> I assume you recall the Soviet's attempt at Marx's Communism. They
> had no private property either - government owned the land.
>
> Please allow me to turn the tables - where did you "come away with
> the idea" that Marx advocated private ownership of land?
>
==============
Well, this isn't the most appropriate forum for this, and I do
apologize in advance to other readers for responding to your
statement. I should have simply written a letter to the TCN last
June.
Your interpretation of Marx is a matter of intellectual honesty. A
common misconception shared by many is that the Soviets attempted
Marx's Communism. The irrefutable fact is they didn't. The Soviets
utilized commodity production, a political government, and a wages
system.... much the same as the capitalism we endure here in our own
country.
The Communist Manifesto from which you quoted, AND took the quote out
of context , was written by a young Marx who had not yet examined
and analyzed capitalism to the extent that it was in Das Capital,
which was his most significant contribution to our understanding of
how capitalism works, something all of us should know and discuss,
that is, if we're interested in and committed to living in a real
democracy.
You wrote, "The following is Marx's most famous quote from the
CM: "In this sense, the theory of communism may be summed up in the
single sentence: abolition of private property...."
You eliminated the full, authentic text which qualified Marx's
qualifier "in this sense..." In its context, Marx's "bourgeois
private property" is TODAY's MODERN, PRIVATELY OWNED, CORPORATION...
the GMs, the GEs, the Halliburtons, and the rest of the corporate
complex whose dominant owners, (in contrast to the small investors)
whose market system and values dictate our culture. Those same
dominant owners of industry control our Congressional seats through
campaign financing.
Marx never outlined a clear alternative to the current "private"
ownership (again, meaning corporately owned) of our necessary
industries. His real contribution is in pointing out how
capitalism's institutions do not serve well most citizens... and is
counter-productive to having a democratic, prosperous, and peaceful
society.
As of today, we, as in We The People, have the US Constitution which
enables us to have a society in which our needed industries are
socially owned and democratically operated by ourselves for our own
use... rather than for the profit interests of a distinct capitalist
class minority.
I'm concerned by the recent strong-armed attacks on our
constitutional freedoms in the name of 'protecting Americans'.
Yesterday was heralded and disguised as a benchmark day in the fight
against terrorism... but it really was a punch in the gut to the US
Constitution... and a get out of jail free card for the present
administration.
I digress. If you want to continue this discussion, I'll be in
Amherst, MA later this month for a conference on "Marx Revisited"
But I guess I won't see you there.
I do, however, appreciate your insight into Asbury Park.
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