[Jacob Kell]

Could you tell me more about state capitalism?

[Olog-hai]

Believe it or not, it’s actually part of the ten steps to communism, so if self-conceited socialists and “purist” Marxists claim to be against it, anyone can point out to them that it’s already in the Manifesto, specifically as steps 5 through 7:

5. Centralization of credit in the hands of the state by means of a national bank with State capital and an exclusive monopoly.
6. Centralization of the means of communication and transport in the hands of the State.
7. Extension of factories and instruments of production owned by the State; the bringing into cultivation of wastelands and the improvement of the soil generally in accordance with a common plan. …

That is perhaps the best description of state capitalism that anyone can find out there, so I have no problem letting it stand by itself. Red China’s version is not really different, since any foreign companies that do business over there have to really give the state part-ownership of their property, which over there translates to total ownership by the state eventually.

Therefore, nobody can say that is not where Lenin got his ideas. As he openly stated back in 1918:

Reality tells us that state capitalism would be a step forward. If in a small space of time we could achieve state capitalism, that would be a victory.

Any self-described socialist or communist that claims that state capitalism is not part of their agenda is obviously lying. Even Friedrich Engels contradicted himself by claiming that state capitalism would be a final stage of bourgeoisie power and then, in the Manifesto, clearly outlining it as a necessary part of a communistic revolution.