Common myths of Marxism

[Karl Marx's Camel]

What would you consider the most common and widely-accepted myths of Marxism and ommunism?

[Led Zeppelin]

That Communism failed.

[More Fire for the People]

That communism means Marxism-Leninism, and that there are only two divisions of Marxism : Trotskyism and Stalinism.

[Severian]

That Marx thought a certain course of history was "inevitable."

That communists favor everyone being paid the same wage.

NWOG, what's up with that link in your sig? That is, why is it there?

[Urban Guerrilla]

Communism is oppression :che:

[Vanguard1917]

That history is an inevitable process regardless of the actions of the active human subject/agent.

[Clarksist]

No, the biggest myth about communism is that COMMUNISM = STALINISM.

When actually COMMUNISM = BEST-THING-EVER and STALINISM = BULLSHIT.

I guess I can see where they made the mistake. [/sarcasm]

[afnan]

Socialism is against human nature... but come on... human nature have been changing and will change.

[Martin Blank]

Communism means "big brother".

Communism means "big government".

Communism means everyone has, literally, the same things.

[redstar2000]

There are certainly plenty of "popular myths" about Marx, Marxism, communism, etc.

There are also a lot of myths on the left.

Here's an interesting site that discusses some of them...

Marx Myths & Legends (http://marxmyths.org/index.shtml)

http://www.websmileys.com/sm/cool/123.gif

[SonofRage]

Listen, Marxist! (http://dwardmac.pitzer.edu/anarchist_archives/bookchin/listenm.html)

[Monty Cantsin]

"2. Today, all attempts to re-establish the Marxist doctrine as a whole in its original function as a theory of the working classes social revolution are reactionary utopias."

"Ten Theses on Marxism Today" by Karl Korsch (1950).

http://marxists.anu.edu.au/archive/korsch/.../ten-theses.htm (http://marxists.anu.edu.au/archive/korsch/1950/ten-theses.htm)

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The Site Redstar put forward is quite a good site.

[YKTMX]

I suppose one of the more novel "myths" is that it's possible to be a Marxist but be politically inactive.

It's popular among academics, some who call themselves "Marxologists". It's probably Althusser's fault, but hey, what isn't?

[Monty Cantsin]

yes damm Althusser, the only stuff he did that was any good was the stuff on Machiavelli...i've also read he did stuff on spinoza as well though i havent come in contact with it yet.

[Karl Marx's Camel]

NWOG, what's up with that link in your sig? That is, why is it there?

I find it funny.