[act-ma] April 11-19: "The Revolutionary Ideas of Karl Marx"

[Keith Rosenthal]

The Revolutionary Ideas of Karl Marx
 
I am referring to
ruthless criticism of all that exists, ruthless both in the sense of not being
afraid of the results…and being just as little afraid of conflict with the
powers that be. 
—Karl
Marx
 
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Marx dedicated his life to the struggle for a world free
from all forms of domination and exploitation. This world would have a single
governing principle: “from each according to their ability, to each according
to their need.”
 
But he wasn’t a dreamer. What separated him from previous
philosophers and socialists was that his ideas had practical application in the
struggles of workers. He spent his days studying the world in which he lived to
better understand its internal contradictions and equip all those who would
challenge it with tools for understanding and transforming it. Instead of
looking for a wealthy benefactor to build socialism out of the goodness of his
heart, Marx saw in the working class the ability to collectively overthrow
capitalism and replace it with socialism. “The philosophers have merely
interpreted the world,” he wrote. “The point, however, is to change it.”
 
Marx believed, on the one hand, that oppressive systems
necessarily produce resistance from the oppressed, and on the other, that the
outcome of that resistance is not predetermined. In his own lifetime, the
central question was: what kind of society will replace dictatorships the world
over? Consistently, Marx argued that that “democracy,” for the working class,
isn’t just about the ballot box, it’s about direct control over all aspects of
how a society runs, not delegation of that responsibility to a wealthy elite.
 
- - - - - - - - - -
 
Today, as right wingers declare war on women and the Supreme
Court okays strip searches in any and all police detentions, we see the
outrageous consequence of a deeply bigoted and backwards society in the murders
of Trayvon Martin and Shaima Alawadi. Our so-called representatives would
prefer that we consider these incidents unfortunate and isolated, but too many
people find too much that is familiar and predictable in them.
 
As millions of people begin to identify and fight against injustice
today, we need to go through a similar process to that which Marx went through.
We need to identify how deep the problems go, because that can help us identify
how deep the solutions must go and reject quick fixes offered up by politicians
who want as little to change as possible.
 
Join us for a discussion with Ashley Smith of Karl Marx’s
revolutionary ideas as part of a national tour supporting the reissue of The
Revolutionary Ideas of Karl Marxby Alex
Callinicos. 
 
As often and emphatically as the ruling class declares him
irrelevant, just as often are his ideas being rediscovered.
 
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Four Opportunities
 
Wednesday, April 11
9:00pm
Harvard University
Science Center, room 112
 
Thursday, April 12
7:00pm
Jamaica Plain
Haymarket People’s
Fund
42 Seaverns Avenue
Orange Line to Green
Street
 
Thursday, April 19
3:30pm
UMass
Campus Center
3rd Floor Ballroom C
 
Thursday, April 19
7:00pm
Dorchester
Codman Health Center,
Basement
637 Washington St.
Red Line to Shawmut
 
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Hosted by the Boston International
Socialist Organization
http://www.bostonsocialism.org/2012/04/april-11-19-revolutionary-ideas-of-karl.html

socialistworker.org • bostonsocialism.org • socialismconference.org
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