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***Hence the Marxist slogan “from each according to his ability, to each according to his need.”

Once this was done, Marx predicted that a sea change would occur in human nature. Greed for more wealth would virtually disappear, since no one could get any more than anyone else. Altruism or a desire to help others and contribute maximally and selflessly to the benefit of the whole would dominate human activity. Everyone’s needs would be taken care of without worry. A Communist utopia would be achieved***

Would have worked well - if humans were chickens. Unfortunately, Marx had no understanding of human nature and the desire to be ‘king of the hill’. The natural sorting out always results in ‘the top, the middle and the bottom’ of the heap. Corruption transfers wealth to the top. Industry & private property from effort maintains a healthy balance.

Humans do not belong to other humans - they belong to GOD.

“The Origins of American Communism and Global Socialism”
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So, Ya Think Ya Know Bout Marxism In America, Huh?

Cannot pimp blogs here, but ya might wanna check out Marx’s letter to lincoln in 1864; Marx’s long relationship w/ H. Greeley/NY Tribune beginning in 1852; The Indiana Connection, Alan Stang’s The R Party, Red From The start, etc, etc....

"Those who had them used them to produce. They began hiring people who had no machines, to work on them to produce goods which belonged to the machine owners, thereby creating the "industrial proletariat" of machine operators. Just as when land was the main means of production, the proletarians, or factory workers, were increasingly exploited by the machine owners."

The industrial revolution gave the world a manufacturing base of workers that resulted in what is now known as the middle class! This manufacturing base afforded the most people the highest standard of living in human history.

"Once this was done, Marx predicted that a sea change would occur in human nature. Greed for more wealth would virtually disappear, since no one could get any more than anyone else. Altruism or a desire to help others and contribute maximally and selflessly to the benefit of the whole would dominate human activity. Everyone's needs would be taken care of without worry. A Communist utopia would be achieved."

This is why communism always fails. Human nature is what it is and we will ALWAYS have a level of wants and desires that no political ideology will ever rectify. We have to learn to work around the worst parts of our humanity and that's why a free market is and has been the best way to afford the most people the most opportunity.

"Only when the majority of those nations had had their own inevitable Communist revolution could the first and succeeding Communist nations relax. Only at that point could the "withering away of the state" or dramatic reduction of national government occur, and a harmonious "International Socialist" order established for the entire globe."

This is a good paragraph for pointing out why Anarchists and Communists always seem to collaborate together. The end goal of Communism has always been a stateless global order where everything is equal and level for everyone. Most people don't realize the end game because Communism has never gotten to that point anywhere in the world. But the anarchists know it and that's why they embrace Communism.

Communism is seductive and sounds great on paper, it is also responsible for so many mass murders at the hands of various governments trying impose what is contrary to human nature. I often wonder if Communism is the harlot referred to in the bible.

Very good articles. I read all of them, though I could not find the last one entitled Radicalism in the U.S. since 2000. Perhaps it is not written yet. I would say one thing, the first ones up through 1960 were far more detailed and it seems the last two (60 - 80 and 80 - 2000) just seemed to be a quick rehash of historical facts and figures and did not go into as much detail as the previous ones.

He does an excellent job of framing Marx’s idealogical birth and how it was shaped in the times he lived in. I would say one thing about Marx. He was the perfect communist. Why? Because he never worked a day in his life. He never took a job. Most of his adult life, he welched off his buddy and co-writer of the communist manifesto Fredich Engel’s family. As they were wealthy. If you look at pictures of him, in a lot of them he looks dirty and dishevelled. I believe he would have been right at home in the occupy wallstreet movement. He would have been leading the way to piss on the police cars.... : )