4 ms·

What are those subtle flaws? I’m not yet 40 so I guess I’m gullible like Einstein.

• benjohnson 5y ago
  I would encourage you to read it - it's a book that is part of our civilization now. It starts off with showing the horrors of unchecked monopoly capitalism. And then it switched to the remedy - a collectivist utopia. The horrors are so shocking that you're willing to suspend disbelief and accept the remedy. So as you go through life, I would make one observation - just because someone can point out the flaws, doesn't make their proposed remedy nesessarily correct. The subtle flaw in state enforced collectivism is that people will only work so much for 'the common good' - people want to see some benefit to themselves for their hard work and will basically 'shut-down' if they don't. To combat this, the state now has to force the people to work - with the threat of bodily harm. That ability to force people becomes a source of corruption and you suddenly have a totalitarian state run by despots. All because Marx though people would happily and selflessly work for the common good. It would be nice if he was correct, but he isn't and we have to deal in reality.
  • soco 5y ago
    I reckon the flaws aren't subtle at all. Still it's a very good read if only to understand what the differences are between marxism and... gestures vaguely anything else being labeled as such. Because it's a fairly trendy insult nowadays to call somebody marxist if they suggest anything less than free market.