State capitalism 

“State capitalism” is a term that’s been used for over 100 years by economists and others to describe a system where the state employs the workers, pays their wages, sells what’s produced to make profits etc (instead of private employers doing this). Many people don’t know that what came about it Russia, China, Cuba, North Korea etc was state capitalism, and was never socialism or communism (i.e. a society where the people collectively own and control the means of production). In fact, the class-free, state-free, money-free socialism/communism that Marx and Engels wanted and wrote about, has not yet begun.

Those people who ludicrously think Russia had socialism or communism should read a history book about Lenin, then they would realise that he repeatedly said he wanted "state capitalism" for Russia and he said that it would be "a great success".

State capitalism by Economics Professor February 24, 2023

State Capitalism 

Origin; late 20th century socialist academia and media.

A catchall euphemism ascribed by apologetic socialists to the destructive economic policy, human rights abuses and totalitarian dictatorship of every failed or remnant Marxist regime. Often employed despite the prohibition of private property, extreme economic intervention by the state, broad based central planning and state domination of all aspects of individual life under those oppressive Marxist dictatorships.

ThE ECoNomy oF tHe SoVieT uNioN WAs StATe CapitAliSm, lIkE cHiNA Is toDay. rEaL cOmMunIsM HaS nEvER bEeN triED.

State Capitalism by Smitty Jim October 12, 2019

State capitalism 

A funny word from Communism

"Nooooooo it wasn't real communism it was state capitalism"

State capitalism by dank me me me October 6, 2020

State capitalism 

An economic system where the state owns the means of production

It is a subject of debate whether state capitalism was the system of the Soviet Union and China, however I would argue that they were both state socialist (something that originated from these places)

State capitalism by Donna tramp February 10, 2021

late-stage capitalism 

We have reached late-stage capitalism. This is the era where businesses, investors and even the layperson will try everything they possibly can to capitalize on literally anything and every situation. The increasingly diverse stock industry and the booming crypto mining industry can be seen as one of the many aspects of late-stage capitalism. There is no single way to define late-stage capitalism, as the effects are most often seen on a micro scale and the scope is very broad as a result of the plethora of industries.

Some of the various examples of late-stage capitalism could include, but are not limited to: profiting off of your attractive physique, selling your personal data, selling your poop, dropshipping, house flipping, game companies making every single game pay-to-win, news corporations putting paywalls on their news sites, smartphone companies removing the headphone jack to save money, paying people to say positive affirmations, etc etc.

Essentially, it is capitalism but 10x more savage.

Thanks to the diverse range of markets, Jane was able to profit immensely from selling her bathwater, her used underwear, her poop, her sweat, her private browsing data, how many miles she walked, her emotions, her voice, and even her hair. Likewise, capitalists continue to venture into turning the most ordinary things into profitable commodities, while companies have lowered their standards to cut corners in every way possible to save money. This is late-stage capitalism in a nutshell.

late-stage capitalism by Mary Mary Quite The Contrarian May 3, 2021

Precarized Late-Stage Capitalism

An intensification of precarized capitalism under late‑stage conditions: financialization, globalization, automation, and the erosion of labor protections combine to make precarity the baseline for the majority of workers. Even skilled professionals find themselves on short‑term contracts, while platforms algorithmically manage and discipline labor. The state withdraws from social welfare, leaving individuals to navigate constant uncertainty. Precarized late‑stage capitalism is characterized by the normalization of housing insecurity, medical debt, and the complete absence of a career trajectory—just an endless series of gigs.

Precarized Late-Stage Capitalism Example: “He had a master’s degree and ten years of experience, yet he was renting a room, driving for Uber, and one missed paycheck from disaster. Precarized late‑stage capitalism had made expertise worthless and stability a luxury.”

Precarized Late-Stage Capitalism by Abzugal April 20, 2026

Justification against Victims of Late-Stage Capitalism

The explicit defense of the extreme, often absurd, harms endemic to the decaying phase of capitalism—such as rampant financialization, platform monopolies, climate collapse, and existential precarity—as not only necessary but as signs of a thriving, innovative system. It frames unprecedented levels of inequality, burnout, and societal dysfunction as the exciting, if turbulent, frontier of human progress, where victims are merely those who failed to adapt to a new, faster world they should be grateful for.

Justification against Victims of Late-Stage Capitalism Example: A tech billionaire arguing that the mental health crisis and loneliness epidemic fueled by social media algorithms are "the price of global connection and democratized information," and that those suffering from addiction or misinformation "need to develop better digital literacy." This justification reframes the systemic pathologies of attention economics as a grand, neutral evolution, blaming users for its human costs.

Justification against Victims of Late-Stage Capitalism by Abzugal February 8, 2026