.Nick

China's domestic economic system is certainly socialist and they're absolutely a communist nation, however their government or elitists are very much capitalists that profit off the international market.

It's certainly a borderline totalitarian state and certainly an authoritarian state.


----------



## Unkotare

Mr.Nick said:


> China's domestic economic system is certainly socialist and they're absolutely a communist nation.





Not so much.


----------



## Baruch Menachem

They are a kleptocratic oligarchy intent on enriching themselves and holding on to power like ticks holding on to a deer.

Ideology went out the window after Mao died.  The kleptocrats decided that ideology was scary would result in folks losing their heads.  

They all went to college and they all took elementary econ.   They know how to run an economy moderately sensibly in a manner that wil enrich themselves

Labels like communist and fascist are useless and stupid.   The only labels that matter are free and bloodthirsty.


----------



## Franticfrank

I would say that if you look at statistics about membership of the communist party in China, you have to say that it is a 'communist country' as such. 82 million members don't lie. Neither does the infalibility of the leadership and countless human rights abuses. Still, I second the opinions here that want Chinese communism redefined. Realistically it is capitalism under a communist umbrella.


----------



## Sallow

Franticfrank said:


> I would say that if you look at statistics about membership of the communist party in China, you have to say that it is a 'communist country' as such. 82 million members don't lie. Neither does the infalibility of the leadership and countless human rights abuses. Still, I second the opinions here that want Chinese communism redefined.* Realistically it is capitalism under a communist umbrella*.



That's just not possible.


----------



## Katzndogz

China is become less communist, even as we are becoming more communist.


----------



## Sallow

Katzndogz said:


> China is become less communist, even as we are becoming more communist.



Neither is happening.


----------



## Unkotare

China is most certainly not what it was in 1978. It is not what it was 20 years ago, or ten, or five. China has in many ways moved away from Communism (but not enough so from Totalitarianism). Not all the way away, but away.


----------

