Whatever happened to "The PEOPLE'S Republic of China"?

[NAO]

I remember when all the images of China were of people riding bicycles. If you asked them if they owned their bicycles, they would snap to attention and say that NO, of course not; the bicycles belonged to THE PEOPLE. They rode THE PEOPLE'S bicycles to THE PEOPLES factories and worked making clothes for THE PEOPLE, as the Great Charmain MAO had taught.

(Granted, this image comes largely from John Candy's character in the 1985 film "Volunteers", but I assume it had some basis in fact.)

Nowadays when I see footage from China they are talking about how they are going to give THEIR kids a COMPETITIVE advantage over other kids. THEIR kids? COMPETITIVE advantage? WWCMS? ("What Would Chairman Mao Say?")

Seriously, how and when did the Chinese abandon the teachings of Precious Chairman Mao and begin towing the capitalist imperialist line like a bunch of Free Market worshiping Milton Friedman dupes?

Do they still have little books of the words of Chairman Mao? Is he even pictured on their coins any more?

Anyone have any history on this transformation?

[kurth]

1. Yep, the Chairman is still on the money

http://www.chinatoday.com/fin/mon/

But his teachings have been corrupted into oblivion.

[Warren Stupidity]

2. Totalitarian state socialism devolves into totalitarian corporatism.

China is quite simply a fascist system.

[Joe Chi Minh]

3. The Western capitalist psychos finally got their way. As they did in

Russia, until Putin put the brakes on.

It was an absolute feeding-frenzy-in-waiting until they got their way, and of course the Tianaman Square crackdown was held up as an unparalleled atrocity. Well, I'm sorry but millions, perhaps billions, are now facing premature deaths as a result of the naive desires of those protestors finding their fulfilment.

[DerBeppo]

5. never thought I'd read someone taking the side of the tank. -nt-

[Joe Chi Minh]

6. Well, life's full of surprises for those prepared to swallow our immoral MSM

propaganda without question.

There would be millions of Chinese, now homeless and jobless, who would be totally disgusted with your inability to see the larger picture, in your smug, predatory, capitalist affluence. And with good reason.

[Igel]

8. I assume that China as a socialist state had the same morality

as the USSR as a socialist state.

It was in charge of manufacturing, building, and upholding environmental standards.

In the USSR, it resulted in a few widespread blotches of radioactive soil, millions of barrels of oil poured out over the taiga, Lake Baikal polluted to make paper pulp, millions of acres of old growth forest cut down, millions killed for ideology, and, well, the Aral Sea pretty much destroyed, and the land around it to saline to grow much. You see, when DuPont is in charge of making and implement water and air quality standards, you die. And a totalitarian socialist government is no better than a totalitarian fascist government, except for the precious little word "socialist".

The Chinese coal mines didn't become death traps under capitalism, desertification in the NW didn't start 15 years ago, and the polluted rivers and streams differ only qualitatively from how they were 20 years ago: The country was industrializing and pollution was increasing by leaps and bounds. What capitalism has done is get them there faster than socialism would have, which also means many people are (a) poorer than under socialism, but also many are (b) better off than under socialism.

Presumably in the very near future the public outcry will be what it was in this country a bit before the Clean Water Act, and as in the 1950s in the US, Chinese water and air quality will start improving, in the main.

[Joe Chi Minh]

12. '(a) poorer than under socialism, but also many are (b) better off than under socialism.'

No. Not quite. Many more were better off under Socialism.

Of course, the Soviet ruling class was probably not a whole lot better than their capitalist counterparts in some significant regards, one of which you cite: environmental responsibility.

The point to bear in mind, however, is that the Communist/Socialist system tended to make honest men of them, against their natural proclivities as worldly-wise politicians. Rather like the Socialist/Labour party in the UK after WWII. The actual Government contained some of the vilest people imaginable, but they were unable to resist the main thrust of the measures promoted by the idealists, such as the Webbs and of course, the party's founder, Keir Hardy.

The people must have realised that WWII was the poisoned fruit of the far right, which had held sway before the war. It wasn't so long before the war that Hitler and Mussolini were being lionised as heroes by the Tory politicians and their media, press and radio. And, of course, the primary saviours of Europe, the Russians, execrated.

I say primary, because, if the Russians had not broken the back of the Russian army at Stalingrad and Kursk, at immense cost in the lives of its citizens, I doubt if it would have been possible politically for Roosevelt to continue sending troops to fight against a rampant Wermacht in the European theatre, in spite of Pearl Harbour.

On the other hand, were it not for the Americans, we'd probably be speaking Russian now. Not that we'd have been worse off than under this present kleptocracy, even though the Russians would have been plundering our natural resoruces for domestic use. The British people don't seem to have prospered a whole lot from the North Sea gas and oil bonanza. In fact, even before Iraq II, we were paying some of the highest prices in the world for our petrol - mostly by way of a flat tax.

[dogman]

4. Welcome to Global Fascism.

While Russia and China are still called communist by the right wing, they like US have become Fascist. The politburo has taken the reins of industry and converted it to personal wealth. The military and government leaders have had held power and lived privileged lives for years. Now it has become accepted as westernization is looked upon favorably and they have come out of the closet with no fear of reprisal or accountability.

[Frogger]

7. I guess it was

when they discovered that they were not succeeding with Mao's programs.

[Greyhound]

9. The People's Republic was just a myth, same as We the People is.

The conversion of China began in earnest in the late 70's when IBM, among others, began pouring $$$ into the pockets of the "Party Leaders".

Just like here.

[Progressive Friend]

10. I think China is inspiring

China's economy is still around 50% in the public sector. For example, that is much, much more than any Western European country, which are sometimes incorrectly labeled "socialist." Mao imagery is still all over the place too. I think that if progressives support Hugo Chavez, why not support China? They aren't very different ideologically (i.e. market-socialism).

In addition, when China, a country with a mixed economy, becomes largest economic force in the world this century, that will be a devastating blow to extreme neo-liberal ideologues (i.e. the "privatize everything" crowd). China's amazing rise is a world historic event IMO.

[robcon]

11. I think you should ask the 23 million people Mao killed.

If you could find them.