NationStates Jolt Archive


Which communist state will last the longest?

Apennines
01-05-2005, 20:35
Of the five existing communist states (China, Cuba, North Korea, Laos, and Vietnam), which one do you think'll stay around the longest?

My vote goes to China, although it has so much capitalism in it that it wouldn't be fair to call it a communist state.

Your thoughts. :)
Lancamore
01-05-2005, 20:38
Of the five existing communist states (China, Cuba, North Korea, Laos, and Vietnam), which one do you think'll stay around the longest?

My vote goes to China, although it has so much capitalism in it that it wouldn't be fair to call it a communist state.

Your thoughts. :)
Laos. Nobody seems to know/care about it.

China, Cuba, and Vietnam are not really communist anymore, just dictatorships. Gradual evolution toward capitalism and eventually democracy.

North Korea could collapse or get the smackdown within years. I don't see it lasting very long.
Ashmoria
01-05-2005, 20:39
china is communist in name only, its a party dictatorship. vietnam isnt far behind them. i have NO idea about laos.

while cuba is paradise compared to north korea, its leader is much older. i chose NK just because of the relative youth of kim.
Europaland
01-05-2005, 20:41
A Communist state itself is impossible since a Communist society wouldn't have any state but I assume you mean Socialist countries which say they aim to achieve Communism. China or Vietnam can not apply to either definition since they have abandoned Socialist economics and follow free market policies but out of the countries left I would say the Cuban government will last the longest since they remain popular among the population and have made considerable progress in areas like health and education.
Revionia
01-05-2005, 20:46
A Communist state itself is impossible since a Communist society wouldn't have any state but I assume you mean Socialist countries which aim to achieve Communism. China or Vietnam can not apply to either definition since they have abandoned Socialist economics and follow free market policies but out of the countries left I would say the Cuban government will last the longest since they remain popular among the population and have made considerable progress in areas like health and education.

Seconded!


Really, none of those countries are really following true Socialism; Cuba being the closest...North Korea is really just Fabianist, not really even Marxist anymore, following a new ideology called "Juche". China, Vietnam and Laos might have pretty red flags, but is nowhere near Socialism.

I would rank Venezeula higher than Cuba though.
Wisjersey
01-05-2005, 20:46
What about Belarus?
Warta Endor
01-05-2005, 20:47
I think Cuba. It isn't in danger of "forced regime change" and the people seem to be happy. Only thing is: Good Old Fidel won't last more than 5 years. I saw him on TV with the 1st of may celebrations and he looked damn old and tired.
Revionia
01-05-2005, 20:49
What about Belarus?

President Lukashenko launched the country on the path of "market socialism" in 1995,

market socialism is a sorry joke, its pretty much what China is doing now; which also has been labelled by the CCP as "market socialism".
Revionia
01-05-2005, 20:52
I think Cuba. It isn't in danger of "forced regime change" and the people seem to be happy. Only thing is: Good Old Fidel won't last more than 5 years. I saw him on TV with the 1st of may celebrations and he looked damn old and tired.

They do have a democractic system set up in Cuba though; so I wouldn't say that Cuba will collapse along with Fidel nessecarily. Maybe, but I wouldn't take it for granted...


(Workers') Democracy in Cuba:
http://www.leninism.org/stream/99/mll/0512-danchr.asp

http://www.canadiandimension.mb.ca/v37/v37_4kw.htm
Andaluciae
01-05-2005, 20:55
I said Vietnam, chiefly because no one cares about it, and it has a self-perpetuating government. It can exist from leader-to-leader.

As compared to Cuba, who has only had one leader in the past fifty years. Cuba is held together by a personality cult around Fidel.

I'd also expect NK to fall sooner or later.

China will probably do a gentle transition to some form of capitalism eventually.

Laos, nobody cares about Laos. It doesn't matter.
Andaluciae
01-05-2005, 20:55
They do have a democractic system set up in Cuba though; so I wouldn't say that Cuba will collapse along with Fidel nessecarily. Maybe, but I wouldn't take it for granted...


(Workers') Democracy in Cuba:
http://www.leninism.org/stream/99/mll/0512-danchr.asp

http://www.canadiandimension.mb.ca/v37/v37_4kw.htm
If by democratic you mean one party...

