How do the workers own the means of production if the state controls everything? Especially a state that only allows certain kind of person into the controlling party. An upper class, you might say.
Even if they own it, and the state demands a 90% tax on production, what do they really own?
You see, the state simply claims to be the workers - or rather their chosen representative.
Therefore, since the state owns everything, the workers must own everything. The GDR was so far left, they even ensured workers wouldn't accidentally self-harm their means of production through strikes, how kind of them.
Under a capitalist society, workers gain influence by joining a strike, union, or worker co-op. A state is a corporation that owns the means of violence. Under a capitalistic society this is used to protect the capital class. Under a more socialistic society a state becomes less important.
if you're driving through East German cities you know why they're voting populist right wing parties. there's no work, poverty and half of the houses are empty because a lot of the people already left.
Yeah, but that doesn't explain it all. Görlitz for example is the county with the highest number of votes for the AfD. But the county is doing really well, there's a big Siemens plant there.