Dengism

This article is about the ideological tendency inspired by Deng Xiaoping outside of China, for the ideology of the Communist Party of China itself, see Socialism with Chinese Characteristics

Dengism is a largely online political tendency which expresses critical or uncritical support for the People's Republic of China, as well as a label for the ideological strain which supports this position. Dengism is named for Deng Xiaoping and derives some of its ideological positions from his writings. Use of the term from either supporters or critics is not common outside of internet spaces, and the concept may have originated on the internet . Dengism is controversial due to its direct connection to the heated debate over China. Dengism bears relation to Deng Xiaoping Theory and Xi Jinping Thought but is often associated much more with foreign supporters of the ideology of the Communist Party of China (particularly Westerners).

Characteristics

Campism and support for "Actually Existing Socialism"

Despite claiming to uphold Mao Zedong's thesis that revolutionary movements must develop in accordance to national peculiarities and independently of external socialist states, most Dengists adhere to an extreme form of foreign dogmatism; viewing the primary bringers of socialism as being the supposedly socialist People's Republic of China and the Russian Federation (the latter country they reluctantly admit is not socialist, but de-facto regard it as still being socialist), rather than the proletariat and its revolutionary vanguard in each country. In addition, most Dengists omit class struggle altogether in favor national struggle; viewing the world as being a conflict between an "anti-imperialist" (Eastern) camp and an imperialist (Western) camp, regardless as to the whether such states are socialist or not.

Further, Dengists dogmatically adhere to the "AES" ("actually existing socialism") doctrine. "AES" is a propaganda term concocted in the Soviet revisionist regime under Brezhnev in order to justify their revisionist deviations and stagnation. Today, it is similarly used by Dengists to suggest that the modern corporatist and profit-driven economic system found in China and similar countries are the "be-all end-all" of socialism, as well as to justify any and all revisions and deviations to Marxism which the CPC and similar parties make.

"Critical support"

In order to deflect correct criticism from Marxists, Dengists, when supporting capitalist-imperialist states such as the Russian Federation or revisionist (and arguably social-imperialist) countries like China or the post-Stalinist Soviet Union, claim they are merely "critically supporting" such countries. However, this "critical support" is almost always uncritical in nature, with Dengists militantly repeating Russian propaganda, denying war crimes, and often using blatant contradictory reasoning (for example, denouncing People's Wars waged by Maoists on the basis of dubious propaganda of supposed war crimes propagated by, at times, even the CIA, yet proceeding to dogmatically support the Chinese government's decision to send weapons to reactionary capitalist governments in Nepal and the Philippines as "socialist internationalism").

"Support" for "Mao Zedong Thought"

Similar to how Maoists (and Mao Zedong himself) paid lip-service to the theoretical advancements made by Josef Stalin and his government but in reality were anti-Stalinists, Dengists claim to uphold Mao Zedong as a major contributor to Marxism, but in reality are strongly opposed to his actual policies. Dengists view the Cultural Revolution, the Sino-Soviet split, and such as "ultra-left". While Dengists oppose Maoism, they fail to actually understand its revisionist aspects and merely do so because Maoists are opposed to the notion of "actually existing socialism", of which is key in Dengist dogma.

Third-worldism

Not unexpectedly, most Dengists adhere to varying degrees of third-worldist ideology. Dengists commonly employ pseudo-racialist terminology to refer to Westerners and view the proletariat in Western countries as being "bought off" by imperialism (ironically, considering most Dengists are actually US-Americans themselves). Thus, Dengists believe that socialism could only be attained in Western countries via a direct military conquest by the People's Republic of China or Russian Federation (that is assuming they concern themselves with spreading socialism in the first place, of which they largely do not).

Notable Dengist propaganda outlets

Dengists, being largely detached from actual revolutionary struggle and also being largely Westerners, lack any actual major political formations. Most Dengist "organizing" takes place online. Notable Dengist online communities and propaganda outlets include:

Subreddits

• r/GenZedong — a youth-focused extremist community largely based in Reddit. Despite regularly espousing hateful rhetoric, it has yet to be banned.
• r/InformedTankie — a subreddit dedicated to "helping tankies stay informed". Largely a repository of propaganda screeds. Believes Bolivia and Venezuela are "AES".
• r/asktankies — a subreddit where newcomers to Dengism can "ask tankies" about their views. Serves as a major indoctrination center into revisionist ideology.

Lemmy

• lemmygrad.ml — a web forum with archives for the subreddits above. Most users are from r/GenZedong.
• hexbear.net — a web forum which, in theory, is "left-unity", but is largely Dengist.

Media outlets

• redsails.org — a propaganda outlet which contributes third-worldist and Chinese nationalist material.

Criticism

Critics accuse Dengists of supporting social-imperialism, class collaborationism, or even chauvinism against Westerners.

See also

• Nikita Khrushchev
• Brezhnev Doctrine
• Nikolai Bukharin
• Actually existing socialism
• People's Republic of China