Wrong. If Vladimir Lenin were reincarnated in 21st-century Beijing and managed to avert his eyes from the citys glittering skyscrapers and conspicuous consumption, he would instantly recognize in the ruling Chinese Communist Party a replica of the system he designed nearly a century ago for the victors of the Bolshevik Revolution. One need only look at the partys structure to see how communist and Leninist Chinas political system remains.
Sure, China long ago dumped the core of the communist economic system, replacing rigid central planning with commercially minded state enterprises that coexist with a vigorous private sector. Yet for all their liberalization of the economy, Chinese leaders have been careful to keep control of the commanding heights of politics through the partys grip on the three Ps: personnel, propaganda, and the Peoples Liberation Army.
Lefties haven't ever been the ones telling me China's alright or how great their economy is. Also, "Lenin would have loved China if he ignored the economy" seems like kind of a big thing to ignore. I'm not trying to defend "true" communism, by the way. Just saying China has suddenly become "what liberals want" again, despite no one defending China for this recent shit except the Chinese and business that love money more than anything. ---
