This graph is important

It’s based on the writings of professor Cheng Enfu, President of the Academy of Marxism at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) and Director of the Academic Division of Marxist Studies of CASS.

Socialism and communism are not one and done processes. They are gradual changes, both Marx and Lenin have addressed this extensively. We can’t just instantly press the big communism button unfortunately.

Here’s a paper that goes way more in depth on the professor’s definitions: https://guilfordjournals.com/doi/pdf/10.1521/siso.2022.86.2.159

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  • jatone@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
    1·
    22 days ago

    I was careful with my word choices. I said communism not leftists theories generally. Communism is by definition a state managed/centrally planned economy.

    I have no issue with left wing movements in general. My criticism is of centrally managed governments regardless of their origin.

    And I do believe its possible to structure a society align left wing values. just not through communism, at least not in a way that is stable.

    • purplemeowanon@lemmy.mlEnglish
      1·
      2 days ago

      i guess that the point i’m trying to make is that communism doesn’t mean central management. in fact, my personal definition of communism, in my mind, or at least to my understanding, contradicts highly authoritarian, centralized, or totalitarian government. you can’t have a classless, stateless society and also a CEO/dictator/president supported by an upper-caste/class of first-class citizens/oligarchs. what i disagree with you on is your conflation of communism with authoritarianism, something i’ve seen both pro- and anti-communists do

      don’t let tankies re-define the real meaning of communism, which is worker control, not central control

      • jatone@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
        1·
        17 hours ago

        You’re making up a personal definition of communism just like you’re accusing the tankies of, which is fine. But neither you or the tankies get to assert what communism is or is not.

        And no, I’m not conflating communism with authoritarianism. I’m asserting that communism’s centrally managed economy tends to collapse into authoritarianism by being highly susceptible to corruption. Again, I’ve been very careful in my word choice this entire time.

        You disagree all you wish, you’re disagreeing with ideas I have not asserted. And I dont particularly have a problem with anything you’ve said outside of terms and definitions. I’ve mostly been debunking what you’ve been thinking I’ve said.

        To recap:

        • My only issue this entire time has been with centrally planned/organized systems.
        • I’m perfectly fine asserting there are plenty of stable ways to organize left wing governance.
        • My main issue with communism is that a defining feature of it is a centrally planned economy and governance.
        • I have not asserted communism is inherently authoritarian, only that its defining features tend to be unstable and collapse into authoritarian power structures.