Signs of Communism?

During this trip to China, I have learned less about what communism is in practice, and more about foreigners' perception of what constitutes communism.

China is supposed to be a communist country. But capitalism thrives here. There are markets on every other street in every city that I've been to. Designer stores and designer knock-offs are plentiful. There is Quordan 23, with the basketball outside of his left hip, instead of Jordan brand products. But there have been no communals. As one foreigner said, there is often not even a sense of community. I would agree, outside of the nightly dances and festivals where a park may be filled with dancing and singing residents. Basically, there are simply a lot of kind individuals, but no real sense of community.

If communism requires some sense of community, then paradoxically, communism is most prevalent in the countryside. From Xuzhou to Liangyungong, we took an extremely slow-moving commuter train, filled with peasants dressed in their weekend best. They all had their goods ready to be sold in one city or another. It was only on this train that I felt any sense of community. You could allow your two year old child to be picked up and fed by a stranger, or even more bizarre, play with a foreigner.

If communism is industry over agriculture, I have not seen a communist country. Any train ride shows a plethora of agriculture. Factories are present, but out of view. In fact, China has followed other countries, with an increasing number of jobs in the service sector.

Capitalism is everywhere. Venders sell there goods on every street corner. Most of the time, they are selling little knick-knacks, not anything particularly useful. This is the black market of capitalism. It is in plain view of everyone. The police ride by without a second thought. This is life.

If communism equals inefficiency, then I have seen mixed results. Private companies may be required to hire a certain amount of officials in order to eradicate unemployment. This creates a scene where you have a worker for each aisle at the grocery store or five employees crowded around each other over one small section of a department store, gapping away without concern of interuption by customers. However, the trains are extremely efficent. The leave right on time and even arrive at your destination exactly on the dot.

The bottom line is just that. Most people are here to sell their goods and make a profit. The numerous taxi drivers that honk incessantly and drive like madpeople just for your business are doing so for your yuan, not to provide a necessary service to society. So, is China just nominally a communist country or is it so in practice? It depends on your definition of communism. But the legacy of Deng Xaioping's reforms is easier to find than that of Mao's.