A dupla conversão: do ideal socialista ao estatismo e deste ao capitalismo

Trabalho preparado para número especial da Revista de Estudos Avançados da USP, dezembro de 2009.

The twenty century socialist revolutions have turned, first, into statist or technobureaucratic systems and, second, have proved to be a path to capitalism to the extent that the state is an effective instrument to promote forced savings. The first conversion derived from the high initial inequality conditions existing in modern societies and from the fact that although human beings are not only egoistic, their solidarity must be built. The second conversion from the fact that a state controlled economy is incompatible with the complexity of developed economic systems. Actually, men and women are always building a better state and a better society. If socialism finally turns reality, it will be the outcome of a gradual social construction.