You make a compelling point, although I would like to focus on the term "marginalized" in your argument. Leftist views are indeed "marginalized" in China now if that means that they are no longer in charge of government media. On the level of theoretical debate, particularly internal debate where policy decisions are affected, leftist views continue to keep the government on the defensive constantly and effectively. The latest evidence is the effect such views have on Zhu Rongji's boast of a solution to the SOE problem within 3 years, made almost 2 years ago. The SOE problem has not even been fully defined, let along solved at this writing. Much of the delay is due to leftist sentiments that permeate the Chinese consciousness. In that sense, leftists ideas have not been "marginalized". In Chinese politics, appearance is frequently misleading, as you know. If you followed the official press before the re-emergence of Deng Xiaoping, you would not have predicted that he would be rehabilitated, until on that fateful day when many party members were astonished to find him standing alone awkwardly in the Great Hall of the People after decades of political exile.
I joined this list only recently, so quite possibly I missed many earlier postings, such as the ones you mentioned. But I think I answered Louis Proyect's two postings consisting reprints from the WSJ and an article by Sweeny from the Heritage Foundation (that bastion of progressive thought!), at least to the extend such dated and biased material deserved an answer. What is the message? A coalition between the New Left and the New Right against the center? I have yet to hear from Proyect about his personal views which from time to time I find interesting on other subjects on which I do not considered myself well informed. Perhaps I am either not academic enough or informed enough to deserve a direct response (which I must say is not a very Marxist attitude), or perhaps he has better fish to fry.
As for Greenfield, Leung and Lau, I am not familiar with their views (my fault), and I would appreciate if your would be kind enough to either summarize them for me and point me towards accessing them electronically. Unfortunately, I do not have ready physical access to an academic library, having left an academic career some years ago to play the game of market capitalism in NY. And I am grateful to be allowed to post on a Marxist list, really I am, and I ask forbearance in judging my postings on general intelligence rather than academic sophistication. I am not a self professed Marxist (that is why I always spell the word with a small m), but I am aware that my views have been fundamentally affected of marxist concepts. As such I do not feel any need to be exegetically authentic or doctrinally correct. It is my limitation, but I need to fry my own fish. I am not defending China's current policies as socialistically pure, nor do I wish to. Two facts I am heartened to observe: 1) A socialist/communist government is in power in China, imperfect and misguided as some may accuse it of being, and 2) A socialist vision is still the professed official view.
It is also necessary to remember that developmental issues are highly complex and the insistence of theory purity only separates the theory from the problem rather than clarify either. As a materialist in the marxist vein rather than a Hegelian ideologist, I tend to take the situation in China as a given and adjust theoretical concepts to fit its needs, rather than demanding a change in reality to conform to theoretical purity, a task I have neither the power nor the inclination to perform. As with Buddhism, I am afraid Marxism would have to develop Chinese characteristics to flourish in China. (I think my recent postings on Buddhism and Hybrid Marxism commented on this point.) China is not perfect, but its the only one we have, and I am afraid all the Mohammeds would have to come to the mountain.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Henry C.K. Liu
Stephen E Philion wrote:
> Henry,
>
> Ironically, this post that you sent off confirms what I have written,
> namely that the left is very marginalized in China. I should say even
> more clearly, *Marxism* is very marginalized in Chihna, save for the
> Dengist version of it.
>
> This is very clear from reading the Chinese press, whether it is the
> People's Daily, Workers' Daily, or the Economic Daily. There is no sense
> that criticisms of markets or capitalism carry much water in China.
> New reports from TV carry the same kind of liberal ideology about markets.
> There are expose's occasionally of th e'maleffects' of markets,
> scandals,...but, as in the United States they are not accompanied by
> anything that even borders on a Marxist criticism of cpitalist markets.
>
> What would be more intersting for a Marxist list would be for you to
> respond to the article that Louis and others have put forth as a careful
> critique of Chinese economic policies and thier effect on workers, written
> by Gerard Greenfield and Apo Leong (the latter is from Hong Kong btw..).
> Or to Raymomnd Lau's recent two articles in Capital and Class on the
> effects of Chinese econmic policies and the fate of China's working class
> (Lau is from Hong Kong).
>
> Steve