Real socialism
Encyclopedia
The Real socialism is a political term, popularized during the Brezhnev
era in the Soviet Union
, in relation to the rapidly changing socioeconomic reality of the Eastern Bloc
countries, faced with the sharply declining increments of growth and the need for economic reform. From the 1960s onward, countries such as Poland, the German Democratic Republic
, Hungary
and Czechoslovakia
, began to search for what's realistically feasible outside the Marxist concept
of authoritarian socialism
. With time, the phrase "real socialism" acquired other meanings, both negative and sarcastic, as the actual party claims of nomenclatory socialism began to be seen as distant and unreal, while the foreign debt skyrocketed. Over the years, and especially after the collapse of communism, the term began to mean only one thing, i.e. the Soviet style socialism.
and other "disagreements," which were actually ideological gulfs, between the USSR and its satellite states on one side, and the People's Republic of China
and the followers of a more Maoist brand of communist ideology on the other. 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."
within the Soviet Union, the following being typical examples.
Leonid Brezhnev
Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev – 10 November 1982) was the General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union , presiding over the country from 1964 until his death in 1982. His eighteen-year term as General Secretary was second only to that of Joseph Stalin in...
era in the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
, in relation to the rapidly changing socioeconomic reality of the Eastern Bloc
Eastern bloc
The term Eastern Bloc or Communist Bloc refers to the former communist states of Eastern and Central Europe, generally the Soviet Union and the countries of the Warsaw Pact...
countries, faced with the sharply declining increments of growth and the need for economic reform. From the 1960s onward, countries such as Poland, the German Democratic Republic
German Democratic Republic
The German Democratic Republic , informally called East Germany by West Germany and other countries, was a socialist state established in 1949 in the Soviet zone of occupied Germany, including East Berlin of the Allied-occupied capital city...
, Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
and Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
, began to search for what's realistically feasible outside the Marxist concept
Socialism (Marxism)
In Marxist theory, socialism, or the socialist mode of production, refers to a specific historical phase of economic development and its corresponding set of social relations that eventually supersede capitalism...
of authoritarian socialism
Socialism
Socialism is an economic system characterized by social ownership of the means of production and cooperative management of the economy; or a political philosophy advocating such a system. "Social ownership" may refer to any one of, or a combination of, the following: cooperative enterprises,...
. With time, the phrase "real socialism" acquired other meanings, both negative and sarcastic, as the actual party claims of nomenclatory socialism began to be seen as distant and unreal, while the foreign debt skyrocketed. Over the years, and especially after the collapse of communism, the term began to mean only one thing, i.e. the Soviet style socialism.
The role of the Sino-Soviet split
Another aspect of the term real socialism contained elements of the Sino-Soviet splitSino-Soviet split
In political science, the term Sino–Soviet split denotes the worsening of political and ideologic relations between the People's Republic of China and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics during the Cold War...
and other "disagreements," which were actually ideological gulfs, between the USSR and its satellite states on one side, and the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
and the followers of a more Maoist brand of communist ideology on the other. 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
World revolution
World revolution is the Marxist concept of overthrowing capitalism in all countries through the conscious revolutionary action of the organized working class...
. To counter this claim of Marxist revisionism, the Soviets defiantly claimed that their socialism was the "real socialism."
Real socialism in Soviet popular culture
The term was also used in an ironical criticism. The "reality" of "real socialism" was used against it. In particular, the term became a target of numerous political jokesRussian jokes
Russian jokes |transcribed]] anekdoty), literally anecdotes), the most popular form of Russian humour, are short fictional stories or dialogues with a punch line....
within the Soviet Union, the following being typical examples.
- "Do you know the boundary between real socialism and communismCommunismCommunism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
?" -- "The border passes along the KremlinKremlinA kremlin , same root as in kremen is a major fortified central complex found in historic Russian cities. This word is often used to refer to the best-known one, the Moscow Kremlin, or metonymically to the government that is based there...
's wall" [hinting that only rulers of the Soviet Union live in the bright communist future promised by Karl Marx] - "What is real socialism?" -- "This is when you can not get everything without money yet, but you can not buy anything for your money already [hinting at the long lines and lack of consumer goods in the Soviet stores]."
- Armenian RadioRadio YerevanRadio Yerevan, or Armenian Radio jokes have been very popular in the Soviet Union and in other Communist countries of the ex-Eastern bloc since the second half of the 20th century....
was asked: "Is it possible to build real socialism in ArmeniaArmeniaArmenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
?" Armenian Radio answers: "Yes, but better in GeorgiaGeorgia (country)Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
".
See also
- state socialismState socialismState socialism is an economic system with limited socialist characteristics, such as public ownership of major industries, remedial measures to benefit the working class, and a gradual process of developing socialism through government policy...
- state capitalismState capitalismThe term State capitalism has various meanings, but is usually described as commercial economic activity undertaken by the state with management of the productive forces in a capitalist manner, even if the state is nominally socialist. State capitalism is usually characterized by the dominance or...
- actually existing capitalismActually existing capitalismActually existing capitalism or really existing capitalism is a term used mainly by anti-capitalists to refer to economies that do not fit the ideal definition of capitalism as a laissez-faire free market economic system, but have significant state intervention and partnerships between private...
- Marxism-LeninismMarxism-LeninismMarxism–Leninism is a communist ideology, officially based upon the theories of Marxism and Vladimir Lenin, that promotes the development and creation of a international communist society through the leadership of a vanguard party over a revolutionary socialist state that represents a dictatorship...
- Communist stateCommunist stateA communist state is a state with a form of government characterized by single-party rule or dominant-party rule of a communist party and a professed allegiance to a Leninist or Marxist-Leninist communist ideology as the guiding principle of the state...
External links
- real socialism from A Dictionary of Sociology, 1998, originally published by Oxford University Press SOCJALIZM REALNY, Encyklopedia Interia