ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the economic performance of statist political economies that make widespread use of the market. The Communist party in the 1920s chose rapid economic growth over all else, including a downplaying of equality. Socialists have always fought to extend democracy from the political sphere to the economic sphere. Socialism means economic democracy. Bahro has clearly spelled out a new and unique political-economic system, for which “actually existing socialism” was merely a euphemism. Socialism, in the meaning of economic democracy, obviously does not exist in the Soviet Union. A self-chosen political leadership selects economic planners, who tell managers what to do, and managers tell workers what to do. Communist China has existed for thirty years, so it is a functioning economic system. Nevertheless, changes since Mao have been so drastic that the word “transition” is somewhat more reasonable in this case than the others.
