if you do not do the full version of this political quiz and post the results, you have no balls

[Oberon]

Where would you put Jinping's China on the spectrum?

Left wing for sure but why do you ask?

[yzb25]

Left wing for sure but why do you ask?

I wasn't trying to make a point or pull some kinda gotcha. I was literally curious because to me China is a country that really doesn't fit onto the political spectrum in a clear way. They identify as a Leninist state and all the land is technically state-owned plus the CPC has at least 20% ownership of every company but they employ heavy free market mechanics and are deeply classist. I think countries like China demonstrate the shortcomings of the left-right political spectrum as a classification system, as well as the limitations of trying to class every economic system as simply capitalist or communist.

[yzb25]

I wasn't trying to make a point or pull some kinda gotcha. I was literally curious because to me China is a country that really doesn't fit onto the political spectrum in a clear way. They identify as a Leninist state and all the land is technically state-owned plus the CPC has at least 20% ownership of every company but they employ heavy free market mechanics and are deeply classist. I think countries like China demonstrate the shortcomings of the political spectrum as a classification system, as well as the limitations of trying to class every economic system as simply capitalist or communist.

Basically, he mentioned arguments about the classification of nazism so I took a shot in the dark and asked if he had a take.

[Oberon]

Basically, he mentioned arguments about the classification of nazism so I took a shot in the dark and asked if he had a take.

I am not very knowledgeable about economics, but my impression was that while China has a more liberal economy than say the Soviet Union, they still heavily regulate it (e.g. state capitalism ?) is

[yzb25]

I am not very knowledgeable about economics, but my impression was that while China has a more liberal economy than say the Soviet Union, they still heavily regulate it (e.g. state capitalism ?) is

I think China is probably best understood as "nuanced communism". When capitalist economies started out, they had a hardcore laissez faire approach with child miners and no social safety net and very little state interference. We realized that it was inhumane and extremely inefficient, so we moved towards a more "nuanced" capitalism, with the state owning lots of public utilities, transport and healthcare, as well as micromanaging the crap out of companies. There's more regulation than one person could ever read. The same thing happened in China but in reverse.

[Oberon]

I think China is probably best understood as "nuanced communism". When capitalist economies started out, they had a hardcore laissez faire approach with child miners and no social safety net and very little state interference. We realized that it was inhumane and extremely inefficient, so we moved towards a more "nuanced" capitalism, with the state owning lots of public utilities, transport and healthcare, as well as micromanaging the crap out of companies. There's more regulation than one person could ever read. The same thing happened in China but in reverse.

That’s one way of looking at it, I suppose.
Something i find really interesting (and that people never really seem to talk about) is the evolution of economics. From the slave-labour factories of Greek Antiquity through feudalism, mercantilism and finally capitalism.

[yzb25]

That’s one way of looking at it, I suppose.
Something i find really interesting (and that people never really seem to talk about) is the evolution of economics. From the slave-labour factories of Greek Antiquity through feudalism, mercantilism and finally capitalism.

I'd totally read a thread on that but I don't think we'd be able to keep the conversation going LOL.

I'd be intrigued to read a book on older economic systems if you know a good one. I've been on the last chapter of "What Terrorists Want" for half a year now lol.

[Oberon]

I wasn't trying to make a point or pull some kinda gotcha. I was literally curious because to me China is a country that really doesn't fit onto the political spectrum in a clear way. They identify as a Leninist state and all the land is technically state-owned plus the CPC has at least 20% ownership of every company but they employ heavy free market mechanics and are deeply classist. I think countries like China demonstrate the shortcomings of the left-right political spectrum as a classification system, as well as the limitations of trying to class every economic system as simply capitalist or communist.

I see. Maybe the mistake is in seeing capitalism/communism as purely black and white (you’re either a communist or a capitalist). There’s lots of middle ground and China is somewhere in between those two.