The following article, first published in Struggle for Socialism / La Lucha por el Socialismo, compares the state of the US and Chinese railroad systems. The US system is in a state of disrepair, with a lack of investment and a focus on profit over service. In contrast, China has built a high-speed rail network … Continue reading A retired railroader looks at China’s fantastic rail system
As my previous post implied, socialism can refer to a school of thought/philosophy, or a movement, or a political position. China’s government clearly does not claim it has achieved a society with a socialist mode of production (which I’m assuming is what you mean by “real socialism”?), but that doesn’t contradict their claim of being a socialist, and further, communist party.
Furthermore, free healthcare is irrelevant. It’s not a precondition of socialism. The working class can control and own their means of production without having free healthcare. It’s a great policy which I support, but it’s not socialist.