This Easter Australian Marxists are conducting their big shindig Marxism Conference 2023 at Melbourne University.I’m attending and will provide you reports on the event.
I think that with the fall of the Berlin Wall, there's been an assumption that market economics etc has 'won' the day. But as time marched on there's been a failure to re-argue market economics & liberal democracy in language that's relevant to 'todays' generation. The fact is however that such ideas must be re-asserted for and by each generation in language to which each generation relates. That's the challenge. And the first step in this process is to properly understand the arguments of 'the other side'. Hence my immersion in the 3 day Marxist conference. I'll admit that the conference was a wake-up call. I released the extent to which I was not relating to these earnest and well intentioned folk. Lessons must be learned.
Indeed, many are earnest, and I'm willing to believe many are well intentioned. I don't pretend to have a detailed understanding of Marxist theory but I've studied Chinese history and the application of Marxism in that country resulted in truly horrendous outcomes for many millions there. I take your point regarding the fall of the Berlin Wall and the complacency of liberal democracies. That certainly rings true to me. What eludes me is the reason why generation after generation of bright, enthusiastic young people are seduced by the hollow promises of socialism. Naivety? Ignorance of history? Perhaps the answer lies with social psychology. I look forward to reading your coming posts on the issue.
Thanks, Ken, for monitoring Marxists. Dirty job but someone has to do it, right? I ask myself why, after well documented Marxist experiments resulted in mountains of human bodies and rivers of human blood, Marxist die-hards are again trumpeting the hollow promises of socialism. What use is an education system, especially such a well funded one, if it fails to inculcate the grim lessons of political history? As Western civilisation turns on itself and totalitarian regimes are touted by some among our political class as trustworthy partners in trade and culture, we are failing to teach the superior virtues of market economics and liberal democracy.
Paul.
I think that with the fall of the Berlin Wall, there's been an assumption that market economics etc has 'won' the day. But as time marched on there's been a failure to re-argue market economics & liberal democracy in language that's relevant to 'todays' generation. The fact is however that such ideas must be re-asserted for and by each generation in language to which each generation relates. That's the challenge. And the first step in this process is to properly understand the arguments of 'the other side'. Hence my immersion in the 3 day Marxist conference. I'll admit that the conference was a wake-up call. I released the extent to which I was not relating to these earnest and well intentioned folk. Lessons must be learned.
Indeed, many are earnest, and I'm willing to believe many are well intentioned. I don't pretend to have a detailed understanding of Marxist theory but I've studied Chinese history and the application of Marxism in that country resulted in truly horrendous outcomes for many millions there. I take your point regarding the fall of the Berlin Wall and the complacency of liberal democracies. That certainly rings true to me. What eludes me is the reason why generation after generation of bright, enthusiastic young people are seduced by the hollow promises of socialism. Naivety? Ignorance of history? Perhaps the answer lies with social psychology. I look forward to reading your coming posts on the issue.
Thanks, Ken, for monitoring Marxists. Dirty job but someone has to do it, right? I ask myself why, after well documented Marxist experiments resulted in mountains of human bodies and rivers of human blood, Marxist die-hards are again trumpeting the hollow promises of socialism. What use is an education system, especially such a well funded one, if it fails to inculcate the grim lessons of political history? As Western civilisation turns on itself and totalitarian regimes are touted by some among our political class as trustworthy partners in trade and culture, we are failing to teach the superior virtues of market economics and liberal democracy.
Paul. See my post just now. I meant to post as a reply to you.