Marx's Repudiation of Economic Evolution? A Fool's Revolution.

It is first off only fair to point out that Karl Marx was the eloquent wordman; Friedrich Engels and Adam Weishaupt were the true progenitors of most everything we today refer to as "Marxist" or "Marxian." Nevertheless, Karl did ascribe to such doctrines -- and even added a few flairs of his own. So for purposes of expedience, "Marxist" is not entirely inaccurate.

"Commodity Fetishism" is a predictably vulgar, even sleazy manner in which to deride free market forces by invoking deviant sexual imagery. Marx goes to great pains to convince the reader that any value a product might be perceived of possessing, beyond strict utilitarianism ("social value"), is a product of fantasy, or even dementia. He seems typically incapable of accepting the notion that a product's market value is determined by numerous potential factors based upon individual need, aesthetic perception, psychology, etc. Marx is far more attracted to the chicken-before-the-egg contention that the product of the group collective, wrought solely on the basis of raw survival, as in a primitive hunter-gatherer society, remains somehow superior both morally and intellectually to any evolution towards production on the basis of individual talents and abilities. A man is to have no exclusive ideations towards producing particular goods or services since this does not guarantee that the collective will find them useful. And since this is the case, any divergence invariably results in the good or service in question being afforded a distorted value that reflects the desires and guesswork only of the individuals involved, and not the societal whole. Thus, such market values are predicated entirely on fripperies and fantasmagorias, rather than sound "practical" considerations wherein the usefulness of such goods and services can be empirically and materially proven.

One need only look to Cuba or North Korea to see where such thinking has lead, and continues to lead. Indeed, even less egalitarian examples, such as Sweden or New Zealand -- two of the first nation-states to accept socialism -- have been forced in recent years to introduce major economic and political reforms to prevent their respective economies from suffering utter collapse. The truth is one that governments everywhere are ultra-reticent to admit: Laissez-Faire works, and works exceptionally well. Collectivism shortly dies a brutal death, and can only survive as long as it does in an absence of political freedom. Socialism and communism thrive on tyranny. Markets prosper because of individualism and liberty.

That here at the historical vantage point which 2009 affords there could still be ardent adherents to the failed, destitute theories and contemplations of Karl Marx is a wonder that knows no bounds. When will human beings learn -- if ever -- to stop burning their hands on the hot stovetop; to stop repeating the same tragic failures of the past that only yield the same substandard results? One deprogramming remedy I can offer is here: http://www.tolfa.us