The Capitalist Pig

A young woman of about 20, who speaks English, had dinner with us one evening. Turns out, she is a member of China’s Young Socialist Organization. She asked me what I thought about socialism – by mistake, I am sure. I have avoided talking politics here every time I come because I am not here to export the American way to China. But, this very direct question, arriving after a few bottles of Chingdao with friends and students, eased its way between my ribs and broke my piñata full of Capitalist views.

I said that I know little about socialism because it is such a rare thing that I, nor anyone else, have ever seen it fully implemented. She responded that China is a great example of how socialism has brought about social change and improved the lives of people in a socialist country. I asked her if she meant the Maoist flavor where they sent the educated people to work on the collective farms instead of improving the quality of life in China. She said not exactly. I asked about Deng Xiaoping and the gang of 4 that all repressed free thought and squeezed the people in a government vice that held China back for another 20 years. "Not exactly," she said. "China has made great advances as a socialist nation in the last 10 years," she continued. I told her that China has made those advances as a capitalist country and that she lives in a capitalist globalized regime – just like the U.S.. She insisted that China is socialist. Here we go. 

I said, "Imagine that you just fell and broke your leg." "Ok," she said. I asked her what she would do. She said that she would go to the hospital, of course. I asked which one, and she gave me a name. Now I know nothing of medical care here in South China and don’t need to. I asked her why the one she named and not the one down the block from the restaurant. She said that the one close-by was for poor people. We continued for a while, establishing that access to medical care, education, quality food and the due process of law were all functions of how much money a person has. She said of course, it is always that way – so? I said that is capitalism and she lives in a capitalist country and that to equate any of the current system with socialism is to be blind to the truth. She didn’t ask me any more about my thoughts on socialism, but looked very contemplative through dinner. I couldn't sleep for an hour that night expecting the police to come arrest the Capitalist Pig for heresy against the revolution or something – I was lucky this time, I guess.

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