▁and ▁oppos ing ▁modes ▁of ▁organ izing ▁economic ▁activity ." ▁ ▁State ▁capital ism ▁the or ists ▁ ▁Supp or ters ▁of ▁the ▁theory ▁of ▁state ▁capital ism ▁in ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Union ▁( such ▁as ▁Tony ▁Cl iff ▁and ▁Chris ▁Har man ) ▁and ▁sch ol ars ▁such ▁as ▁Andre ▁G under ▁Frank ▁have ▁also ▁believed ▁that ▁the ▁law ▁of ▁value ▁operated ▁in ▁Soviet - type ▁soci eties . ▁However , ▁it ▁is ▁not ▁always ▁clear ▁what ▁they ▁mean ▁by ▁the ▁law ▁of ▁value , ▁beyond ▁the ▁vague ▁idea ▁that ▁the ▁direct ▁produ cers ▁remain ▁domin ated ▁by ▁their ▁own ▁products , ▁or ▁that ▁labour ▁costs ▁remain ▁important , ▁or ▁that ▁Soviet - type ▁soci eties ▁remained ▁influenced ▁by ▁the ▁world ▁market . ▁In ▁ 1 9 7 9 , ▁Tony ▁Cl iff ▁explained : ▁ ▁Many ▁Western ▁Marx ists ▁reason ed ▁that ▁if ▁workers ▁were ▁opp ress ed ▁in ▁the ▁Soviet ▁economy , ▁the ▁Soviet ▁system ▁could ▁not ▁be ▁social ist , ▁and ▁that ▁if ▁it ▁was ▁not ▁social ist , ▁it ▁must ▁be ▁capital ist ▁– ▁be ▁it ▁a ▁special ▁kind ▁of ▁capital ism , ▁a ▁capital ism ▁mainly ▁directed ▁by ▁the ▁state . ▁A ▁similar ▁theory ▁was ▁adopted ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 7 ▁by ▁the ▁Chinese ▁commun ists : ▁after ▁St alin ▁died ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 3 , ▁according ▁to ▁this ▁theory , ▁a ▁sort ▁of ▁coup ▁d ' état ▁had ▁occurred ▁in ▁the ▁Kre ml in , ▁which ▁led ▁to ▁the ▁" rest oration ▁of ▁capital