Karl Marx is cherished in China as the father of communism but condemned in America as a villain for the same reason.
China has proven that he was mostly correct, after all!
1. Who is Karl Marx?
Read Wikipedia – Karl Marx.
For more, watch the video at the end of this post.
2. Marx’s two famous books
Below are Karl Marx’s two famous books.
- Read Wikipedia – The Communist Manifesto. For more, listen to the audiobook: com/watch?v=Ie2YI79d-Rg.
- Read Wikipedia – Das Kapital. For more, listen to the audiobook: com/watch?v=LE6qa3bhnOo.
Two notes about Marx’s two books:
- “The Manifesto” is merely a pamphlet, while “Capital” is a 3-volume book.
- The former was published more than two decades before the latter.
Still wondering how and why Marx did a much better job on capitalism than on communism?
Wonder not – He not only was much older and wiser when he wrote “Capital” but also spent much more effort on it.
3. Three informative readings on Marxism
- Karl Marx’s works in a nutshell.
- A loop theory for societal development.
- What if Karl Marx was correct, mostly?
4. Discussion
Karl Marx was a radical social critic. His analysis and criticism of capitalism remain the 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 theory of socialism as a replacement for 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 (China’s state capitalism = communism + capitalism), as a form of government, is obviously beyond his imagination.
- His advocacy of communism as the ideal form of human society was just too remote from practicality. For more, read Toward an ideal form of government.
Below is one of the most controversial slogans by Karl Marx.
So, let’s discuss a communist revolution in China and America, respectively.
4.1 China and a communist revolution?
Could China have developed to its current status without the Chinese Communist Revolution first (What is the Chinese Communist Revolution, anyway?)?
Perhaps not.
So, Marx was basically correct in China’s case.
Note: China calls itself “a socialist country with Chinese characteristics” (aka “state capitalism” in the West), not “a communist country”!
China has become “state capitalism” via two phases:
- A violent proletarian revolution to overthrow a bourgeois government.
- A peaceful evolution to “state capitalism”.
For more, read What is communism, anyway?
4.2 America and a communist revolution?
What is America, anyway?
- America was built on a pile of lies, with “all men are created equal” being the mother of all lies. For more, read What is the American Revolution, anyway (V3)?
- America’s political system is corrupted to the core, with money behind everything! For more, read Is America no longer governable?
- America’s government is for the top 1%. For more, read Colonial America 1776-2030?
Can America transform itself without a bloody [communist] revolution (A quarter of Americans open to taking up arms against government, poll says)?
Hopefully yes.
So, it is up to America to prove Marx was wrong in America’s case.
For a need to study Karl Marx and Marxism (as well as many other theories) in America, watch the short video below.
5. More discussion
The image below highlights the key difference between China, a country currently guided by Marxism, and America, a country that badly needs some Marxism!
For more on Karl Marx, Marxism, China, and America, read History 2.0 – China’s Comeback vs. America’s Decline.
6. Closing
Karl Marx is arguably the greatest economist of all time!
His analysis and criticism of capitalism remain the most thorough and insightful to date. His argument for “communism” per se may prove to be correct (in the form of “state capitalism”), after all.
Now, please sit back and enjoy the video below.
