From Vijay Prashad's Tricontinental Institute and website.
Please check it out and give your thoughts.
It's an long-form article, but not too long, and quite interesting and historical.
For China, socialism cannot simply be limited to the governing manifesto of the ruling party, it should also be a concept and practical resource to rethink public participation and reshape a political community. Amidst the new world landscape and the rise of new forms of production, the new direction of socialism should be seriously considered.
Comintern 2.0
Socialism 3.0 should explore new approaches to correct the abuses caused by capitalism’s dominant position in the global economy, with a focus on improving the living conditions of workers and increasing their control of the means of production, while acknowledging the necessity of a market economy.
International support for socialist revolution
In China, it is necessary to limit the abuses of capital and to improve the status of labour in the production process, in line with the dynamics of industrialisation, and, ultimately, to build a more inclusive and fairer model of industrialisation. This goal obviously cannot be achieved by the spontaneous adjustment of the market and requires the state to ensure and maintain its leadership in the economic domain.
No magic communism button
Today, if the CPC seeks to rebuild its social foundation, it cannot merely make adjustments to its social welfare policies, it must also regenerate its class foundation by broadly improving the living conditions of the working class, achieving a more balanced distribution of income across the country, and raising the position of labour in the industrial system as well as limiting the abuses of capital.
Shanghai in the crosshairs then.
Yeah, all my Chinese friends on WeChat from Mainland China hate Shanghai.
It's the richest and most bougie liberal region of the country. If balancing the distribution of income across the country is to be a goal then its dominant financial power is to get taken apart and spread.
Better than most American cities, but the rent is too high, and corruption is rife.
I live on terf island so I see it more like London in terms of sucking everything in towards its financial power while development that should be happening elsewhere is not because it's more economically efficient in terms of ROI to invest in more infrastructure for the centre of power and wealth than in the places that actually need it. Obviously this is mitigated by China's central planning and massive infrastructure work but it still has similar parallels. A few other cities also have this issue, usually SEZs from what I can tell but I haven't dived into the exactly locations that hard really.
I am particularly interested in the recommendation for them to spread their wings promoting socialism internationally. That stands out to me as the most important. Socialism can not work without defeating capitalism. There is a need to leverage their unique position with a declining US while a socialist state will be seated in such an advantageous position. It's Cold War 2 but roles are reversed where this time the US will end up being the weaker side.
Yes.
A Chinese friend of mine, who lives in Shanghai, hates it, though he knows that historically it was a way to gather more industry and expertise from outside and is a bit like Hong Kong in that respect.
And yes, I also noticed that last part as well...
Still... I doubt that they will do it in the next few years per se. They're already participating in various international conferences and have been in talks with CPUSA, my own org. But I think it's best that they hold off and I think they will do so until really pressed to do so.
The last thing they want is for Cold War II to turn ideological and lose allies that could be pitted against the USA or at least go their own way rather than the Western way (and, technically, Chinese way as well, since they're staunchly against "hegemonism").
Agree. The turn in power needs to solidify first. Right now there is still a certain amount of potential for a disaster to manifest in the form of issues around russia. Once dedollarisation becomes irreversible the landscape completely changes and the next economic crisis will have no easy money printing solution, this will spell complete disaster for the US. The aftermath of this will be a landscape in which China can throw its weight.
Yes, but I also believe that China will still be pretty hands-off compared to, say, the Soviet Union and African liberation.
They are in part maintained by their neutrality, even when they do have an interest. I use "neutrality" here loosely, but you may get what I mean. Their big schtick is being strictly "anti-hegemonism."
Their neutrality has to end at some point, because without doing so socialism 3.0 will hit a wall. That wall will be the issue of integration in the global market vs pursuit of socialism. There comes a point at which you simply can't go further without altering the global market to suit socialist goals, and the only way to do that is to create more socialist states. If they leave it too long the forces of capitalism will successfully undo the problems they've created for themselves through globalisation, rediscover national industries, and disconnect China. This wall is basically inevitable, the contradictions that cause it are discussed in this very article.
Not surprising given that the BBC often waxxed poetic about Shanghai because of how "Western" it was.
Longway Foundation
The Beijing Longway Economic and Social Research Foundation (北京修远经济与社会研究基金会, Běijīng xiū yuǎn jīngjì yǔ shèhuì yánjiū jījīn huì) was founded in 2009 with the following purpose: to study the crisis of cultural continuity in modern China and promote cultural confidence and cultural autonomy in Chinese society. The foundation’s research explores how changes in China’s social structure have shaped the country’s cultural development and led to the rise of new social classes with distinct cultural and political orientations.
Didn't really like the alpha build. Glad they changed things in the new beta launched in 2013. Looking forward for full release.
Alpha build - Dengism Beta build - Xi starts his term full release - Xi Presses the communism button
It's a great read. Best to keep it in a separate tab and read in bits here and there until you finish it.
