ABSTRACT
Totalitarian systems are conventionally subdivided into those of the right and the left. On the right are Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy, and Imperial Japan—the Axis powers and aggressors in World War II. On the left is the subspecies of communist countries, epitomized by the Soviet Union and the People's Republic of China (PRC). The People's Republic of China has the dubious distinction of having the greatest human toll, at 45 to 72 million. Deng Xiaoping's economic reforms have also spawned a host of unintended consequences that are social, economic, demographic, ecological, as well as political. In recent times, the most serious of those problems threaten not only the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)'s political power but the very integrity and continuity of the People's Republic. By making China stronger and more prosperous, the economic reforms have extended the lifespan of Chinese communism—but at the cost of ideological dilution.
