China: Communism…or Fascism? Why Communism Is Merely a Path Toward Fascism

Communism in China gives me Fascist sentiments. In his speech on the Chinese Communist Party’s 100th birthday a week ago, Xi’s appeals to China’s past humiliation, modern pride and prosperity, patriotism, unity, and warning against foreign influence remind me of the appeals Hitler used when building up Nazi Germany. The language and rhetoric used by both dictators sound so similar, that they made me question the relationship between the supposed archrivals Communism and Fascism, and China’s true political regime.

Communism, which views society by class, is a political ideology that argues for the rise of the proletarians (working-class) to take over the oppression of the bourgeoisie (middle-class, those who own most of society’s wealth and means of production), and to establish a harmonious and classless society where all property is publicly owned. Communism wants to create a society where wealth is equally distributed among the people. Fascism, on the other hand, views society by nation. Fascism negates democracy, socialism, and individualism; it believes in an authoritarian state that unites people and leads them to glory and prosperity. Fascism puts great emphasis on unity within a nation, hence why Fascism and Communism are considered archrivals as Communism advocates civil war between the proletarians and the bourgeoisie within a nation. In The Doctrine of Fasicsm, Benito Mussolini wrote “No individuals nor groups (political parties, associations, labour unions, classes) outside the State. For this reason Fascism is opposed to Socialism, which clings rigidly to class war in the historic evolution and ignores the unity of the State which moulds the classes into a single, moral and economic reality” (The Doctrine of Fascism). This direct quote explains why Fascism disdains Communism very well. The class war advocated by Communism is the direct opposite of the unity Fascism is trying to achieve. During Fascist leaders’ rise to power, predominantly that of Hitler’s and Mussolini’s, you will see that both leaders took constant political attacks on leftists and Communists. Both leaders blamed problems on the Communists and accused them of dividing the country.

Both Communism and Fascism negate democracy, suppress civil liberties, and establish an authoritarian state. I agree. But the two ideologies’ underlying purposes are so different, for the reasons explained in the previous paragraph. However, the authoritarian nature of both Communism and Fascism wouldn’t be enough for me to raise questions about China’s true political regime. What made me raise questions were Xi Jinping’s appeals, China’s economic system, and the general Chinese social and political climates.

Xi’s speech last week on the Chinese Communist Party’s 100th birthday made strong appeals to the past humiliation China suffered from foreign powers and imperialism. Xi is referring to the 19th century and early 20th century imperialism from western powers during China’s Qing dynasty. During the time, China was a backward country who was weak compared to the rest of the world. Western powers have already industrialized and achieved economic and technology superiority. China, on the other hand, was still a feudal regime based on agriculture and peasantry. Many western powers took advantage of China’s weakness and influenced China’s economy, and they established their own spheres of influence in China. From 1842 to the mid 20th century, China was under constant imperial influences from western powers, predominantly Britain and Japan. Many unequal treaties were signed that granted western powers benefits in trades with China. Prominent events during this time period such as the Opium Wars, the Boxer Rebellion, Eight-Nation Alliance, and Japanese imperialism were considered as humiliations in modern Chinese history. Those were exactly Xi’s appeals. Xi is trying to remind the Chinese people about the past humiliation they suffered, and make them look at the modern strength and prosperity they have right now, in order to arouse patriotism and support for the Chinese Communist Party. This is not the first time such a tactic is used by a leader. Appeals to past humiliation and modern pride and prosperity used by Xi remind me of the appeals Hitler used when building up Nazi Germany in the 1920s and the 1930s. During Hitler’s rise to power, he constantly pointed to the humiliation Germany suffered from World War I and the Treaty of Versailles that ended it. The Treaty of Versailles was very punitive toward Germany: Germany had to give a quite large territory called Alsace-Lorraine to France; give up all colonial territories to Allied nations; accept full responsibility for the war and pay full reparations ($33 billion); restrict its army to 100,000 men; and forbidden the manufacture of armoured cars, tanks, airplanes, and submarines. Hitler constantly pointed to those humiliations Germany suffered in order to arouse hatred towards foreign powers and desire for a powerful and prideful Germany. After Hitler took power, Hitler took steps to counter the Great Depression Germany was in, partly caused by the huge debts Germany incurred from the Treaty of Versailles and partly caused by the Great Depression in America. After Hitler rebuilt Germany into an economic and military powerhouse, Hitler bragged about his accomplishments by reminding Germans the disastrous state they were once in and making them feel proud about the current prosperity they achieved. Notice a similarity? This is the exact rhetoric Xi is currently using in China. Such a tactic arouses strong patriotism, which is another key aspect of Fascism, or any far-right ideology.

Fascism is essentially hyper-nationalism. Nationalism is essentially politicized patriotism. As stated previously, Fascism views society by nation. It believes that people united by race or ethnicity should unite together and support the interests of their nation. So strong patriotism is a key aspect of Fascism. We have also established that Communism views society by class. However, if you look closely at Communism in China right now, you will realize that China actually views the world by nation, just like Fascism. Xi’s speech and the CCP’s 100th birthday parade are full of appeals to patriotism and unity. Xi said China “will never allow any foreign force to bully, oppress, or enslave us…Anyone who tries to do so shall be battered and bloodied from colliding with a great wall of steel forged by more than 1.4 billion Chinese people using flesh and blood”. This quote is full of appeals to patriotism and unity, two key aspects of Fascism. This quote is almost like a warning against foreign nations. By looking at this warning and China’s current stance in the world, it is clear China has established itself as a powerful nation. Communist China is increasingly viewing the world by nation. To be honest, China has had such a view ever since the completion of the Chinese Communist Revolution and Cultural Revolution. Ever since the CCP established itself as the sole party in power and transformed China’s social and economic structure, China has been viewing the world by nation. However, during the Chinese Communist Revolution and Mao Zedong’s rise to power, China was viewing the world by class. Mao abolished many of the old beliefs and systems of the feudal regime, and established his Communist ideologies and practices. Mao led the farmers and workers to rise up against the middle-class, as he was viewing society by class. So during the beginning phase of the Communist Revolution, China was viewing society by class. However, once the nation had been stabilized by Communist rule, China began viewing society by nation as it began competing with other nations for dominance.

