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Everything belongs to the workers
(thelemmy.club)
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this post was submitted on 17 May 2026
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looks at the comunity name Mmh socialism...
Sorry, I'm getting confused here. To me—based on what I've read here—the concept of Western socialism looks more like reformed capitalism than socialism.
Good thing I'm a Chinese communist and not a western socialist.
Wow, you’re a member of the CPC. I envy you, Comrade... )))
I am incredibly impressed by how much China has flourished economically over the last couple of decades.
But how has this impacted the lives of the Chinese proletariat?
It seems to me that the life of a worker in Shanghai is no different from the life of a worker in, say, Moscow. As the saying goes: spot the three differences.
Do you know what Lenin was the first to promise the workers in order to get them to join him in the uprising? Do you know what issue sparked the world's first workers' strike—held on May 1st—in the USA?
That’s right, Comrade: the eight-hour workday.
And you, as a true Chinese communist, must surely know that every single Western socialist regards China as the gold standard of socialism—the belief that China took the correct path, having learned from the mistakes of the USSR, whose system proved unviable... indeed, fundamentally flawed from the very start.
Let me guess: you think so, too.
In your view, how does a Chinese socialist differ from a Western socialist? I’m not talking about pseudo-socialists here; I’m talking about true socialists—those who actually read Marx. What was your reason for drawing such a sharp dividing line in your post?
Reformed capitalism is, in fact, not socialism, you are probably thinking of social democracy
No, Comrade, I am speaking of the Western understanding of Marx.
Reformed Capitalism, Social Democracy, Western Communism, Eurocommunism... Same fucking bad shit. There are nuances, all fluff.
Either go Communism or go home. The West is a failure.
Capitalism is defined by private ownership of businesses.
A socialist business isn't controlled by a private owner (or major shareholders), it's controlled by its workers or by the government (or a mix of both). No one sits at the top and gets to award themself a massive chunk of the revenue just because their name is on the deed, so to speak. That's the difference.
You cannot simply slice up elements of an economy and designate them to be capitalist or socialist in a vacuum, what matters is the nature of the society itself, the class character of the state and the principal form of ownership. That's why nationalizing industry in capitalism is not necessarily an advancement towards socialism, and privatization in socialism is not necessarily an advancement towards capitalism.
There is another name for this: private ownership of the means of production.
The means of production constitute the aggregate of all material resources used to create goods and services. They comprise two main components: the instruments of labor (the tools and machinery used to work) and the subjects of labor (the raw materials and inputs worked upon).
This concept also encompasses wage labor. Under socialism, a private individual is not permitted to hire another person for employment.
However, during the Stalin era, private enterprise did, in fact, exist. These took the form of artels—small workshops, typically employing up to ten people, that manufactured light industrial goods. There were tens of thousands of such artels across the USSR. Yet, within these artels, both the workers and the managers participated on equal terms; specifically, the director of the artel was re-elected annually by the collective membership. Artels in the USSR produced items such as radio receivers, televisions, children's toys, and similar goods.
Hey, are you a Russian communist? I happened to see your ")))" and a few references to Stalin and Moscow, as well as some good knowledge about stuff like the artels (which I hadn't heard about until now). If so, I'd be very interested in asking you some questions if you don't mind :)
))))))
By the way, I actually had to explain to some people what that meant. I'm really glad you're in the loop! ¡No pasarán!✊ )))
I come from a place where people only speak about this in whispers.
I read your latest posts—yes, that is exactly what you are talking about there.
OK
Cool to see a Russian commie around, those are unfortunately hard to come by nowadays!)))
Unfortunately, they did pass(((. By the way, my main account is @vovchik_ilich@hexbear.net, you probably understand the reference))
Since I'm a Spaniard, I've come accross my fair share of Anarchists claiming that the USSR engaged in mass repressions of anarchists in Spain during our civil war and did some research. If you're interested in the perspective of a Spaniard Marxist-Leninist, I wrote an effort post here! Any input on my writing would be welcome of course
Regarding my questions (feel free not to give an answer if it's too private or too much):
What's your opinion on the current CPRF?
Some Marxist-Leninists, myself mostly included, believe that the current war In Ukraine is in response to western meddling in Russia's sphere of influence. While we don't support the form of the current Russian government and we are disgusted by its internal repression of women's and queer rights, its capitalist anti-welfare economic policy, or its right-wing nationalist tendencies, we believe that given the western meddling in Ukraine, the Russian government was essentially left with no choice, and expecting a Russian surrender to the US terms would simply reinforce global capitalism, which the US dominates. What's your opinion on this?
I've seen macroeconomic reports pointing to an increase in salaries in Russia since the beginning of the conflict, mostly attributed to the reduced workforce due to both mobilization and emigration. Have you experienced this or do you have any personal input?
Hey there—maybe I'm doing something wrong? I'm new around here.
Yesterday I opened your link and saw the text, but I wanted to read it today with a fresh mind. Now, though, the link won't open. Are you able to open it?
I can certainly answer your questions, though I never actually claimed to be from Russia. However, I do have relatives and friends there—and have had them since long before the war. I know exactly what’s going on there, all the way out to the Far East... :))))
The situation there is much like it is in China right now. Some people are living the high life—somewhere like Moscow or St. Petersburg—and have absolutely no clue what’s happening east of the Urals. To them, "Russia" is just a bigger version of Moscow... :))) Yet, at the same time, I have acquaintances from beyond the Urals who complain bitterly about their lives.
