On Sun, 7 Jan 2001, Damien Broderick wrote:
> >Do you consider China to be communist, Damien? Seems to me that it is in
> >name only. Looks to me to be any example of oligarchic crony capitalism,
> >with a handful of social services thrown in.
>
> Whereas the USSR was---?
A full command economy, with central market planning, almost complete
state ownership of industry, no banking system to speak of, and no stock
market. Private enterprise offically discouraged, and all but illegal at
larger than mom and pop scale. None of which applies to China now, save
possibly partial state ownership of industry, depending on how you define
"state" and "ownership" (hence the comment on "crony capitalism".)
May not have been "communism", but a far cry from what China has now.
> (Well, maybe some of their social services were better. Sure as shit better
> than now, but that's a different thread.)
Yep. "Basket case" is being kind.
steve
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