Now to look at China’s economic system. It is not true Communism. In fact, there have never been economic systems established strictly according to Communism. In today’s China, although the government controls and regulates many aspects of the economy, many capitalist roots still exist. Many private businesses are operating in China. So China has a mixed economy between Socialism and Capitalism. You know what else believes in a mixed economy between Socialism and Capitalism? Fascism. As previously stated, Fascism believes in an authoritarian state leading its people to prosperity. So the authoritarian state controls the economy. However, unlike Communism which believes in public ownership of all property, Fascism allows private property and many features of Capitalism. So economic Fascism is essentially a mix between Socialism and Capitalism. This is essentially what China’s economic system is today. I am not highly credible in the field of economics so I cannot use specific examples to explain deeper. But looking at the economy of China and the economy of Fascism in general, we can conclude that both economies are a mix between Socialism and Fascism.

Now going back to the idea of how China was viewing society by class during the Communist Revolution and changed to viewing society by nation afterward, I’d like to elaborate on it and discuss how Communism transforms to Fascism as a process. As we have discussed, it seems that China is transforming from a Communist regime to a Fascist regime. I’d like to elaborate on this specific process. Why did a Communist uprising begin in the first place? Well, people including Mao Zedong were dissatisfied with the feudal and backward structure of China, and wanted to change it. They wanted to abolish feudalism and overthrow the landlords to save the starving peasants. They were all in on Communist ideals and wanted to establish a Communist regime. So during the process of transforming, Mao took over the lands of the landlords and distributed them among Chinese peasants. Mao then created communal farms based on Communist ideals. During this time, China was strictly Communist. There is no question. This is just like the process where Stalin transformed feudal Russia into Communist Soviet Union. So what I am seeing here is that Communism is a process. It is a process of change. It is a process of revolution. It is not a regime. It is not a structure or an operational system that is supposed to be implemented in a nation forever. Unlike democracy, liberalism, conservatism, nationalism, or Fascism, Communism is not a political ideology that is supposed to be implemented forever. Communism is only the process of revolution.

Now let’s look at China and Soviet Union after the Communist transformations led by Mao and Stalin, respectively. After China has eradicated its feudal roots and made itself economically powerful during the second half of the 20th century, Communism is over. There is no such thing as taking over the bourgeoisie anymore. Because now China has solved extreme economic inequality (the factor that inspired Communism in the first place), there is no need to take extreme methods such as a Communist revolution. In fact, Communism as envisioned by Karl Marx was a process in which the proletarians take over the bourgeoisie in a worldwide revolution and establish a temporary dictatorship in order to redistribute wealth equally among everyone. Then, after wealth has been equally distributed, proletarians will voluntarily give up their dictatorship and thus create a harmonious and classless society once and for all. As seen by the original definition of Communism by its founder Karl Marx, Communism is actually a process. Communism isn’t really a political ideology, but rather it is a specific type of revolution. As history unfolds, we all know the actual Communism advocated by Karl Marx was never implemented in reality. The revolutionaries that took power never gave it up afterward. So what happens after the Communist Revolution is over and if the Communists don’t give up power? The answer might come as a bit of surprise, but it is logical. If Communists do not give up power after the revolution, then a Fascist regime is established. The CCP has consolidated power and set China on a path to stability and prosperity. So there is no need for class wars anymore. Now the CCP must build China into a world power to compete. Now is the time that the CCP began to view the world by nation, instead of class. Now the CCP began to push for patriotism and unity among its people. This is essentially Fascism. Freedom and civil liberties are still suspended, which is another aspect of Fascism. You see how a Communist Revolution is merely a path toward Fascism?

In a world where national boundaries are strict and apparent, perhaps it is impossible for a worldwide class revolution to break out. In fact, all Communist Revolutions happened within the boundary of a nation. But class war can’t stay on forever. Once the class war is over, a national identity is created. A new nation is established. So this nation has to view the world by nation.

The transformation from Communism toward Fascism that happened in the Soviet Union is more or less the same. Stalin transformed Russia’s feudal regime into an industrialized power based on Communist ideals. What happened afterward? After the Communist Revolution is over? Soviet Union essentially became a Fascist regime.

No country that has gone through a Communist Revolution truly achieved Communist goals. They did not create a classless society. They only transformed their economic system to become more advanced and to solve extreme economic inequality.

Communism is not a political ideology. Rather, it is a specific type of revolution. You cannot say a country is “Communist”. The country is either undergoing a Communist Revolution or has gone through a Communist Revolution. After a country has gone through a Communist Revolution, however, the country essentially becomes a Fascist regime. Even if the Chinese Communist Party still has the word “Communist” in it, its true political nature is Fascism.

The idea of Communism transforming into Fascism can be further discussed by analyzing the first ever Communist Revolution — Russian Revolution of 1917. The Russian Revolution set up so many precedents for the transformation we have been discussing. The power struggle between Joseph Stalin and Leon Trotsky was crucial to the fate of Communism in the future. Trotsky’s beliefs in continuing Communist Revolution throughout the world versus Stalin’s beliefs in “socialism in one country” is the next topic we should analyze. Stalin’s “socialism in one country” essentially betrayed the original Communist ideals and set Communism up on a path toward Fascism. I will be elaborating on this in my next article.