this post was submitted on 23 Aug 2026
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[–] A_be_seedy@beehaw.org -3 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Do you mind defining:

-Capitalism (or the US's economy, taking into account utilities, imperialism, and government sectors such as military/oil)

-Socialist Market Economy

[–] Cowbee@lemmy.ml 6 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Capitalism is a mode of production and distribution where private ownership is the principal aspect of the economy (ie rising, dominant, and in control of the commanding heights), and the capitalist class controls the state. Imperialism as a stage in capitalism is where bank and industrial capital monopolize and consolidate, creating finance capital, which pivots to export of capital rather than simple commodities. Since the state is capitalist, the public sector serves the capitalist class above all else.

Socialism is a mode of production and distribution where public ownership is the principal aspect of the economy, and the working classes control the state. The socialist market economy is a form of developing socialism where marketization is employed in a controlled manner to support the development of the productive forces, which are the bedrock of developed socialism. Just as public ownership in capitalism is not socialism, private ownership in the context of a socialist system is not capitalism either.

[–] A_be_seedy@beehaw.org -1 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

Just as public ownership in capitalism is not socialism, private ownership in the context of a socialist system is not capitalism either.

Well, if you declare it.

Please explain how utilities are seen between the 2 different systems. Utilities seem to both operate on the same principals in the US and China, in such, that the people elect a government who then sets the price while heavily regulating for maximum efficiency

[–] Cowbee@lemmy.ml 4 points 1 day ago (1 children)

In both capitalism and socialism, the state exists to support the ruling class, capitalists in capitalism and workers in socialism. To a certain extent, both capitalists and workers need utilities to continue society, but the nature of how they operate in different systems is stark. In the US, for example, fossil fuels dominate the energy market, because wealthy capitalists are antagonistic towards green energy as they derive their wealth from fossil fuels. In China, renewables are expanding at a staggering rate. The ultimate purpose of utilities in capitalism is to maintain and expand capitalist profits, while the ultimate purpose of utilities in socialism is the well-being of all.

Elections are not the same as class control. No matter who you elect in the US, there will only be servants of capital. No matter who is elected in China, there will only be servants of the workers. Both systems can only be changed by revolution or counterrevolution, individuals working within either system cannot reform it to the other. The question of class struggle is one settled through force, not the ballot box.

[–] A_be_seedy@beehaw.org 1 points 1 day ago (1 children)

What keeps corruption out of China's government?

[–] Cowbee@lemmy.ml 4 points 1 day ago (1 children)

There is corruption, but it's regularly purged and kept in check by a combination of whole-process people's democracy, and the practice of democratic centralism within the CPC. Corruption existing is just a problem systems have to deal with.

[–] A_be_seedy@beehaw.org 1 points 22 hours ago (1 children)

So its the structure if the democracy as opposed to the capitalism vs socialism?

[–] Cowbee@lemmy.ml 1 points 11 hours ago (1 children)

No? It's the socialist system that allows for democracy, without socialism the only democracy is for the capitalist class.

[–] A_be_seedy@beehaw.org 1 points 10 hours ago (1 children)

Again, how?

In the US I can point to specific moments where we see how democracy is degraded by the pedophile class, such as in 2010 when the courts struck down Section 203 of the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act, allowing for super PACs to corrupt politics. Similarly there has been a loosening on monopolies more recently. These are slippery slope items, not inevitabilities. .

Unions in the Industrial Revolution, followed by a period of degradation as people got comfortable, followed by FDR's coalition, followed by a period of degradation. I'm not arguing things were ever perfect, I'm more so arguing that in any system, as people get comfortable corruption increases because there is less memory of why the protections exist in the first place. If the US survives this one, I hope we invest more in civics education, in addition to thr advances we made in education prior, and make voting mandatory. And introduce ranked choice. But I'm failing to see what makes communism uniquely corruption proof - especially considering that there is a single politic party that controls the elections.

[–] Cowbee@lemmy.ml 1 points 8 hours ago

The reason why concessions erode in capitalist states is because capitalists control the state, and only give concessions when they need to. Bread and circuses aren't democracy. Ranked choice, mandatory voting cannot change the fact that the US is a capitalist system.

Moreover, I never said socialist systems or communism are "corruption proof," just that the class in control is the working class. This means society works for and represents the working classes.

Also unsure why you dodged that what you stated you hope happens implicitly states that you are okay with imperialism continuing.