Re: China's "Communist" Status

[Brian Basgen <brian@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Boone,

  On true Communism, China is not. Dennis remarked about the global
economy, and Chinese dependence on it; this goes a long way in
explaining how far China is from Communism. China can only be
actively in the process towards Communism when the world is in that
process, until then it can try to hold itself up the transitionary
stage, i.e. in Socialism, and try to keep itself from slipping
backward into capitalism, but it cannot step forward into Communism
without the world stepping with it, and it is always incomparably
closer to reverting to Capitalism than nearing to Communism on the
stage of the world today.

  On Marx. One of the easiest to acces works by Marx on the subject is
the Critique of the Gotha programme, particularly section four.
   http://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1870/gotha/index.htm


  Also, for clarification of the stages towards Communism, have a look
at Lenin's State and Revolution, particularly Chapter 5:
  http://www.marxists.org/archive/lenin/works/1917/sep/staterev/index.htm


  On your question of the function of true communism. No Marxist has
ever or can ever explain this until at least the world is in
Socialism; Communist society is far too seperate from our present
stage in historical development to know it by any measure except
generally and abstractly. For some information to this effect, have a
look at the Encyclopedia of Marxism, which has collected some quotes
on descriptions of Communist society:
  http://www.marxists.org/glossary/terms/c/o.htm#communism


  Finally, you asked about how Marx explained the proletariat would
use the State. This is largely the reason for that thing you have
heard of called "Marxism-Leninism", because Lenin elaborated in
greater detail (because of much more practical experience) the
workings of the proletarian government. Marx and Engels explained in
general terms, in the Class Struggles in France, the Housing
Question, Critique of the Gotha Programme, Socialism: Utopian and
Scientific, etc.

  Hope this helps.


Regards,

  Brian Basgen
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"In those days, after the defeat of the Paris Commune, history made
slow organisational and educational work the task of the day."

Vladimir Lenin, Tasks of the Proletariat in Our Revolution
  http://www.marxists.org/archive/lenin/works/1917/apr/tasks/ch12.htm