What do you think about Socialist countries Politics and governments

diogenes_cask, I agree. We are talking about different things. It's like a body of an elephant. Some people think that it's soft. Some people think it's different. But the fact is that we are moving to the socialistic system in the whole world. That what Marks predicted. Do we like it o not.

Do we like it or not, but we have the same rights. Who can object to this? Women, men, transgenders, who cares? Who can have more rights? What does it means? At some points we'll come to some conclusion that we are the same. What does it mean? Capitalist pig or communist pig has more right over the other? Absurd question? Yes! The system has to be fare! Is it a capitalist system or communist? It has to be fair. We have own rights that nobody can't take from us. China is good country? USA is a good country? How we can it measure?

Behind the curtains, they act like capitalist countries. No big difference.

Leopal, they act the same because any country has it's own interests. But I would put the question this way - which way of making decision better? Democratic way - when ordinary people are deciding to solve world's problem, or these questions have to be decided by politicians or scientists? What I am trying to get to - is democracy the best way ruling the world?

The thing is that most of the countries in the world becoming more and more "socialistic" so to speak. Is it bad or good? Or, maybe someone is thinking that capitalist system is the best system ever? To think like that is naive. Nothing in this world is forever. Everything is changing. The capitalist system is no exception.

You're right, nothing is forever, but why is it naive to think capitalism is a better system? Aren't we just judging these countries on their results? You don't see many Americans risking their lives to get to Cuba or Venezuela, do you?
Maybe your right about the world becoming more "socialistic", but if it does happen I don't think that it would end well for ordinary people. For powerful people though it would work out great.
People who are for socialism like to distance themselves from other examples of socialism. There's a reason for that, it hasn't always worked out so well. We could make the same excuses when it comes to capitalism e.g. that's not capitalism, that's something else ism.
Given the choice I'll take a system that generally results in a larger middle class and less genocide.

Democracy …is another illusion created by our great politicians. It’s the capitalists who decided or fund the political parties to win the election. Unfortunately, even the people will also act like capitalists. They will vote a party which promises free services and even sell their voting rights for money.

Leopal, I used to to think like that too. But it doesn't work like that any more. People from Russia, from China do not so eager to leave their own countries for the West. They want to live in their own countries. And it's obvious. Why they should look all the time for the West? You think that West is a perfect place to live in? Do you? Why you are questioning the system in China but not the system in USA for example? Are people in USA so happy? Do you really think so? So, that is the question - where people are happier? Why do you think that in China is something is going to happen? Why not in USA? Why not in Canada? World is changing. Or, like they say - never say never! World is changing.

It’s myth that people in the west more happier than east. Only reason, I see for the migration is availability of resources ( food , housing, school, medical etc). In the developing economies with more population and no funds, prioritization come into picture. In other words, we should compete with everyone to get the basic amenities. In the west, we have to compete with fewer crowd. In my opinion, entire world runs on the wealth. It’s fundamental engineering issue in defining our society norms.

I agree, Leopal. Today everybody is looking only for a material things. It's not a secrete that West is more materialistic advanced. That's why many people looking for the West to find a happiness. But it's a false notion.

I think I'd be happier not to to be sent to a forced labour camp for my religious beliefs. Anyone else feel that way?

Brendan, it’s a political decision. Religion and politics should run like railway tracks. Even though they run parallel for the society … they shouldn’t merge. But, unfortunately, since medieval times, they are highly intertwined. Hence, wars and colonialism etc. Any factor (politics,religion, education, sect etc) which influences a mass (of people) .. is always a threat to other factors.

What decisions made by governments aren't political?
I know it's political when a government goes after a particular religious group because anything that has any influence over peoples lives is a threat to an authoritarian state.
An authoritarian government wants to effectively be your god.

Imagine if the CCP successfully "re-educated" every Muslim in China tomorrow. If that happened they'd go after another group next like the Christians or Buddhists.

