Actually Existing Socialism

This article is about the popular revisionist doctrine. For examples of socialist states, see socialist state.

"Actually existing socialism" (AES), also known as "real socialism" or "existing socialism", is a revisionist concept which originated in the Brezhnevite Soviet Union involving militant support for nominally socialist states which survived the end of the Cold War. Supporters of "AES" may argue that spreading revolution and thus building socialism in one's own country is secondary or even futile (particularly when it concerns "first world countries", as most supporters of the "AES" doctrine also happen to be Dengists or third-worldists). "AES" followers care little for actual ideological content, and instead base their view of "socialism" off rhetoric and symbols which the ruling parties of so-called "AES" states maintain. Thus, "AES" followers view countries such as modern China (a state which is social-imperialist and organized on a fascist corporatist and class collaborationist economic model) or the former Brezhnevite Soviet Union as being entirely socialist and full dictatorships of the proletariat (despite neither modern China nor the historical revisionist Soviet Union actually claiming to be proletarian dictatorships).

Followers of "AES" claim there exist, at the least, five "AES" states in the world — China, Vietnam, the North Korea, Laos, and Cuba. However, none of these countries are under the socialist mode of production.

See also

• Revisionism
• Critical support
• Dengism
• Brezhnev Doctrine
• Social imperialism