Developed Socialism

Developed Socialism, also Real Socialism or Actually Existing Socialism, is a political catchphrase coined by the Soviet Union to describe and explain the socio-political and economic state of the Soviet Union as a 'developed socialist society'. According to Brezhnev, a primary theorist of the topic, developed socialism was "a society where the principle 'From each according to his ability, to each according to his work' prevails, and where socialist production relations ensure the planned, sustainable development of the entire national economy at the modern technical level".
The term was and has sense been used both in an unironic fashion by the Soviet Communist Parties and sympathizers, and also in an ironic and disparaging way by those who see Developed Socialism as being a betrayal of Marxism, or an ideological cliche.

History

Early history

Following World War II and the establishment of many self-described socialist states in Eastern Europe, many of these states were considered to be transitioning from capitalism to socialism. By the late 1950s or early 1960s, these countries were then considered to be completing the construction of socialism. Therefore, in a statement by representatives of communist and workers' parties meeting in Moscow in November and December 1960, it was said that some socialist countries had entered "a period of building a developed socialist society".

One of the early innovators of the idea of a so-called "developed socialist society" was Czechoslovakia and the GDR (German Democratic Republic). In the GDR, the question of postponing the construction of communism was raised. In September 1967, Walter Ulbricht, the First Secretary of the Socialist Unity Party, recommended to Leonid Brezhnev that the USSR "once again discus the question of the characterization of the stage of socialism". Ulbricht believed that it was necessary to 'stretch out' the period of socialism in order to allow it to win throughout the world even before the construction of communism, a concept in contradiction to the Soviet ideal of building communism in one country. The GDR would be the first state to describe itself as a 'developed socialist state'.

Development in the Soviet Union

In the Soviet Union, Leonid Brezhnev and the Communist Party of the Soviet Union urged Soviet scientists to rethink the processes that took place in society. Writing to the Politburo of the CPSU in July 1966, Brehnev said that there was a need for an "upsurge in theoretical work", "intensive creative work in the field of Marxist theory", which "does not yet exist". This reworking of ideology was carried out by leading Soviet philosophers and social scientists. Among the leading ideologues called upon the Party and Brezhnev to formulate this new theory was Mikhail Suslov, one of the most important figures of the Brezhnev era.

The terms "mature socialism" and "complete construction of socialism" first appeared to describe the current stage of development of the USSR in the XXIII Party Congress of the CPSU (March to April 1966). Various other terms, largely synonymous with each-other, were also used to describe this society. The idea of a 'developed socialist society' and the construction of such continued to develop. On a report coinciding with the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the October Revolution, Brezhnev announced the construction of a "developed socialist society" in the USSR.

By 1977, the Communist Party and Brezhnev had considered the Soviet Union to have entered the period of a developed socialist society, best embodied by the 1977 Soviet constitution, in which developed socialism in the Soviet Union is described as "a society of mature socialist social relations, in which, on the basis of the convergence of all classes and social strata and of the juridical and factual equality of all its nations and nationalities and their fraternal cooperation".

After Brezhnev's death, the party began to slowly move away from the idea of 'developed socialism'. Initially, Yuri Andropov, Brezhnev's successor, upheld the idea of a developed socialist society. However, he slowly began the reclassification of the Soviet Union not as a 'developed socialist society', but as one that had simply entered the stage of 'developed socialism'. Following the 27th Congress of the CPSU in 1986 under Mikhail Gorbachev, the concept was almost completely abandoned.

Relationships

Comrades

• Brezhnev Doctrine - Papa who founded me.
• Suslovism - He theorized me and inspired the whole world.
• Marxism-Leninism - I am merely the continuation of Marx and Lenin’s lofty ideals.
• State Socialism - This is how you build socialism!

Lumpenproletariat

• People's Democracy - At least we both love Ho Chih Minh and Erich Honecker......
• Market Socialism - Kosygin and Kadar likes you, but you are way too revisionist for my liking.
• Stalinism - Comrade Stalin made many mistakes, such as the cult of personality and autocracy, but his contributions to the theorization of Marxism-Leninism were tremendous to the world socialist movement. He also helped defeat fascists, industrialized the USSR with the collectivization of agriculture, and made it a superpower.
• Juche - DPRK real Korea! But why did Kim Jong-Il abandon Marxism-Leninism by removing it in his 2009 constitutional amendment?
• Jaruzelskism - A military intervention in Poland would be a catastrophe, but you must declare martial law to crush the counterrevolutionary protests on the streets.
• Khrushchevism - Opportunist and voluntarist who enacted the unnecessary de-Stalinization. Crushing the 1956 Hungarian uprising was based, though, and so was your "we will bury you" speech to the west.
• Conservative Socialism - Fellow Soviet nostalgia enjoyers! But why are some of you so reactionary and supportive of the church?
• Democratic Socialism - Reforms will never get us to anywhere….comrade, Allende’s failure already showed us that capitalism can only be overthrown via a violent communist revolution.
• Social Authoritarianism - Same as above, but slightly better and Juan Velasco was based.

Counterrevolutionaries

• Neoconservatism - Death to western and American imperialists! Imperialism is only good when we do it.
• Capitalism - Death to capitalism and the international bourgeoisie!
• Maoism - Call me a revisionist you like when you suck up American imperialists and Kissinger.
• Marxism–Leninism–Maoism - Same as above but terrorist. Absolutely disgusting.
• Hoxhaism - Like the two above but even more dogmatic.
• Dengism - He proved why Mao’s system would lead to capitalism. Also, why did you invade Vietnam, you traitor? At least many of your western followers also love #AES
• Gorbachevism - Traitor! You ruined everything I tried to create and sold the entire socialist movement to the west! The GKCHP should have killed you!
• Yeltsinism - Same as above but even worse.
• Socialism with a Human Face - The invasion of Czechoslovakia was totally justified to restore socialist orthodoxy.
• Jihadism - American-funded terrorist scums! Damn you for ruining Afghanistan!
• Social Democracy & File:Leftanticommie.png Left Anti-Communism - You literally sides with the west and helped them to stop the global progress of socialism! You are the true social imperialists, not me!