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Marxism is an economic and sociopolitical worldview and method of socioeconomic inquiry centered upon a materialist interpretation of history, a dialectical view of social change, and an analysis–critique of the development of capitalism. In the early-to-mid 19th century, the intellectual development of Marxism was pioneered by two German philosophers, Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. As an ideology, Marxism encompasses an economic theory, a sociological theory, and a revolutionary view of social change.[1]
Since the late 19th century, Marxism has been internally divided, between proponents of orthodox Marxism and proponents of revisionist Marxism, and between the respective revolutionary and reformist branches. Revolutionary, Bolshevik leader Vladimir Lenin, said that “the supersession of the bourgeois state by the proletarian state is impossible without violent revolution”.[2] Reformist and democratic socialist political theorist Michael Harrington claims that, in their later life, Engels and Marx had advocated the development of socialism through parliamentary means, where-ever possible.[3] Marxist understandings of history and of society have been adopted by academics in the disciplines of archaeology and anthropology,[4] media studies,[5] political science, theater, history, sociological theory, art history and art theory, cultural studies, education, economics, geography, literary criticism, aesthetics, critical psychology, and philosophy.[6]
The term "Marxism" was popularized by Karl Kautsky who considered himself an "orthodox" Marxist during the dispute between the orthodox and revisionist followers of Marx.[7] Kautsky's revisionist rival Eduard Bernstein also later adopted use of the term.[8] Engels did not support the use of the term "Marxism" to describe either Marx's or his views.[9] Engels claimed that the term was being abusively used as a rhetorical qualifier by those attempting to cast themselves as "real" followers of Marx while casting others in different terms, such as "Lassallians".[10] Engels in a letter to Bernstein in 1882, stated a claimed quote from Marx who had criticized self-proclaimed "Marxist" Paul Lafargue, quoting Marx as saying that if Lafargue's views were considered "Marxist", then "One thing is certain and that is that I am not a Marxist".[11]
Originally posted by CosmicCitizen
Re Che Guevara....I am sick of the liberals wearing t-shirts with his image who have no concept of his psychotic blood lust (well beyond doing what was considered necessary but not liking it). Most of his popularity is due to his photogenic characteristics (esp the famous photo in the beret). What if he looked like Congressman Waxman??
Originally posted by ElectricUniverse
Originally posted by CosmicCitizen
Re Che Guevara....I am sick of the liberals wearing t-shirts with his image who have no concept of his psychotic blood lust (well beyond doing what was considered necessary but not liking it). Most of his popularity is due to his photogenic characteristics (esp the famous photo in the beret). What if he looked like Congressman Waxman??
You have no idea how much sometimes I just want to choke the truth into these people who think Che guevara was fighting for the people, when in reality he was just a sick sob who even used his medical skills for torturing, and loved to murder innocent people...
If these same people read the things he wrote in his own autobiography/diary...
But you are claiming that I lied about you reading books. First of all, a true history nerd doesn't base his knowledge on what he/she reads on the internet, since it is easier for anyone to write lies over the internet than to do so in books, even when there are books in which people lie and twist things around...
yet on your other posts you are trying to imply that socialism is good... You seem to be contradicting yourself...
There is no "socialism mixed with fascism, or communism, fascism and communism are two of the MANY forms of socialism that exist...
You need socialism in order for fascism to exist, and you need socialism in order for communism to exist.
Some other members and I proved that Mussolini, and Hitler were socialists. Just because you don't want to accept this is not going to change these facts.
Bernie Madoff and company did not invent capitalism, and neither are they any proof that "capitalism is evil"...
It would be like me claiming that socialism is evil because of the drug trade that exists even in socialist nations...
Does the government own and control police stations and police officers?
Second of all, this is like claiming that reunions are socialist because people unite to discuss certain topics, which sorry to say it's not true...
Third of all, even if there was a flat tax, instead of the "Progressive taxes" that we have, the flat tax would also be used to pay for these services...
Even under socialism the means of production is owned by the state, and private property is abolished...
Or are you now going to claim you never said such a thing that "communism is not an issue at all"?...
Again, according to you the 125- 160 million murdered under socialism/communism is nothing but an invention as well...
Political Marxism
Since Marx's death in 1883, various groups around the world have appealed to Marxism as the theoretical basis for their politics and policies, which have often proved to be dramatically different and conflicting.[citation needed] One of the first major political splits occurred between the advocates of 'reformism', who argued that the transition to socialism could occur within existing bourgeois parliamentarian frameworks, and communists, who argued that the transition to a socialist society required a revolution and the dissolution of the capitalist state. The 'reformist' tendency, later known as social democracy, came to be dominant in most of the parties affiliated to the Second International and these parties supported their own governments in the First World War.[citation needed] This issue caused the communists to break away, forming their own parties which became members of the Third International.[citation needed]
The following countries had governments at some point in the 20th century who at least nominally adhered to Marxism:[34] Albania, Afghanistan, Angola, Benin, Bulgaria, Chile, China, Republic of Congo, Cuba, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Ethiopia, Grenada, Hungary, Laos, Moldova, Mongolia, Mozambique, Nepal, Nicaragua, North Korea, Poland, Romania, Russia, the USSR and its republics, South Yemen, Yugoslavia, Venezuela, Vietnam. In addition, the Indian states of Kerala, Tripura and West Bengal have had Marxist governments, but change takes place in the government due to electoral process. Some of these governments such as in Venezuela, Nicaragua, Chile, Moldova and parts of India have been democratic in nature and maintained regular multiparty elections.
Originally posted by RealSpoke
All I see is crony capitalism and Fascism.....
OP is a McCarthy wannabe...OP also doesn't even know the definition of communism or socialism.
The OP has PTSD from living in a fascist country that called itself communist.edit on 3-8-2012 by RealSpoke because: (no reason given)