Oh, and both sites are propaganda.
Revionia
01-05-2005, 20:58
Parties are not needed in a workers' democracy, the Communist Party is an embodiment of the peoples' will :) , there are several factions within the Communist Party, even liberal and religous ones.
People in Cuba are NOT elected by party campaigns but by if people trust them to competant and will work hard to serve the people of Cuba. Its a rather good system. There are quite alot of women serve in the Cuban government now.
Its a different type of democracy that is not a "rich man's democracy" which is not ruled by the dollar, but by labor. You don't just meekly vote every four years for your king; but democracy is spread all across daily life, in the workplace, it is democractically run by the workers as well.

Oh, and both sites are propaganda.

Great way of backing up your claims. :rolleyes: I could call anything propaganda and get away with it.
Nekone
01-05-2005, 21:00
oh oh oh.. I know which state...















Denial... :D
Andaluciae
01-05-2005, 21:01
Parties are not needed in a workers' democracy, the Communist Party is an embodiment of the peoples' will :) , there are several factions within the Communist Party, even liberal and religous ones.
People in Cuba are NOT elected by party campaigns but by if people trust them to competant and will work hard to server the people of Cuba. Its a rather good system. There are quite alot of women serve in the Cuban government now.
Its a different type of democracy that is not a "rich man's democracy" which ruled by the dollar, but by labor.
Stop spewing propaganda. Please. What if the people want a party besides the communist party? How does the communist party magically know the people's will? What about freedom of association? Oh wait, those are "bourgeouis rights." I know the marxy-jargon.
Andaluciae
01-05-2005, 21:03
Great way of backing up your claims. :rolleyes: I could call anything propaganda and get away with it.
You can tell propaganda fairly easily, first there's the incredibly happy picture that it attempts to paint. (see: foxnews) There's the brushing aside of negatives. The worshipful tone. And the website name can also be used (leninism.org, come on man.)
Revionia
01-05-2005, 21:05
Stop spewing propaganda. Please. What if the people want a party besides the communist party? How does the communist party magically know the people's will? What about freedom of association? Oh wait, those are "bourgeouis rights." I know the marxy-jargon.

The Communist Party of Cuba is not like other parties; its an organization not only for political progressivism, but a social and economic organization that members of all of Cuban society are apart of in helping run their country on a democractic and mutual basis.
The Communist Party of Cuba should really even be called a "party" really, because it isn't; its not a elitist party full of beaucractic hacks and fat old men like the Democractic and Republican parties. Unlike those two parties; the Communist Party is involved in community projects.
Andaluciae
01-05-2005, 21:10
The Communist Party of Cuba is not like other parties; its an organization not only for political progressivism, but a social and economic organization that members of all of Cuban society are apart of in helping run their country on a democractic and mutual basis.
Well then, shouldn't they be free to go off and form/join their own parties? How does that keep them out of the ability to help run the country, besides the fact that other parties are banned as "reactionaries" and "fascists" of course.

The Communist Party of Cuba should really even be called a "party" really, because it isn't; its not a elitist party full of beaucractic hacks and fat old men like the Democractic and Republican parties. Unlike those two parties; the Communist Party is involved in community projects.
I seem to notice a certain bureaucratic old hack and fat old man sitting on the top of the pile in Cuba. And I've seen republicans and democrats help out in their community, not necesarilly through their party (mainly because we Americans like to minimize the role of politics in our lives) but on their own all over the place.
Lancamore
01-05-2005, 22:00
The Communist Party of Cuba is not like other parties; its an organization not only for political progressivism, but a social and economic organization that members of all of Cuban society are apart of in helping run their country on a democractic and mutual basis.
The Communist Party of Cuba should really even be called a "party" really, because it isn't; its not a elitist party full of beaucractic hacks and fat old men like the Democractic and Republican parties. Unlike those two parties; the Communist Party is involved in community projects.
Wow.... a real live Communist!

Did you know that Hamas is also very involved in community projects?
Wisjersey
01-05-2005, 22:10
I think Cuba. It isn't in danger of "forced regime change" and the people seem to be happy. Only thing is: Good Old Fidel won't last more than 5 years. I saw him on TV with the 1st of may celebrations and he looked damn old and tired.

