Ken writes:
> I don't understand what is meant by describing China as
> "postcapitalist"...
The mode of production of the People's Republic was "post-capitalist" in the sense that it came after the Nationalist period, which exhibited a mixture of capitalism and the Tributary mode of production. But it was also pre-capitalist, in that capitalism is rapidly taking hold.
The PRC was collectivist, because the state owned the means of production. Whether or not that's socialism depends on your definition.
Alexander Gershenkron used to argue that "late-coming" countries on the road to developing capitalism (or simply "developing") had to compensate for their subordinate status -- if they could -- by being statist. So maybe the PRC can be seen as one version (an extreme one) of the statist road to capitalism.
JD
