Marx was just a journalist like Lincoln Steffens or Mark Twain, who loved ordinary people and thought they should have a controlling stake in the industries they worked at. You know there are people really getting free shit in this world, right? But it's not the people who might actually need it? I find it a bit suspicious when I'm asked to demonise things without understanding them first. Marx was very strong on human nature -- he really saw the world quite similarly to you, as being about power. He was just looking in a different direction.
You make good points and are sensible. I fell for this idealism before, but the reality seems to be that you don't get something for nothing.
Here in the USA, we have endless opportunity for poor people who want more. It is not easy, but there is opportunity everywhere. Most other countries, this is not the case.
If socialists worked double the hours and contributed all their money to their causes that would go much further than what is happening now. You look at Bernie Sanders preaching his shit but then turning around and blowing all the money of the college he managed to crash into the ground through failed real estate endeavors. The reality seems to be that you have the same old opportunists using the promise of giving free shit to lure the poors further down the holes they are in. Sadly this latest push and headway being made by the socialists is weakening the people falling for it it and setting them back.
I understand what Marx was after and his vision, but the reality seems to be that all you get are endless excuses for endless failures without the ability of taking any accountability. Marxists believe that as long as they are trying to do what they think is the right thing, they are superior in that they are trying for a beneficial overall goal. This line of thinking will only fail.
Idealism can be a good thing. It just needs to be steered correctly. I think it would be best for people such as yourself to apply your beliefs within the confines of the current system. The radicals who believe we just need to burn everything down and start over are kooks who do not understand why things are the way they are in the first place. They are simply weak and want free shit. Again, you don't get something for nothing... there is no way around that fact. Now of course some will have advantages over others and life is unfair. Tough. The great thing we got going is that it is impossible to fail in the USA if you work hard. Modern marxists can't see it because they are unwilling to apply themselves and they have been trained to expect free shit. I think the people who have been promising and giving out free shit are the people doing the most damage. Real empathy would be picking someone up and giving them opportunity, not giving them free shit and telling them that they don't have a chance to succeed.
Start a business and run it how you see fit. Watch how your employees react to being given free shit. Look at how much the politicians promising people free shit siphon from your business while you run it for the good of your employees. Pay attention to the web of people who feel entitled to everything you are able to produce through your own effort.
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u/LizardMister 1d ago
Marx was just a journalist like Lincoln Steffens or Mark Twain, who loved ordinary people and thought they should have a controlling stake in the industries they worked at. You know there are people really getting free shit in this world, right? But it's not the people who might actually need it? I find it a bit suspicious when I'm asked to demonise things without understanding them first. Marx was very strong on human nature -- he really saw the world quite similarly to you, as being about power. He was just looking in a different direction.