Yeah… that’s why I see Deng as a complicated figure, who wasn’t the best, but didn’t totally deviate from socialism. Non-revolution-exporting and integrating into the world market to benefit from capitalism were beneficial in the long run, though.
I agree with the first sentence and disagree with the latter. The world capitalist system was in decline by the end of the 1980s, the USSR was successful in exporting revolution even as they were actively impeded by China, and the socialist bloc walled off a vast portion of the world to capitalist exploitation. The Soviet Union’s fall gave the West a shot in the arm that is only wearing off today. These things are awful for humanity in the long run, but the CPC’s continued governance is likely the best of a terrible situation atm.
