A TRIBUTE TO KARL MARX

KARL MARX is indisputably the greatest thinker of the 19th, 20th and 21st century. His ideas greatly influenced history in a manner that no man outside of the divine beings of Jesus Christ and Mohammed did. The writings of Marx, notably The Communist Manifesto, influence society in both appreciative and oppositional manner.

Born in Trier, Germany, on May 5, 1818, Marx’s early intellectual development was influenced by his appreciation of philosophy, which for centuries before his existence reaffirmed and legitimated the ideas of the ruling and dominant classes, royalty and those in charge. Out of thorough observation of society and the factors that determine consciousness, Marx developed a scientific thought system which threatened ruling elites during his time and influenced the lives of many long after his death.

Marxism, the scientific ideology that underpins the scientific social discoveries of Karl Marx came to be compartmentalised into three components, materialism, political economy and socialism.

When commemorating the 200th birthday of Marx in 2018, China’s President Xi Jingping correctly said: “Marxism is an open-ended and continually developing theory; it is always at the forefront of the times.”

The reason Marxism continues to inspire the world is because it is logically superior. Marx’s views did not arise out of a sentimental, visceral attachment or sympathy to the working class and the poor, but arose out of a thorough understanding of the political economy and history.

Any person free from private interest, class prejudices and bias would necessarily reach the same conclusions if they studied history and the political economy. That is why more than 200 years after his birth, Marx continues to be the main point of reference by progressive activists and scholars across the world.

Despite the many difficulties that confronted socialist Russia, it was due to Marxist inspiration that Russia developed from a feudal society into a superior industrial society. It is through Marxist inspiration that fascism was defeated in Europe and China.

In this day of the highly contagious Covid-19 pandemic, it is the socialist Cuba that is at the forefront of socialist medical solidarity in the world. It is China that has helped many nations globally and pledged additional solidarity with the World Health Organization (WHO) when the capitalist West is engaged in nefarious efforts to undermine the WHO, therefore incapacitating its capacity from co-ordinating efforts to defeat the pandemic.

The world should now look up to the philosophy and scientific socialist thoughts of Marx to salvage the world from what he called fictitious capital. From Marxism the world will learn the development of the productive forces in a manner that will benefit all.

From Marxism, the world will learn that many governments are nothing but committees that manage the common affairs of the bourgeoisie, hence they want to prematurely re-open lockdowns so that capitalist profiteers continue to make profits.

From Marxism the world will learn the only solution to the Covid-19 pandemic is international solidarity and common global efforts to contain the rapid spread of the virus.

‘Marxism is open-ended …it’s always at the forefront of the times’