Real socialism
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Real socialism (also actually existing socialism, really existing socialism, developed socialism, and state socialism) was a term introduced in the 1970s to refer to the de facto socialism as found in the Eastern Bloc and differentiate it from traditional (or ideal) socialism. Real referred to the fact that not all utopian promises of the socialism and communism could be implemented in the beginning, and so this real socialism was only a stepping stone towards the ideal, promised socialism.
Another aspect of the term real socialism contained elements of the Sino-Soviet split and other "disagreements," which were actually ideological gulfs, between the USSR and its satellite states on the one end, and the People's Republic of China and the followers of a more Maoist brand of communist ideology on the other end. The Soviets wished to enforce the idea that their version of socialism was "real" and the Chinese and their followers were not, precisely because the Maoist-inspired communist movement, which had grown so rapidly worldwide as a "radical left" alternative to Soviet ideas, had consistently claimed that the Soviet Union was no longer socialist and had betrayed the Revolution. To counter this claim of marxist revisionism, the Soviets defiantly claimed that their socialism was the "real socialism."
The term was also used by the anti-communist opposition in an ironical criticism. They, similarly to the communists who recognized the weaknesses in their own movement, would use the "reality" of "real socialism" against it. Real socialism, these critics said, as compared with the ideal socialism of true workers' control, was characterized by domination of communist party in all spheres of public life, and spreading to private life. The communist party had monopoly in legislation, law enforcement, ideology and economy. Censorship was widespread.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- real socialism from A Dictionary of Sociology, 1998, originally published by Oxford University Press
- (Polish) SOCJALIZM REALNY, Encyklopedia Interia
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