In this post, I will end my series on Karl Marx (i.e., my last three posts) with a resounding conclusion: Karl Marx has proven correct, mostly! One primary reason: China is back, offering a significant model of [modest] prosperity, without colonialism. China is essentially Marxist.
1. Overview
Karl Marx is cherished in China as the father of communism but condemned in America (as well as in the West) as a villain for the same reason.
Three informative readings on Karl Marx (i.e., my last three posts):
2. Karl Marx in America
America is a very confused country, starting from the American Revolution (What is the American Revolution, anyway?), and Americans are a very confused people (American Political Taxonomy Simplified). The confusion includes Karl Marx and Marxism. Three prominent subjects:
- Socialism vs. communism.
- Capitalism.
- Democracy.
Let me elaborate on each …
2.1 Socialism vs. communism
To many Americans, socialism and communism are synonyms.
They are not!
Communism, as many Americans know it, such as the USSR and China under Mao (1949-1976), is terrible – Been there, escaped from it.
Socialism, on the other hand, is a counter-force against capitalism, which alone is disastrously flawed.
Two extreme American attitudes toward socialism:
- On the far right: Whenever the word “socialism” appears, the folks there point to Venezuela, Cuba, or even the USSR as the examples of failure, without daring to mention China, a “socialist country with Chinese characteristics”, as an overwhelming example of success. Here is a tip: A republic is socialistic by definition. So, America has been socialistic since Day 1, with the worst form of socialism: socialism supporting capitalism with free labor (aka slavery).
- On the far left: Bernie Sanders, an openly self-proclaimed [democratic] socialist, has been hugely popular, especially among the young and the poor.
2.2 Capitalism
If you think America is a capitalist country, read the image below.
Furthermore, in order to truly understand capitalism, study Karl Marx, even ahead of Adam Smith. For more, read History 2.0 – China’s Comeback vs. America’s Decline.
2.3 Democracy
Beyond capitalism and socialism, Marx has also proven to be correct about democracy, its natural progression, at least.
3. Karl Marx in China
Marx has had his ups and downs in China since 1949 when the CPC gained control of China.
It is now up again for one main reason: the CPC is looking for a theoretical foundation for its legitimacy. After all, CPC stands for “Communist Party of China”.
Additionally, the CPC is confronted with many problems of [state] capitalism, from inequality to massively inherited wealth for the “spoiled” generations. Sounds familiar, America?
On the other hand, the legitimacy issue will be lessened over time, because democracy, the major competitor against [China’s] autocracy, is collapsing under its own weight. For more, read Has Jeffersonian America Run Its Course?
4. Where is everybody in societal development?
Let’s examine four representative countries (or regions):
- Mideast and North Africa.
- Europe.
- China.
- America.
4.1 Mideast and North Africa
Most countries in that region are stuck in feudalism, confused with a new Western notion called “democracy”.
They are in feudalism both in form and in content. In form, aside from some real kings (e.g., Saudi Arabia), a dictator with a family member in succession is essentially a king. In content, the #1 problem is abject poverty, due to the lack of a significant boost from capitalism, which is the only way to achieve prosperity in modern times.
They are confused with democracy, thanks to the reckless export from America. The harsh reality is that democracy without capitalism first has proven to be a total disaster (e.g., Iraq and Egypt). Worse yet, democracy is badly failing in America!
What, then, is the best example for the region, as well as all the other third-world countries, to follow?
China!
4.2 China
Mao was China’s last de facto Emperor. After his death in 1976, China embraced capitalism and has lifted some 800 million out of abject poverty since then. China has the best balance between socialism and capitalism, with a long way to go though.
For more, read What is China, anyway?
4.3 Europe
Europe has had a good run over the past few hundred years, thanks, largely, to the discovery of the “new” world. But it has so overspent its future for the present and gone so deeply into socialism that Europe, as a whole, is deeply in trouble, both politically (e.g., democracy) and economically (Yellow vests, rising violence – what’s happening in France?).
4.4 America
America is very different from the three examples discussed above, especially in the way it was founded. It is largely for this reason that Karl Marx’s model does not fit very well for America. For more, read A loop theory for societal development.
One point worth highlighting: America is actually falling back to feudalism. Two recent examples:
- President George W. Bush followed his father President George H.W. Bush.
- Donald Trump, with shameless nepotism (The Nepotism Might Finally Be Too Much to Ignore).
5. Discussion
Marx was a radical social critic. His analysis and criticism of capitalism remains most thorough and insightful to date. However, just like most other social critics, ancient or modern, Marx was far from adequate on the solution side. Specifically,
- His works on socialism were primitive, and his imagination of socialism as a replacement of capitalism was mostly wrong. Instead, capitalism and socialism should co-exist for a long time (A loop theory for societal development). Moreover, China’s state capitalism, as a form of government, is obviously beyond his imagination.
- His fantasy of communism as the ideal form of the human society was just too remote from practicality.
Below is one of the biggest deals from Karl Marx:
So, let’s discuss a communist revolution in China and America, respectively.
5.1 China and a communist revolution?
Could China have developed to its current status (i.e., state capitalism) without the Chinese Communist Revolution first?
Perhaps not.
So, Marx was correct in China’s case.
5.2 America and a communist revolution?
Can America transform itself from its existing form of/by/for the rich to a form of/by/for the people (i.e., rich and poor), without a bloody communist (aka “proletarian”) revolution?
Hopefully yes.
So, it is up to America to prove Marx wrong on this.
6. Closing
Other than the call for a proletarian revolution to replace capitalism with socialism (and eventually communism), Karl Marx might just have got everything else correct.
For a more thorough discussion of the subject, read History 2.0 – China’s Comeback vs. America’s Decline.
