Karl Marx has had a profound influence over the past century, and for all the wrong reasons.
While he never held any official political power, Marx was instrumental in encouraging and in some cases creating working class revolutions all over the western world. He envisioned a world without kings or queens, meaning he had at least one thing in common with the classical liberals of the 18th century. However, his endgame was quite different. He wanted to destroy all forms of tradition. By advocating for the abolition of private property, you could say that Karl Marx wanted to destroy the concept of individualism itself.
Well, the aftermath of his political activity is well-documented. Communist revolutionaries who paid constant homage to his writings are responsible for the deaths of millions. Cuban fighter Che Guevara wrote extensively about the joy he found in murdering people who opposed the communist agenda. Joseph Stalin wasn’t at all shy about he felt about removing opposition either.
This is the crazy thing about 20th century communists — they told us exactly how monstrous they were, and modern lefties still idolize them. Even discounting the violence, communism’s damage was almost irreparable. People starved to death. Industries collapsed. Entire cultures were wiped out.
So, every time we have to recognize Karl Marx, just ask yourself: was any of this worth it?
