I'm not so quick to give Marx a pass on the sins of communism. Marx, as brilliant as he was, had to know man would not evolve through heightened awareness (or whatever) into a selfless automaton dutifully working for the greater good of greater mankind. He had to know the "dictatorship of the proletariat" would inevitably turn into a bloodbath and the exact opposite of the classless utopia he envisioned. I sometimes think he was a brilliant thinker looking for that grand theory that would justify him sponging off Engles and the rest.
When Marx wrote "from each according to his ability,to each according to his needs", do you think he ever saw the day when a member of society wouldn't become productive until his 23rd year or so? Do you think he ever foresaw people retiring at 65 and enjoying both a check and healthcare benefits (make that 55 and half pay for gubmint employees) for the next 15 - 20 years? Do you think he'd look today and say, "No wonder your all broke."
Loved him in 'A Night At The Opera'.
ReplyDeleteI'm not so quick to give Marx a pass on the sins of communism. Marx, as brilliant as he was, had to know man would not evolve through heightened awareness (or whatever) into a selfless automaton dutifully working for the greater good of greater mankind. He had to know the "dictatorship of the proletariat" would inevitably turn into a bloodbath and the exact opposite of the classless utopia he envisioned.
ReplyDeleteI sometimes think he was a brilliant thinker looking for that grand theory that would justify him sponging off Engles and the rest.
When Marx wrote "from each according to his ability,to each according to his needs", do you think he ever saw the day when a member of society wouldn't become productive until his 23rd year or so? Do you think he ever foresaw people retiring at 65 and enjoying both a check and healthcare benefits (make that 55 and half pay for gubmint employees) for the next 15 - 20 years? Do you think he'd look today and say, "No wonder your all broke."
ReplyDelete