Michael Portillo: Is the Communist Manifesto relevant today? | China Miéville 

China, sorry you had to be interviewed by this hack. Good job keeping your cool.

I wish that interview had continued, the questions and answers were very productive. My only criticism is that Portillo had him repeat himself needlessly on the point of modern communist state. What I wanted to hear was Miéville's positive argument on his vision of the alternative to capitalism rather than focusing on its critique. I'll read the book.

My great grandfather was born in Russia. He wanted to work in the mines, but was forced to write revolutionary poetry to galvanize the proletariat in their continuing class struggle against capitalist oppression.

I wish China would do more interviews

There's certainly a strong case to redress the balance of capital and the return of a union culture would do no harm. I would need to read the text to get more understanding of the hypothesis

Loved it! I think that was a great back and forth. Although, I think the interviewer failed short with the “going out to dinner” comment. Surprised how he didn’t talk about Marx not being strictly against stock markets. And how some of his economic mathematical formulae are still used today. And how Karl Marx wrote a fanboy letter to President Lincoln.

Incredibly depressing to see how utterly predictable and rote Michael's questions and objections are

I'm one of them, I could never doubt your roles, therefore i don't believe it's over serious.

Portillo doesn't have a clue.

Over 1 billion people live in slums today and that figure is set to double in the coming years.

Jesus was a socialist. For sure. He was for the vulnerable, the sick and the poor.

I am delighted that a) I was not the only one to hear this interview live and that b) Time Radio has created and published this video. I am a third of the way through the book but it is peak Mieville and you will need your Thesaurus to hand.

Times Radio, this should be an impartial discussion... NOT

😑

lol, just a little bit, yes

They would be copied of the Arab republicans in heaven. I know exactly what they're SUPPOSED to be, therefore I don't have much opinion.

It was funny how China lead off the interview with a plea for an honest discussion and yet had to spend the entire interview replying to old, tired, cliched right wing talking points about "scary communism." Great job phoning it in by Portillo. And the 100,000,000 or whatever figure "lifted out of poverty" by capitalism isn't saying exactly what he thinks it is saying. The vast majority of those were brought out of poverty by China, the state not the author. And whatever you say about their "market reforms" they do not have any kind of capitalism that Alan Greenspan or Ronald Reagan would recognize. Is that the kind of capitalism that defenders of the current system would like? Actually, don't answer that question...

Well done Mr Portillo, a worthy interview. I would have been interested to discover what the author's grandparents did for a living and the quality of life that afforded them. 5 members of my great grandfather's family died of cholera in the East End of London in 2 years. I think we soon forget that, despite its undoubted difficulties, the industrialised West has been one of the great achievements of humanity which we disassemble at our peril.

No point in discussing this conversation has been had and the conclusion was clear no more people overwhelmed with ideas in politics. If people don't help themself any help will be useless

What an absolute hack interview. He answered the second question with first. Abysmal.

Has anyone yet found a social system that works,both ideologies have been shown to be flawed as many before has shown👹

Interesting conversation with some very valid points. I am however reminded of something my father said when I was a young man. "Communism has nothing to offer but everyone gets a share for free."

Marx was a free trade libertarian and not a protectionist because he said "In a word the free trade system hastens the social revolution". All leaders in China are forced to study Marx so the Marxian ideas are what the ruling Chinese Communist Party follows. I recommend you to read "How The Spector of Communism Rules Our World" by The Epoch Times as it is more relevant today.

Socialism has never achieved any lasting success anywhere on the planet [& Communism never has even temporarily], whereas Capitlaism has lifted hundreds of millions out of poverty as for 19th century working conditions, they were akin to slavery but: Slavery is an inefficient economic model. Slaves only work when forced and then do not perform well. Oppressing workers does not maximise their potential nor their economic value. Employees are the most precious asset in an organisation. If you empower them, they become creative & productive. This is not the ideology of a failed 19th Century Socialism about which Marx/Englels write & which has never succeeded anywhere in the world. It is the philosophy of 21st Century Liberal Capitalism. It enriches everyone. So you can bin your collective coercive, conformist Socialism & embrace individual freedom & choice which is Capitalist Democracy by coming into the 21st Century & ditching your 19th Century platitudes.

So ... which example of REAL working communism can he point to? - or is it just too special a theory to work under real world conditions?

Was Marx simply 500 years too early? All economic systems change. Ours is maybe 250 years old. Maybe 600. Reform vs Revolution. I vote reform. I'm boring.

Michael Portillo the usual pompous character always prone and following towards the masters of finance