Marxism is bad for societies

■ In reply to Caoimheann O’Faolain (‘Appalling attack on Connolly’, Letters, Irish Independent, June 9), James Connolly was a Marxist with compulsory conformity.

Freedom is about individual freedom where you can form your own opinions and express them. Under Marxism, humans have the same rights as an ant working in an ant colony. For real wages to grow, scientific creativity must be encouraged, with a meritocracy based on innovative power to keep pace in the high-tech race. You must belong to a global community and co-operate in pushing out the frontiers of knowledge. An open society where diversity and criticism is welcomed fosters innovation. Combine this with a smart economy where emphasis is put on the Stem subjects. A society without diversity is like a crab, it can only crawl sideways.

Nationalism values tradition and that leads to stagnation. You can not keep pace by more of the same. You must have new knowledge and use that knowledge to innovate new methods and new products. Regulation and statism has destroyed many economies.

We must learn from the history of Marxism that in communist Russia millions would not have starved if they could eat paper.

Kate Casey

Barington Street, Co Limerick