The communist road to capitalism : how social unrest and containment have pushed China's (R)evolution since 1949

The Communist Road to Capitalism explores how a dynamic of social struggles from below followed by countermeasures of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) regime has pushed the historical evolution of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) since 1949. Under socialism until the mid-1970s, during the ensuing transition until the mid-1990s, and in the capitalist period since, the CCP regime responded to the struggles of workers, peasants, migrants, and women* with a mix of repression, concession, cooptation, and reform. Ralf Ruckus shows that this dynamic took the country into a new phase each time—and eventually all the way from socialism to capitalism: in the 1950s, labor struggles and the Hundred Flowers Movement were followed by the regime’s Great Leap Forward; in the 1960s, the Cultural Revolution led to the CCP’s failed attempt to revitalize socialism; in the 1970s, social unrest and movements for a democratic socialism made room for the regime’s Reform and Opening policies; in the late 1980s, the Tian’anmen Square uprising triggered more radical reforms; in the 1990s, peasant and state worker unrest could not stop the capitalist restructuring; and in the 2000s, migrant worker struggles led to concessions, tightened repression, and the regime’s global capitalist expansion strategy in the 2010s. The Communist Road to Capitalism breaks with established orthodoxies about the PRC’s socialist “successes” and myths on its later rise as an economic power. It combines a historiography of workers’, peasants’, migrants’, and women*’s struggles with a searing critique of exploitation, authoritarian state power and gender discrimination under socialism and capitalism. Drawing lessons from PRC history, Ralf Ruckus finally outlines political aims and methods for the left that avoid past mistakes and allow to fight on for a society free of all forms of exploitation and oppression. Cover Title Page Copyright Dedication Contents Preface Introduction: One Party, Two Systems 1 Rupture, Continuity, and the Left 2 Focus of the Analysis 3 Grasping PRC History I: Buildup of Socialism until the Mid-1950s 1 Before and After Liberation 2 New Class Divisions 3 Maoist Patriarchy 4 The Garrison State 5 Synopsis: Socialist Recomposition of Class Struggle II: Socialism from the Mid-1950s to the Mid-1970s 1 Disruption: Strikes and Open Criticism, 1956-1957 2 Speedup: Great Leap and Purges, 1957-1965 3 Rebellion: Cultural Revolution and Radical Critique, 1966-1967 4 Restoration: Military Rule and Factionalism, 1967-1976 5 Synopsis: Still Waiting for the Revolution III: Transition to Capitalism from the Mid-1970s to the Mid-1990s 1 Discontent: Social Struggles and the Democracy Movement, 1974-1980 2 Reform: Conversion and Crisis, 1976-1989 3 Uprising: The Tian’anmen Square Movement, 1989 4 Resumption: Crackdown, Restructuring, and Economic Rise, 1989-1999 5 Synopsis: Crossing the River by Feeling the Stones IV: Capitalism Since the Mid-1990s 1 Resistance: Peasant Revolts and SOE Workers’ Unrest, 1992-2005 2 Consolidation: Harmonious Society, Boom, and Crisis, 2000-2012 3 Strikes: Migrant Struggles and the End of “Cheap” Labor, 2003-2012 4 Expansion: The New Normal and the Leap Outward, 2012-2020 5 Synopsis: The Consolidation of PRC Capitalism Conclusion: Getting Over Actually Existing Socialism 1 Recapitulation: Concepts Revisited 2 Assessment: Historical Opportunity 3 Implications: Lessons for the Left Epilogue Further Reading Bibliography Timeline of PRC History 1949–2020 Acronym Key Map Index About The Author About PM Press Friends of PM Press Many Interpret This Transition As The Result Of The Betrayal By Reformers In The Party Who Wanted To Establish Capitalism. Ralf Ruckus Reveals That The Planned Economy Of Socialist China Not Only Created A Class Society Under Ccp Rule That Was Based On Exploitation, Repression, Gender Division, And Social Exclusion But Also Led To Class Struggles Against The New Socialist Ruling Class. In Typical Authoritarian Fashion, The Party Leadership Reacted With Repression And Rigid Policies That Were Meant To Strengthen And Consolidate Power. The Restructuring Of The State Sector, As Well As Foreign Investments, Industrialization, Migration, And Urbanization, Fundamentally Altered The Economy, The Gender Regime, And The Composition Of The Working Class. By Carefully Tracing These Developments, Ruckus Provides Us With An Invaluable Insight Into How This Would Ultimately Transform The Ccp Leadership Itself, Turning It Into The Core Of The Newly Composed Capitalist Ruling Class That Is Still In Power Today. The Communist Road To Capitalism Is Both A Bold Reinterpretation Of The History Of The People's Republic Of China And A Searing Critique Of Centralized State Power. Summary:The Communist Road to Capitalism explores how a dynamic of social struggles from below followed by countermeasures of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) regime has pushed the historical evolution of the People's Republic of China (PRC) since 1949--back cover