In the late 1990s, when Blackshirts and Reds was written, it really did seem like China was capitulating in the same way many other countries had, by letting in foreign Capital. It was only with time that it was proven to be genuinely limited in scope, and that the CPC had course-corrected from the Ultraleftism of the Cultural Revolution to a more traditional Marxist understanding of development. Parenti has since turned around on China, as all major Marxist-Leninist orgs who were skeptical of Reform and Opening Up have.
Further, Parenti himself is less of a Marxist and more of a “pro-Marxist.” His understanding of Marxist Theory is weak, what’s strong is his understanding of Western demonization of Communists and Socialist countries. He’s valuable because he nails western anti-communism.
In the late 1990s, when Blackshirts and Reds was written, it really did seem like China was capitulating in the same way many other countries had, by letting in foreign Capital. It was only with time that it was proven to be genuinely limited in scope, and that the CPC had course-corrected from the Ultraleftism of the Cultural Revolution to a more traditional Marxist understanding of development. Parenti has since turned around on China, as all major Marxist-Leninist orgs who were skeptical of Reform and Opening Up have.
Further, Parenti himself is less of a Marxist and more of a “pro-Marxist.” His understanding of Marxist Theory is weak, what’s strong is his understanding of Western demonization of Communists and Socialist countries. He’s valuable because he nails western anti-communism.