Zhang Lijia: Socialism is Great!

[thrashaolin]

有中国特色的社会主义

[Someideasandstuff]

China is currently practicing State Capitalism so the government is still involved in the marketplace.

[Caimingchang]

China is no longer socialist or communist. Just by name they are communist. Stupid North Korea still believes in Communism...

[DersuUzala1910]

fuck China

[GrrlGrowler]

中华民族是一个大家庭 ^.^

[ubercomrade]

I don't want to be Europe, its a third world country. not like america where everybody is a billionaire.

[bushangels]

Obama will turn US into socialism. Actually some European countries have lots of socialism characters. ppl, keep your mind open.

[kkklownknight6699]

Socialism is evil.

[lakai454]

look lady i dont know or care where you came from but i have to say u are so wrong, i hope this never comes to america because actually socialism is horrible. people wont get paid worth a damn. a doctor wont get paid shit and his money would go to some homless guy. thats wrong. so yeah ur wrong.

[GunDream]

Europe. So yeah, you're wrong retard.

[unit45x]

She's not advocating Socialism. She's quoting the title of a song the Communist Party forced her to sing in the 1980's every July 1st. She uses it as an ironic twist, but she clearly states that she does not advocate Socialism.

She says she was very controled and the reason the period is so fascinating is becausr it was the beginning of the real change. China is not Socialist or Communist any longer..."and people enjoy much more personal freedom"

[1nichod321990]

At least you understand what she was on about!! :)

[DersuUzala1910]

China is Socialist / Communist still fukk China

[codeagent47]

China is not a socialist anymore, nor Communist!! The ideology of both have died completely!

[1nichod321990]

Listen to the video and maybe then you would realise that she meerly mocking the song she used to sing in the missle factory in her title "socilism is great"

Her book is about her experiances during her younger years in China not why socilism is great your retard.

[KilgoreTrout520]

ha...ha...ha...O-kay. LOL 1:54

[annarboriter]

Sadly the recording quality really detracts from the quality of the interview. All those hard surfaces play havoc.

[superdani1982]

Great inteview!!!

Congratulations!!

[r1dd3l3r]

great interview.

does she have a british accent?

[gastlygem]

And the second verse of this song starts with "The communist party is great".

[SharpNaif]

It's really great to see Jeremy Goldkorn a little looser and more casual!

[rrddhh]

Goldkorn is baaaaack. Sweet!

Excellent interview, as always.

[Dackelbodd]

Where did she learn English then? She speaks it perfectly. Is she still based in China?

Great video. Thanks!

[parame88]

she went to England and got married to a British guy around 1990.

[yuanzheng]

OMG! this lady came to our school a couple of months ago

[takerdust]

Socialism is great if your ok with a weak economy

[xavster]

a chinese factory worker who speaks English and wrote a memoir in English...

[Harregarre]

Yeah, thanks to the opening up. Not thanks to socialism.

[opshacom]

socialism itself is good. but Max forgot the most important factor in our society, which is the nature of human beings. People are selfish!

[Harregarre]

That's very simplistic. Socialism doesn't work for many other reasons. A simple one is the information problem. I'm actually studying the whole situation of China's past and current reforms so I know what I'm talking about. ;) If you want to read interesting articles look for Qian Yingyi, Kornai, Barry Naughton etc.

[66QQ66]

tell me about the recent governmental bailout in US? If socialism doesn't work for many reasons, why the US government chose to do so? Don't suppose you are smarter than American neoliberal economists

[Harregarre]

The government bailout has nothing to do with socialism itself. The only thing the US government is trying to do is to control the damage. Damage for a large part attributable to the weird credit systems those banks have invented. (Junk bonds etc.) Another thing is that capitalism never is total capitalism because several elements of an economy are always in the hands of the government. (A simple example is the public good "national defense".)

[Harregarre]

In the same way, pure socialism failed because it can't cope with every aspect of the market. The only proper way is to have a mix of socialism and capitalism according to the type of the good. For example, national defense should not be privatized. Commodities, goods and services however should not be made public goods. Except for perhaps health care and education. You should be open to use the best system for every particular good.

[hemanRAWR]

Yes, thank you. Now please tell that to all the dumbass republicans who think lowering taxes is God's way of solving all of society's ills.

[divefab1203]

Marx* who's Max??

[danielpaco2000]

"socialism is great" is the title of the book but it doesn't promote socialism. It is the name of a song she sang every often in her early years in the factory. The author uses this title as an icon representing the time.

[benzone50]

great little interview.

great analogy she used, "frog in a well"

[swlhill08]

That's really interesting! I have studied Chinese culture quite a bit in college, but have found a general void in first-hand accounts in the 80s. I'm excited to read the book!