Pseudo-Communism is what the
Chinese government is running right now.
When I went to America to study in Cornell University, I have met a lot of people who mistake China's government structure as completely communist, a centralized, vertical hierarchy of power. I have often heard the terms secret police thrown around. Since you people are so insistent on the fact that China is full of evil commie bastards, I'll take the liberty to disband a few of your Cold War derived delusions. Not that I am saying communism or socialism is any good of course, this is merely to tell the people who have been brainwashed by the shock value seeking American liberal press.
Since the leadership in China is smart enough to actually realize that communism will never work (unlike some American pseudo-Marxist radicals, I might add), they have engaged in massive disbandment of state enterprises, privatization of industries, and extensive installment of capitalist economic measures all over the country. Special areas, called special economic zones, located in Shenzhen, Shanghai, Tianjin, and various regions, has very high economic freedom to allow industrialists, enterpreneurs and foreign companies to invest freely. Examples of this include the opening of a new GM/Volkswagen plant in Pudong, Shanghai, which became successful quickly which large amounts of auto sales all over Eastern China.
In addition, there are "autonomous regions", such as Hong Kong, Mongolia and Tibet, where the government doesn't really care what they do economically. While this is not exactly laissez faire capitalism, it is quite different from the collectivism that many people assume to take place in China. In any case, it is working better than communism, so it will stay. In fact, the only reason that the government still spouts socialist (not communist) dogma is for the morale of the common people, they still look strongly at the Liberation (when the communist army booted the corrupt, murderous Nationalists out of China, and rightfully so).
Democracy is slowly being installed in China. I have two words For the Americans hounding for China to democratize immediately. Shut up. Don't you people really this process takes time? Consider this. The political apathy of the Chinese is much higher than America. People don't give a shit what the government does. In fact, as a sophomore in high school, I attended a local Chinese school. Not only are the students there obssessed with capitalism, over half cannot sing the Chinese anthem properly, and they don't care what the government says. Lots of young Americans always complain about their "disillusion" with capitalism. You should see the Chinese disillusion with communism, and those people aren't complaining out of fashion either.
As Deng Xiaoping said, "To be rich is glorious."
Since the people are so apathetic about government, the concept of democracy will have to sink into the people before they install it. The people here are not anti-democracy, they like it, but they realize that it will not be immediate. At the local levels however, people are quite enthusiastic about their voting rights and participate fully. It will spread. Give it time.
Human rights. How many times do I have to hear tales of people getting arrested and thrown into concentration camps before they shut up? First of all, its labor camps. Secondly, the treatment of prisoners is not "torture". Let's look at it this way. Standard of living in this country isn't on American standards. As long as they get fed and have shelter and are not beaten and abused, it is good enough. The Chinese government doesn't believe in spending the money of honest citizens on a bunch of criminals. America's judicial system isn't exactly efficient, besides. China's liberal use of execution has worked well to stave off crime. It's called intimidation. Personally, I don't think murderers and rapists should live off my tax money anyways. They should be executed, and I get to keep my money. And remember, America's human rights record isn't exaclty perfect. People there should stop and look at themselves before crusading against other countries.
Anyone who mentions Tibet should go there first. That includes you, nine9. If you want me to, next time I go to Tibet (which might be soon), I'll take a picture of the gold-plated temple roofs of the theocratic suppressors of Tibet and attach a picture of the poor peasants waddling in mud with the pigs thanks to sharecropping. You can compare.
In any case, China is not communist. It is more socialist. And it is rapidly transitioning to capitalism and ultimately, democracy. People who bitch about China should remember these facts before opening their mouths.