People see the world in different ways,because of their different experiences and perceptions.That is reasonable, I don't want to force anyone agree with me.In our culture this is called gentleman harmony but difference.But I have to regret to find that many people's views on socialism with Chinese characteristics are biased, including even my compatriots.Socialism with Chinese characteristics not equal to poverty or anti-freedom.
It is trust that we have very high Gini coefficient,our government promised someone would get rich first and then they should help others,gradually realize common prosperity.As we can see,in this century,Chinese eradicate absolute poverty.For such a large country ,it can be called a miracle.We have lots of officials and volunteers,to make sure one-to-one precise poverty alleviation.We get rid of poverty but still far from richment.On China's social platforms, many ordinary people admire the country's rapid achievements while feeling pessimistic about their own situation.For many young people without any family background, they can only work hard, even drain themselves, work excessive overtime, and earn salary to gain a firm foothold in big cities.The take-off of China's economy initially depends on the industrial transfer of developed countries. We provide cheap labor, a broad consumer market, and developed countries provide core technologies. We struggled to stand up, with more hours, more industriousness, and more social pressure.I know that this is the throes of transition. I know that London used to be a foggy city, and that there were many orphans, prostitutes and homeless on the streets of Paris. I know that the current ease in Western countries may be the result of the accumulation of their ancestors many years ago. But I am very tired.This is a problem that many developing countries are facing.
Poverty is not socialism, development is the last word.
Because I have to get up early tomorrow, I will only write here!To quote Dickens, it was the best of times and the worst of times.This is China now, and maybe the world now.

But I still believe in socialism.It's not perfect, but it points the way to progress.

Regarding freedom, China is indeed inferior to some western countries. But freedom isn't always good. Every coin has two sides.A centralized government is more efficient and can concentrate its efforts on major things.Freedom can also breed tyranny, and freedom to bear guns in the United States may also lead to more violent conflict.In China, you can also freely comment on the government on the Internet. You can leave a message on the government work platform. When the law is revised, it will also be publicized to solicit opinions from the public.Except that you need to hang vpn to go to foreign websites, nothing is difference here.I have never heard that the Internet police arrest a person for visiting a foreign website. Our Internet police are more monitoring cyber crimes, such as rumors, telecom fraud, Internet pornography, etc.And perhaps it is unavoidable in any country that the elites and capitalists have more social resources, have more right to speak, and are more free than others, even though China is a socialist country under the people's democratic dictatorship, we still see this kind of disappointing news sometimes.In China, the status of women is not as low as some people think. China has already fully realized equal pay for equal work, but women are at a competitive disadvantage compared to men because of longer maternity leave, and the long-standing oppression of traditional patriarchal social concepts in East Asia should not be attributed to China’s socialist system, or socialism itself.Elections are indeed not free. My school organized a poll and I didn't know the political views of the candidates, I just went to the polls. For most people living in China this shouldn't have that big of an impact. We also don't have demonstrations or anything like that. But I have never felt that China is an unfree country, and socialism will bring unfreedom to people.Our comparative unfreedom, I think, has more to do with a patriarchal culture than socialism.Many East Asian countries are not free compared to Western countries.

Mingyuan, you are right. Who better knows what is life in China? China has changed a lot. It has something to do with socialism, but not nesessarily. There are pure socialist countries and there are pure capitalist countries. Freedom? Sometimes I feel that freedom is drifting to the East. In the West freedom is disappearing. And it is sad.

Mingyuan, you are right. Who better knows what is life in China? China has changed a lot. It has something to do with socialism, but not nesessarily. There are pure socialist countries and there are pure capitalist countries. Freedom? Sometimes I feel that freedom is drifting to the East. In the West freedom is disappearing. And it is sad.

I have heard the argument that people from outside of the country don't know what that country is like as well as the people who live there. Maybe not, but I could apply that same argument to you and say that you don't know what western countries are like, right?
So , how exactly do you judge any countries system relative to any other?
I can do a little research on other countries or talk about them with other people. What are some results which can actually be measured?