And he does seem to have grounds to argue with me—after all, I don't actually live in Russia myself.
I argue with them until I’m hoarse—much in the same way I argue with Chinese people here about China... :))))
Life in Russia varies greatly, but if you compare it to the U.S. in broad terms, I believe that living conditions for the average person are actually better and safer in Russia. As for Moscow and St. Petersburg—they are magnificent cities; when I first visited St. Petersburg back in the 80s, I fell completely in love with the place. I highly recommend visiting them.
The CPRF is a hollow shell—nothing more than window dressing designed to placate that segment of the population that still believes in Stalin.
Perhaps back in the 90s, Zyuganov might have been able to effect change, but he let his opportunity slip away. Now, it is too late.
However, a new wave is currently emerging in Russia—particularly in recent times—comprising people, including the youth, who are finally beginning to see the light. It all began when modern historians with a socialist orientation debunked the myth that Stalin was a villain. Much of the information regarding Stalin had been derived from Solzhenitsyn, who wrote his books at the behest of the CIA and in pursuit of a Nobel Prize. And when Solzhenitsyn returned to the USSR during the Perestroika era, he was welcomed as a hero. Yet now that all of this has been exposed as a fabrication, the public has begun to reflect—and to realize that, all this time, they have been brazenly lied to! The most disheartening aspect of this is that, at the unveiling of the Solzhenitsyn monument, Putin was the very first person to lay flowers.
"Some Marxist-Leninists, myself mostly included, believe that the current war In Ukraine is in response to western meddling in Russia’s sphere of influence."
Operation Aerodynamic, in essence, has never been cancelled.
https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/docs/AERODYNAMIC%20%20%20VOL.%201_0113.pdf
By now, this is no longer a secret to anyone. I knew about it from the very beginning—since 2014. I’ll go even further: not only did I know about it, but I witnessed it all personally. All this time, Ukraine was preparing for war; the propaganda was insane—it would make Goebbels look like an amateur.... In the end, a generation of zombies emerged—people who are only just now beginning to come to their senses and see the light. But this awakening won't change a thing!
"While we don’t support the form of the current Russian government and we are disgusted by its internal repression of women’s and queer rights"
That’s an astonishing story, Comrade! This is the first I’ve heard of women’s rights being infringed upon in Russia.
As for your second point, you’re unlikely to change the Russian mentality. In case you didn’t know, for Russians, the gravest insult—one that will get you into a fistfight—is that very word.
Both Russians and Ukrainians on the front lines refer to their enemies using that exact term. Have you seen Budanov’s diary?
Just recently—literally a few days ago—they held a parade in Odessa; the police had to provide security because nationalists were trying to break it up.
The overwhelming majority of people—in both Russia and Ukraine—view this extremely negatively. I’m telling you this as a matter of fact.
"I’ve seen macroeconomic reports pointing to an increase in salaries in Russia since the beginning of the conflict, mostly attributed to the reduced workforce due to both mobilization and emigration."
It all seems a bit jumbled—are you referring to the wage increases and the shortage of jobs?
https://news-kharkov.ru/society/2026/05/06/204459.html
Russia certainly faces economic challenges linked to the war; were it not for Iran and Russia's ability to sell more oil, the country would be running a budget deficit. Additionally, the VAT was raised by 4 percent—again, a measure taken in response to the war and the associated economic difficulties.
The casualties from the war are not significant enough to have a major impact on demographics. Yes, there is an observed outflow of migrant workers and a shortage of labor for physically demanding jobs, but I do not believe this will lead to a crisis comparable to the one in Ukraine.
That source is from the Ukrainian press:
https://24tv.ua/business/ru/trudovye-migranty-v-ukraine-migrantov-iz-indii-mozhno-zamenit-pensionerami-rynok-truda-2026_n3065552
In reality, the problem is far more serious. Right now, everyone is in hiding; those who were able to flee have already done so.
Hey! Thanks for the reply!!
No idea, it works for me
I've been fortunate enough to visit both cities recently, I have some pictures of my last trip to Russia over in my main account somewhere in the post history :). I loved my time in Russia!
I truly hope so. We're starting to see something similar in Spain funnily enough, with some rapidly growing communist parties such as Movimiento Socialista.
Well, it's no secret that abortion rights are being limited, such as requiring psychological visits in order to get an abortion, or that violence against women within a couple is often disregarded by police and the first offence often only lands you a relatively small fine. I'm not trying to say this is exclusive to Russia, the rise of the far-right is universal to capitalist countries in Europe and North America, but it is factual that this is happening in Russia as well.
As for LGBTQ, Russian loved ones transmit to me that in the 2000s there were more openly queer personalities in media, and even when I visited there was propaganda on the streets about traditional families, I believe the slogan was любить по-русски. Again, this is universal to all European and North American countries, not specific to Russia. My whole point is that the support to the Russian government in the Ukraine war is simply critical support for the instance and not overt support for the system as a whole as was the case of the USSR.
Yup, that's what I'm trying to refer to
Budget deficits are an interesting economic topic. If you're interested on a discussion about budget deficits and communism, I've done a cursory enough research of the economic history of the USSR that I believe I can justify how budget deficit can be absolutely wonderful for the economy ;)
My point was actually the opposite. I don't believe Russia faces a big crisis in the immediate future, I'm asking whether in your experience salaries are actually rising and bettering the purchase power of people!
Again, thanks a lot for your responses.
I'll read your article first, and then we'll talk.