But how do we go about attaining this lofty

 

Marxian ideology empathizes with the toiling masses but it fails to present a viable alternative to the ills of the capitalism. One is compelled to recall Engels words with deep angst: "The overthrow of mother-right was the world-historic defeat of the female sex. But that was in 1848. All that materialized was the dictatorship of Stalin, Mao and Castro, followed by that of Putin, Xi and Kim. I wonder how many diehard Marxists truly understand dialectical materialism. The Women QuestionWhile understanding the dynamics behind the subordination of women in a patriarchal society, Marxism proposed no remedies or alternative social structures. Class is an ugly reality in every corner of the world - and India has the added ignominy of being in the vice-like grip of a millennia-old caste system. It called for the abolition of child labour and introduction of free education for all.) Core Values and IdealsFrom each according to his ability, to each according to his needs. Well, India has a tea-boy PM, but sadly, it has nothing to do with the rise of the proletariat. Lenins proposals in The State and Revolution include democratic elections with the right of recall, zero policing, no official to receive higher pay than a skilled worker, and Every cook should be able to be Prime Minister.

This appears to be an inadequate view when we take into account the complexities of our society, where caste, class, gender and a host of other factors determine the human condition. Engels brilliant treatise The Origin of the Family, Private Property and the State facilitated a better understanding of gender and property relations, division of labour and the emergence of state power. Das Kapital can be viewed as an exercise in dialectics. When a Marxist disapproves of someone he calls them bourgeois. The time has come for new-age Marxists to come up with new theories, panaceas and action plans to tackle the ills that plague us in the internet era. Marx and Engels envisaged the withering away of the State, the abolition of private property and the evolution of a classless society. Those wielding economic power control all other institutions in society - the political, the religious and the ideological.

And as long as power and wealth exist they are likely to be are abused. But failed revolutions do not erode the intrinsic worth of Marxian ideology, or its ultimate purpose, namely, an end to exploitation of the poor by the rich.) But todays Marxists, (at least those in GOC), are all bourgeois. God bless the Manik Sarkars of this country! OMG! Thats a double faux pas! (Id better stick to facts. Did the theorists assume that the ushering in of a classless society would automatically erase all forms of oppression? There is no evidence of gender equity during the few decades of communist rule in the USSR and China. Inquilab Zindabad! Long live the revolution! The theory of violent revolution is an inherent part of Marxist ideology. Why is homo sapiens bent upon self destruction? How do we end war and weapons, preserve mankind as well as other species, protect the environment, manage disasters and enhance the quality of life? How do we create not just comforts and gadgets but liberty and equality, happiness and contentment, peace and goodwill? If Marx and Engels were alive today theyd probably proclaim, "Comrades of the world unite! Rethink! Remodel! Reinvent! You have nothing to lose but votes. Inquilab only serves a sloganeering purpose. The problem of patriarchy remains unaddressed. And democratic processes make revolution redundant. The dictatorship of the proletariat never happened. Private property was never abolished, the means of production still remain largely in private hands, the world continues to have a handful of billionaires and billions of paupers, and women still remain subordinate to men. In India, the Marxists had long tenures in West Bengal, Tripura and Kerala, but the situation of women is not really different from that of women in other states. Will the real communist educators please stand up? Obviously, all is not well with Marxian theory and practice.

His views on the alienation of labour were profound. The word proletariat has virtually disappeared from the Marxist lexicon, but bourgeois remains a much-loved swear word. Everywhere in the world private property remains sacrosanct, and citizens believe it is the duty of the State to protect their property. Its hard to figure out how the centralization of banking, communications and transport can facilitate the withering away of the state. But there were impractical ideas too. Neither Marx nor Engels foresaw that one day we would have holes in the ozone layer, global warming, nuclear bombs and cyber warfare, not to mention ISIS, Boko Haram and other sundry entities that pose more diabolic threats than poverty and inequality. Interestingly, state-sponsored welfare schemes provide a safety valve against the rising up of the proletariat." Confusion and ClarificationDialectical materialism is the Marxist paradigm for understanding economic and political processes.The Bourgeoisie and the ProletariatThe Communist Manifesto, authored by Marx and Engels when they were in their late twenties, foresaw the emergence of global markets and massive monopolies. But how do we go about attaining this lofty ideal? Until homo sapiens learns to eschew greed there will always be conflict. Fidel Castro earned the wrath of the United States by exporting revolution all over Central and South America - an attempt that eventually cost Che Guevara his life. Everywhere in the world women continue to live in subjection. For Marx, society consisted of socio-economic classes, the bourgeoisie and the proletariat, the former controlling the means of production and exploiting the latter for profit. You just need to look at their cell-phones and their cars. (I was repeatedly called that in the past, and these words are my sweet revenge. But times have changed dramatically - and today nobody wants Purple rabbit faux fur fabric a revolution. This is a perfect conundrum. Marxs emphasis on the economic factors in society and his analysis of class conflict had an enormous influence on contemporary thought.". Was this a pipe-dream? Contrary to their expectations the State is staunchly embedded in the life of the individual. Fair enough