Answers to Everyday Questions : Marxism today is seen as a failed ideology. What is Marxism and why do you think it failed in its application?

Marxism today is seen as a failed ideology. What is Marxism and why do you think it failed in its application?

10 Responses to “Marxism today is seen as a failed ideology. What is Marxism and why do you think it failed in its application?”

1. Mega - Tr[]n said :
   October 10th, 2010 at 10:08 am

   Marxism is not a failed ideology–a failure of application of an ideology, and a failure of ideology are not the same

   Marxism is basically premised on the idea that capitalism, an economic system that allows small segments of a society to amass tons of power (political & economic) is bound to fail at some point due to greed , and economic disparity

   Marxism hasn’t failed in the 20th century. Look at Cuba, or Canada, or Norway–each of these, by American standards, is pretty socialist/marxist, yet all have a higher standard of living than America
2. John said :
   October 10th, 2010 at 10:35 am

   You are an idiot, right?
3. Shane said :
   October 10th, 2010 at 10:59 am

   too many Kwame Kilpatricks in the world. Government is naturally corrupt and power is naturally tempting.
4. "VOTE THEM OUT" said :
   October 10th, 2010 at 11:24 am

   Marxism is the political practice and social theory based on the works of Karl Marx, a 19th century philosopher, economist, journalist, and revolutionary, along with Friedrich Engels. Marx drew on Hegel’s philosophy, the political economy of Adam Smith, Ricardian economics, and 19th century French socialism to develop a critique of society which he claimed was both scientific and revolutionary. This critique achieved its most systematic (if unfinished) expression in his masterpiece, Capital: A Critique of Political Economy (Das Kapital).

   Marxism is based on the works of nineteenth century philosopher, Karl Marx.Since Marx’s death in 1883, various groups around the world have appealed to Marxism as the intellectual basis for their politics and policies, which can be dramatically different and conflicting. One of the first major splits occurred between the advocates of social democracy, who argued that the transition to socialism could occur within a democratic framework, and communists, who argued that the transition to a socialist society required a revolution. Social democracy resulted in the formation of the British Labour Party and the Social Democratic Party of Germany, while communism resulted in the formation of various communist parties.

   Although there are still many Marxist revolutionary social movements and political parties around the world, since the collapse of the Soviet Union and its satellite states, relatively few countries have governments which describe themselves as Marxist. Although social democratic parties are in power in a number of Western nations, they long ago distanced themselves from their historical connections to Marx and his ideas. As of 2004, Laos, Vietnam, Cuba, and the People’s Republic of China have governments in power which describe themselves as Marxist. North Korea is inaccurately described as Marxist, as both Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il have rejected conventional Marxist views in favour of the Korean “communist” variant, juche. Also, Libya is often referred to as Communist, but Muammar al-Qaddafi has sought to lead them into Islamic socialism.

   Some members of the laissez-faire and “individualist” schools believe the principles of modern bourgeois states or big governments can be understood as “Marxist”. Marx and Engels’s Communist Manifesto include a number of steps that they believed a society would experience as workers emancipated themselves from the capitalist system such as “Free education for all children in public schools”: some of these appear to have been implemented in the form of Keynesianism, the welfare state, new liberalism, and other changes to the capitalist system in some capitalist states. Some individualists believe that reformers in the capitalist system are (or were) “secret Marxists” as they support policies that are similar to those steps Marx and Engels said a developed capitalist society would go through. Some other individualists in common with Marx’s theory of historical materialism see the capitalist reforms as harbingers of the future coming of communism.

   To Marxists, on the other hand, these reforms represent responses to political pressures from working-class political parties and unions, themselves responding to perceived abuses of the capitalist system. Further, in this view, many of these reforms reflect efforts to “save” or “improve” capitalism (without abolishing it) by dealing with market failures, i.e., inefficiencies of the system. Further, although Marxism does see a role for an enlightened (socialist) government to represent the proletariat through a revolutionary period of indeterminate length, it sees an eventually lightening of that burden, a “withering away of the state.” ~!!!!
5. Matthew D said :
   October 10th, 2010 at 11:51 am

   State Communism failed. Marxism is hailed as a success and is incorporated the world over.
   In this country if you get disabled you have options; work that offers special accommodation, disability pay you have rights.
   That’s not how it was in England when Marx was alive. If you got disabled you lost your job became homeless and lived as a beggar off of charity or in the poor house.
   See the difference? Thank Marx.
6. ana banana plays the piano said :
   October 10th, 2010 at 11:55 am

   Marxism is almost impossible to achieve because it requires that everyone be equal. However, in the past the people who initiated marxist movements have taken more power for themselves, made themselves and their cohorts rulers, and then made everyone else conform to their ideals in a communist society.
7. Eric said :
   October 10th, 2010 at 12:08 pm

   Marxism is the power of the proliteriet and it puts more power into the working class. The world is divided up into the workers and the land owners and the owners of capital. Mostly there are workers with a few rich landowners and capital owners.
8. L.T.M. said :
   October 10th, 2010 at 1:01 pm

   It fails because Marxists are like Vampires. They suck the life blood out of the productive in a society. Of course it fails.
9. texaslibsticker said :
   October 10th, 2010 at 1:18 pm

   It will fail in any application. Marxism requires the confiscation of liberties, and people today want security without giving up freedom.

   I do think it is possible, in fact, it appears that Barry and the Obama-bots are lining up for another go at it before the ‘010 election. But, as long as you moronic academia nuts thinking they are smarter then the people, you stand the chance of one of them trying their theories on the people.
10. robbie said :
    October 10th, 2010 at 2:16 pm

    Progressives, liberals redefined, do not believe Marxism is a failed ideology, they believe it is only delayed. Yes I do believe that some nation will try to organize around Marxist principles and it’s going on right now right here in this country, the U.S.A. As the Beck man says, the difference between a Marxist and a Progressive is that a Marxist believes in “revolution” to take over, whereas a Progressive believes in “evolution’ to take over, with identical outcomes, and this is proceeding right here and now with Obama and his cronies. Marxism, like all socialist ideologies dissolves most if not all private enterprise including private property in favor of the State.