I agree with almost everything you've said here, but I'm interested to hear more about 'the state is run by the proletariat' because I just don't see it personally

[–] Cowbee@hexbear.net 4 points 23 hours ago* (last edited 23 hours ago) (1 children)

CGTN has a cool graphic on the makeup of the NPC. One thing that's also important is looking at the makeup of the NPC:

And that's just at the top level. All throughout, China's system of New Democracy involves mass participation at multiple rungs, in a party of 100 million, and gets policy from the working classes outside the party as well. Consensus building is core to China's model of democracy. Futher, capitalists are regularly executed, expropriated, or otherwise held in check by the state, which instead directs production towards infrastructure and social development.

Public ownership is the principle aspect of the economy as well, meaning the worker-run state has power over the capitalists. The economy is often described as a birdcage model for capitalists. The PRC isn't the soviet model, but it's a model that seems to be working rather well, and more importantly has proven to consistently be able to adapt and change to cover its own shortcomings over time, meaning their problems are more likely to be resolved as time goes on.

[–] Andrzej3K@hexbear.net 3 points 20 hours ago (1 children)

Thanks for the effort reply (and merry Christmas!) I think I just find it hard to square the working conditions in China with what I think of when I hear the term 'dictatorship of the proletariat.' Imo it's definitely fair to say that the capitalists are not calling the shots, but it seems more like rule of the middle/administrative class to me? And maybe that's the optimal system at this point in history, who can say

[–] Cowbee@hexbear.net 2 points 15 hours ago

Capitalists largely govern the medium firms, but systems like the CPC's golden share prevent them from acting willy nilly. Smaller firms are either cooperatives or petty bourgeois. The bourgeoisie does not have political power, because they do not control the commanding heights of industry. The rubber factory has control over the rubber ball factory, as an example.

To a degree, you're correct in hinting at the social safety nets being more comprehensive in the past in China, but at the same time real wages have dramatically increased year over year. China's economy is one filled with contradictions, and is one that has changed dynamically over the years, yet in all that time the proletariat has had control over the state and the bourgeoisie been under its thumb.

ProleWiki has a great page on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics, same with Qiao Collective.

And merry Christmas!