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>Marx predicted that...hundred forty years ago. Hasn't happened. Marx didn't predict that there would be an endless cycle of appeasement. He predicted that the

by ue_ 10y ago

>Marx predicted that...hundred forty years ago. Hasn't happened. Marx didn't predict that there would be an endless cycle of appeasement. He predicted that there would become a state of automation so advanced that the capitalist mode of production no longer suits the people under it who are being driven to more and more low-standard jobs. The idea that if something doesn't happen in 140 years then the predciton is false is truly a fallacy.

simonh 10y ago
I'm not entirely sure how Marx thought we would reach communism. Looking at it now it looks like super-advanced automation might be the answer, but AFAIK Marx never actually stated as much. He just contended that somehow it would happen. In fact he said things that indicated he thought the transformation into communism was imminent and even happening right then in the events of the time. Certainly historical Communist leaders such as Lenin and Mao thought they could make it happen con-temporarily by executive fiat. In principle modern democracy, liberalism and capitalism combined with super-advanced automation could well lead to a communist system as described by Marx without violent revolution. If capital equipment (intelligent computers and automated factories) by themselves create more capital, then why would we need capitalists anymore? Currently productive ventures (companies) require investment and management, but if they become self-generating and self-managing then capitalists themselves become necessary. All we do then is vote in democratic governments that tax and regulate such ventures for the benefit of the majority and we're done. Marx wasn't really against capitalism as such. He was perfectly well aware that it was massively increasing wealth and productivity. He saw it as an inevitable but temporary phase in world history. In that respect he might have been right but not necessarily for the right reasons and we're still to see whether he was right about what would come afterwards.

by ue_ 10y ago

simonh 10y ago

I'm not entirely sure how Marx thought we would reach communism. Looking at it now it looks like super-advanced automation might be the answer, but AFAIK Marx never actually stated as much. He just contended that somehow it would happen. In fact he said things that indicated he thought the transformation into communism was imminent and even happening right then in the events of the time. Certainly historical Communist leaders such as Lenin and Mao thought they could make it happen con-temporarily by executive fiat. In principle modern democracy, liberalism and capitalism combined with super-advanced automation could well lead to a communist system as described by Marx without violent revolution. If capital equipment (intelligent computers and automated factories) by themselves create more capital, then why would we need capitalists anymore? Currently productive ventures (companies) require investment and management, but if they become self-generating and self-managing then capitalists themselves become necessary. All we do then is vote in democratic governments that tax and regulate such ventures for the benefit of the majority and we're done. Marx wasn't really against capitalism as such. He was perfectly well aware that it was massively increasing wealth and productivity. He saw it as an inevitable but temporary phase in world history. In that respect he might have been right but not necessarily for the right reasons and we're still to see whether he was right about what would come afterwards.