Raja, D. (2020, May 4). Reading Marx in times of COVID-19. The Indian Express. https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/karl-marx-covid-19-capitalism-6393538/
In this article, D. Raja analyzed the theory of Marxism in regards to capitalist societies during the Covid-19 pandemic. He observed that whenever there is a crisis, the upper class does not seem to be affected by it at all, however; tragedy befalls the people of the middle class and lower class. This has been the case during this pandemic as these two classes have struggled to keep their jobs making their survival even harder than it already was. The conditions of the lower class families were even worse as they lived in over-populated areas due to which they suffered greatly. This inhumane treatment would not have occurred if the people were not divided into classes and had equal opportunities (Raja, 2020).
Whenever people talk about Marxism they state that “It’s a good idea on paper, but it never worked in reality” (Noebel & Myers, 2015). However; after reading this article one can help but think that maybe a classless society would be better than a society divided into different groups. Unfortunately; the societies that adopted the Marxist views failed miserably so it would not have worked in the present as well.
Menand, L. (2016, October 3). Karl Marx, Yesterday and Today. The New Yorker. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/10/10/karl-marx-yesterday-and-today
This article tries to understand if the views of Karl Marx are still relevant today or the society is better off without them. Menand stated that the theory of Marxism is very idealistic as it talks about a world where there are no hierarchy and class systems. This seems like a far-fetched idea because as long as people have needs and desires; there will always be division in humanity. This is the reason that Marxism cannot be applied to today’s societies as every person wants to be different and stand out from the crowd (Menand, 2016).
The concept behind Marxism is explained extensively which allows the readers to understand the ideas that the author is trying to present. As mentioned previously the Marxist theory is ideal on paper but not in reality as it suppresses the individuality of every person, making them lose their sense of self. “We all know the horrors of Nazi Germany…” (Noebel & Myers, 2015). However; capitalism, flawed it may be, allows the people to be themselves and does not prosecute the ones that are different.
Varghese, R. (2020, April 16). Marxist World. https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/world/2018-06-14/marxist-world
Robin Varghese, points out the irony of the Marxists in his article “What did you expect from capitalism?” He stated that after every disaster in our society the Marxists confidently claim that this could have been avoided if the societies followed Marxism. He finds it ironic that even after numerous historical events of failed Marxist societies, the followers of Marxism make this statement. He shared his thoughts on capitalism saying that the system is not flawed; humans are. As long as there is greed for more and the pursuit of power; there will always be problems (Varghese, 2020).
It is true that every societal theory was perfect on paper but had flaws when applied in reality because on paper the human element was not considered. Humans are the greatest variable in any system as they cannot be predicted. People tend to compete for everything as it drives them to achieve bigger things; however; the concept of Marxism “tends to remove competition” (Noebel & Myers, 2015) this can be problematic as people tend to do nothing when there is nothing to drive them.
Palermo, G. (2019). Power: A Marxist view: Coercion and exploitation in the capitalist mode of production. Cambridge Journal of Economics, 43(5), 1353–1375. https://doi.org/10.1093/cje/bey055
Palermo supported the views of Karl Marx as he stated that the world would not suffer if the rules of Marxism were applied to all societies. He said that capitalism brought the promise of better lives and equal opportunities but failed to keep it as there is misery and inequality everywhere. The rich people are becoming richer and more power-hungry while the poor cannot even afford to eat every day. The concept is flawed as it creates division but this would not have been the case in Marxist society (Palermo, 2019).
The concern of the author for the society comes from a good place, however; his views do not. The communist or Marxist societies have shown the people the horrors that this type of society can bring. It takes away all the security from the people by “abolition of private property and public ownership” (Noebel & Myers, 2015). People cannot achieve more than their role and this can lead to rebellion which can cause more harm.
Pal, M. (2018, February 25). Introducing Marxism in International Relations Theory. E-International Relations. https://www.e-ir.info/2018/02/25/introducing-marxism-in-international-relations-theory/
The author Maia pal, observes the views of Karl Marx on international relations in an attempt to find if these are relevant or not. She speculates that if the view of a borderless world is applied today then there will be no inequality and everyone will be living on equal terms. Everyone will work for the benefit of others and the people will only depend on the harvest and other resources to survive. Then she poses the question that “would this society function well?” and then she says that the answer is “no”. As the concept of the perfect world is not always perfect (Pal, 2018).
“The classless and stateless utopia” that Karl Marx constructed does not work as people will always put their interests before others. Also without any governance, chaos will promptly ensue and this utopian society will quickly crumble. People always want someone that they can look up to and follow so without a leader everyone will fall into disorder and that would be the beginning of another set of dangerous problems (Noebel & Myers, 2015).
References
Menand, L. (2016, October 3). Karl Marx, Yesterday and Today. The New Yorker. http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/10/10/karl-marx-yesterday-and-today
Noebel, D. A., & Myers, J. (2015). Chapter 5: Marxism. In Understanding The Times (p. 208). https://platform.virdocs.com/r/s/0/doc/476551/sp/179022858/mi/570876952?cfi=%2F4%5Bthe_times-21%5D%2F4%2F48%2F2%2C%2F15%3A0%2C%2F15%3A0
Pal, M. (2018, February 25). Introducing Marxism in International Relations Theory. E-International Relations. https://www.e-ir.info/2018/02/25/introducing-marxism-in-international-relations-theory/
Palermo, G. (2019, January 3). Power: A Marxist view | Cambridge Journal of Economics | Oxford Academic. https://academic.oup.com/cje/article-abstract/43/5/1353/5272560?redirectedFrom=fulltext
Raja, D. (2020, May 4). Reading Marx in times of COVID-19. The Indian Express. https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/karl-marx-covid-19-capitalism-6393538/
Varghese, R. (2020, April 16). Marxist World. https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/world/2018-06-14/marxist-world
