It’s been almost a century and a half since Karl Marx’s death, and decades since the collapse of socialism in the Soviet Union, Yugoslavia and elsewhere. In the still nominally…View Post
Most people that call themselves Marxist have never read Capital.
Most self-proclaimed Marxists that have read Capital have never gone past Volume 1, nor have actually tried to figure out the parts that didn't make sense to them.
Most self-proclaimed Marxists that have read any of Capital Volume 1 didn't finish it.
Basically... unless you got one of those degrees in Marxism in a cool country, talk of being "Marxist" is cheap. This author sounds like someone that skimmed the Wikipedia article on Marx and thought, "yeah okay cool" and never dived deeper.
It's slightly disturbing to me that having read Capital through about half of volume 2 seemingly makes me more well read than like 90% of Marxists (on the internet at least), because I genuinely don't know what I'm talking about half the time lol
Yeah it's kind of amazing. In the abstract sense it doesn't bother me, I'm fine with Marxist thought resonating with people even if they don't quite "get" the core of what Marx actually wrote.
But then folks decide they get to have critical opinions, either towards Marx or based on some misapplication of Marx, and then they're annoying and can do harm. I've met "Marxists" that fall for the reactionary trope of "real workers" (blue collar, hard hat, etc) vs. everyone else. Like... just don't share your opinions until reading the stuff you imply you did, bro. Also, amazingly, I've run into entire self-proclaimed "Marxist" parties whose reading lists contain neither Marx nor summaries of his work. I shouldn't be surprised, then, that those parties spend most of their efforts on party building but can't create coherent messaging.
I haven't read marx's capital, but i've got the marks of capital all over my back
or something along those lines
i don't expect the average worker to read capital, but yeah as @AHopeOnceMore@hexbear.net said it should at least be a prerequisite to making strong criticisms of marxian theory.
everyone should at least try to understand the basic concepts though, understanding the mechanisms of capitalism is essential to fighting it.
An important fact to remember:
Most people that call themselves Marxist have never read Capital.
Most self-proclaimed Marxists that have read Capital have never gone past Volume 1, nor have actually tried to figure out the parts that didn't make sense to them.
Most self-proclaimed Marxists that have read any of Capital Volume 1 didn't finish it.
Basically... unless you got one of those degrees in Marxism in a cool country, talk of being "Marxist" is cheap. This author sounds like someone that skimmed the Wikipedia article on Marx and thought, "yeah okay cool" and never dived deeper.
Being a marxist is when you reply to byyourlogic and zei_squirrel
Whomst among us?
It's slightly disturbing to me that having read Capital through about half of volume 2 seemingly makes me more well read than like 90% of Marxists (on the internet at least), because I genuinely don't know what I'm talking about half the time lol
Yeah it's kind of amazing. In the abstract sense it doesn't bother me, I'm fine with Marxist thought resonating with people even if they don't quite "get" the core of what Marx actually wrote.
But then folks decide they get to have critical opinions, either towards Marx or based on some misapplication of Marx, and then they're annoying and can do harm. I've met "Marxists" that fall for the reactionary trope of "real workers" (blue collar, hard hat, etc) vs. everyone else. Like... just don't share your opinions until reading the stuff you imply you did, bro. Also, amazingly, I've run into entire self-proclaimed "Marxist" parties whose reading lists contain neither Marx nor summaries of his work. I shouldn't be surprised, then, that those parties spend most of their efforts on party building but can't create coherent messaging.
or something along those lines
i don't expect the average worker to read capital, but yeah as @AHopeOnceMore@hexbear.net said it should at least be a prerequisite to making strong criticisms of marxian theory.
everyone should at least try to understand the basic concepts though, understanding the mechanisms of capitalism is essential to fighting it.
atleast we both understand that shit is fucked and that capitalism isnt going to fix it
should really read capital though