Oh right, Fidel is old. Curiously, a good friend of mine actually lost a bet that he and Pope John Paul II would die on the same day... :D
Free Soviets
01-05-2005, 22:19
China will probably do a gentle transition to some form of capitalism eventually.

it already did. it's got wage labor and it's got private ownership of the means of production (by foreign capitalists, no less). hell, even most of it's state-run enterprises are at least partially privately owned. and they don't even have free healthcare.
Apennines
02-05-2005, 01:43
bump
Roach-Busters
02-05-2005, 01:46
You forgot Zimbabwe and Angola. And soon (probably), Venezuela.
Mystic Mindinao
02-05-2005, 01:57
Laos. China and Vietnam already have too much capitalism to really be communist. Cuba seems poised to move away from it once Castro dies. And cracks are starting to show in North Korea's regime, and war , while unlikely, is not impossible.
Laos will survive, as it is remote, isolated, and not that big on the international stage.
Lancamore
02-05-2005, 02:00
Laos. China and Vietnam already have too much capitalism to really be communist. Cuba seems poised to move away from it once Castro dies. And cracks are starting to show in North Korea's regime, and war , while unlikely, is not impossible.
Laos will survive, as it is remote, isolated, and not that big on the international stage.

Laos. Nobody seems to know/care about it.

China, Cuba, and Vietnam are not really communist anymore, just dictatorships. Gradual evolution toward capitalism and eventually democracy.

North Korea could collapse or get the smackdown within years. I don't see it lasting very long.
We rock. High five!!
Free Soviets
02-05-2005, 02:17
oh, and vietnam is working on becoming a member of the frelling wto. so i'd say any pretensions towards keeping up the charade are long dead.
Imperial Guard
02-05-2005, 02:52
China-Why are they even on this list? What many people don't realize is that China is communist in NAME only.

Vietnam-Not far behind China, they are also encouraging outside investment, and as someone mentioned before they are trying to get into the WTO.

Cuba- Meh who knows what will happen after Castro bites it, closest thing to communism right now. If the propaganda coming out of Cuba are true, I suppose Cuba is a contender.

NK-North Korea communist? More like a psychotic dictatorship with a basket case economy.

Laos-Since I know very little about Laos, my vote goes here.
Roach-Busters
02-05-2005, 02:53
oh, and vietnam is working on becoming a member of the frelling wto. so i'd say any pretensions towards keeping up the charade are long dead.

The WTO is an organization contrived by communists. Like the UN, it's foremost goal is the destruction of national sovereignty, which is one of the communists' number one goals.
Ravea
02-05-2005, 03:01
Cuba, becuase Fidel Castro is Immortal.
Imperial Guard
02-05-2005, 03:02
The WTO is an organization contrived by communists. Like the UN, it's foremost goal is the destruction of national sovereignty, which is one of the communists' number one goals.
Good this crap planet needs some sort of Unified Government.
Soviet Narco State
02-05-2005, 03:16
This notion that China is capitalist is false. They made a LOT of market reforms, but still within the framework of a socialist society. The state still controls vital sectors of the economy--heavy industry, high-tech, armaments, energy and telecommunications. The state owned enterpises provide a huge amount of tax revenue for the state, and those that aren't are kept afloat by the nationalized banks, unless the government decides to allow them to go under.

Most of the special economic zones are located in the South East of China along the coast. In the deep interior of China, the options for trade are not as great, and the society remains mostly operated on a more socialist basis.

That being said China by leaps and bounds is best able to defend itself. Any third rate american president facing a monica lewinsky type sex scandal could with the wave of his hand order the US military to crush Cuba, or Laos and probably vietnam and North Korea as well but at a much higher cost.

I voted Cuba as the one most likely to survive since I think that there is a pretty good chance communism will sweep through Latin America. I could definitely envision Brazil, Venezeuala, Columbia and other South American countries going communist. If this situation occurs Cuban Communsim will greatly be strenghthened. Sooner or later the leaders of China and Vietnam will probably just decide to become capitalists and get rich like in USSR. However it seems like in Cuba ordinary people are still inspired by, and support communism to a much greater degree.