Marxism, what you got?

[BrianSoddingBoru4]

There are no purely socialistic countries, just as there are no purely capitalistic ones. Economies have elements of each. If you have price supports, some sort of state pension scheme, publicly funded anything, you’re trying socialism. Not pure socialism, naturally - call it ‘social democracy’ if it makes you feel better.

Not really implementing some Socialist policies (which by the way aren't really socialist as price supports are a feature of many systems as are forms of state pensions)

What signs do you see of the State withering away?

Boru

First off depends on what the state was talking about. In American for example, I see.

A  rise in political  sectarianism that the state seems ill-prepared to deal with and I imagine will only rise over time

An Economy that's failed substantial swathes of the population with little end in sight 

Growing distrust in the institutions of the state and its leadership 

A growing lack of confidence in its ability to handle crises ( climate change etc)

A growing apathy for Democracy 

The  corruption of the free press  

The Slow Decay of the  perceived legitimacy 

To name a few 

Without a coherent populous who believe in the state and confidence in, its legitimacy and its key institutions it will wither.

Marx and Engels were referring to the demise of ‘the State’ as a concept, not to any particular state. The signs you mention would seem to be indicative of either a change in the way a State is managed, or increasing the power of that State. If the US were to become a theocratic dictatorship, for example, or a corporate fascism, it would still be a State.

Worldwide, the concept of a State seems stronger than ever. Marx’s notion that society would evolve to the point where laws could be done away with (because people would naturally want to behave themselves without coercion) seems as far-fetched as ever.

And social programmes are socialist in essence, if not in name. This can’t be sensibly denied.

Boru