What is Karl Marx's (aka the father of communism) lasting contributions to us?

Question

What is Karl Marx's (aka the father of communism) lasting contributions to us?

Answer 1

In defense of poor Uncle Karl, I just need to say that Marxism is in fact distinct from Stalinism and Maoism.  For example, Marx never would have approved of the fact that Stalin slaughtered millions of people.  He also wouldn't have approved of the fact that Mao started his communist revolution in the farms, rather than in the cities.  Anyone recall the civil war that was fought in Russia between the Whites and the Reds?  Something about disagreeing with doing things in a non-Marxist way?  Yeah, try to recall that next time you decide it's all the same thing.  Anyway, Marx did write some excellent stuff on economics.  Also, Marxist theories have influenced literary theory, as well as theories of history and politics.  His reach went far beyond economics.  The concept of class, while it did not begin with Marx, certainly came to full fruition with his writings.  There are still Marxist historians working and writing today.  So don't listen to all the people who say Marx had something to do with Stalin's nutjob-hood or Mao's ruthlessness.  He didn't and neither did his theories.  All he did was introduce a concept that, in it's pure form, really IS NOT that bad.  Even Pope Leo XIII took on a bit of a Marxist tone in Rerum Novarum.  Shall be blame him for Stalin and Mao as well?  

Answer 2

About 50 million corpses of "The People"

Stalin starved about 20 million Ukrainian peasants to their graves; Mao murdered at least as many -probably much more- in the 'Cultural Revolution'; the Cambodian Khmer Rouge killed a million or two -nowhere near the heroic numbers of the first two, but a good proportion of the population.  

Do a little research on how many died -not in actual war, but in politically-based execution- in Cuba, Vietnam, North Korea, East Germany and the rest of the old Eastern-bloc countries, and add that in.

The numbers are appalling.  

Yet some people still think Marxism is kinda cool.

Answer 3

Marx did not set out to invent communism. His first book, "das Kapital," were suggestions to curtail the abuses of Capitalism that wer occuring at the time. Many of these suggestions were eventually incorporared into our own capitalist economic system.

Among these contributions were:

  forty hour work week

  paid vacations

  employee benefits (health insurance, etc.)

  overtime pay

  child labor laws

  social security and medicare

  collective bargaining

  and many, many more similar features that made life easier for    

  workers.

The historical irony is that we used far more Marxist ideas that the Soviet Union. Marx's ideas were perverted by Lenin and Stalin for their own personal and political gains.

ever did.

Answer 4

Millions dead - The Russian Revolution & Civil War, World War 2, The Chinese Civil War, The Korean Conflict, Viet Nam, Revolutions and Terrorist groups of the middle east - Basically every war since WW1 has one side or more that are following Karl Marx's ideas.  

Answer 5

Present day Democrat party.

Answer 6

Although the extreme forms of Communist Government led to abuses, there were many mild socialist reforms that benefited capitalist and democratic societies, particularly in the area of social welfare, such as:

Trade Unions

Unemployment insurance

Subsidized Medical care and disability pensions

Free or subsidized primary and later secondary education

Free or subsidized Aged Care and a pension system

Sick leave and holiday leave for workers

Occupational Health and safety

Unfair dismissal laws

Answer 7

Karl Marx was primarily an economist.  His legacy is enormous.  His analysis of political and social problems - no one had considered economic factors being a motor for political conflict before Marx.

He predicted globalisation - that capital would chase after the cheapest labour and production costs wherever they were - so much conservative rhetoric is actually marxist in origin.

He is also partially or totally responsible for the formation of many socialist and leftish parties across the world, from Britain's Labour party (a little) to Nepal's democratic Maoist party as well as the despotic regimes in China and North Korea.

See:

http://www.marxists.org/

http://www.marxism.org.uk/