AES- Actually-Existing Socialism
Edit: Dictatorship of the Proletariat + Predominant, collective ownership and control of the economy = AES?
AES- Actually-Existing Socialism
Edit: Dictatorship of the Proletariat + Predominant, collective ownership and control of the economy = AES?
I would definitely classify the Chinese state as operating in the interest of the people, but I don't know how useful that is as a delineation. I only think that way because I agree with them that SWCC is a sound model and they will eventually arrive at a mode of production that is fully controlled by the proletariat. But I'd prefer if the definition of DOTP didn't depend on a future hypothetical.
E: thinking about it a little more, I think that your second touchstone could be phrased a little differently and it would work. "Is the government pursuing the betterment of conditions for the working class in contradiction to the will of the capitalist class?". I think it works better because it's a claim that can be falsified a lot easier but also shown to be true.
I agree that your phrasing of the second touchstone is an improvement. As for tying this to a future hypothetical, I don't think we have to do that: you can see plenty of things China and other AES states are currently doing that benefit the people at the expense of capital. I think you can call it a DOTP as long as you have a government that keeps doing that -- keeps moving in the right direction -- and that is not simply doing minor liberal improvements while largely operating at the behest of capital.