[Marxism] Why Be a Marxist, Anyway? (was... Marx Was Right?)

["Tony Abdo" <gojack10@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Marx was right?      Well you might never know it from his followers would
be my answer.    But YES, Marx was "right".     Maybe the real question
being asked is... Why be a marxist anyway?     It's a question that most
people decide in the negative.    This, despite holding basically marxist
beliefs and attitudes in many areas.    Why do so many people turn away form
marxism then?

One answer that a Rightist would give in some distorted form would be...
Because marxists stifle dissent and discussion.    And you know?, this
Rightist response holds a great deal of truth in it.   Being a marxist, I
have seen this to be the situation time after time, though there is
certainly nothing distinctive to the marxist movement with this trait.
Lots of marxists are prone to use elephant guns to blow away gnats.

Another reason to reject becoming a marxist is... that despite the
intellectual validity of the theory, the marxist movement gives one so
little reason to stick around, so to speak.    Often this is directly
related to the issue above, that opening one's mouth in marxist circles
usually invites, rudeness, insults, rejection, and expulsion.     But there
is much more to it than that.    As example I bring up a comment directed to
me on this list once.    I was told something along the lines of...
"Shouldn't you be at the plant gate selling newspapers?"    One can see that
if that were to be the case, then a marxist might not enjoy the best of life
styles.    So this Stakhanovist workerist mentality in marxist circles (and
it is a deep layer indeed) works to push wannabe commies and liberal minded
thinkers away.    I see often on this list, a kind of intellectualed version
of this plant-gate Stakhanovist thinking.

A third reason people seem to reject becoming marxists is that they feel
that it forces them into a negativistic mindset.      They see marxism as
kind of a antithesis to "the power of positive thinking".   Better to play
the lottery and lose time after time, than to hold the attitude that no way
is this goiong to work out.    Marxists seem to lack that supposedly healthy
glow that can be seen on born again people's faces, or by becoming an Amway
distributor.     Being a Militant distributor just doesn't equal facing life
positively, to many.    Go figure?

Yet another reason pushing many away, is that marxism is a "hobby", that
like many, can be kind of expensive.    Better to be single and able to
direct one's finances strictly towards the "hobby", rather than on things
like feeding and clothing the kids.    Yep, there aren't too many kids in
the more stricter vanguard circles.     Their parents often have withdrawn
rather than proselytize further while CPS removes the kids.     Marxist
ideology can often be seen by the spouse, as a modified form of alcoholism!
  Maybe there is something to that line of thinking?    Certainly many
marxists are border-line alkies.

Another reason marxism is so often rejected is... nobody likes a chronic
loser.    Being a marxist is kind of like following avidly a football team
that hasn't won a game in 5 seasons.    We're playing the next worst team in
the league next week, so let's all turn out for the Homecoming game!    It's
can be kind of sad....    And then the team loses by 1 point, yet again////

And here is the novelle reason for why many reject marxism, while holding to
many marxist beliefs... marxcism seems so brackish and stagnant.     It's
like Lysenko, Hoxha, and Breznev just don't really seem current on world
affairs.     YES!     We know!     There's lot of intellectually stimulating
current contributions at Monthly Review, and in other more clear waters in
the smaller ponds of neo-marxist thought.    But still, most people have the
picture of marxism as being like the condition of Havana.    And even if
they like rustic a whole lot, they might still be addicted to driving hot
cars on the autobahn at home.

I know that there are still more reasons why people reject becomiing
marxists, even as they hold some pro-marxist attitudes and beliefs.     And
I am currently being questioned by a young family member (23 yo) about which
direction to go in life?    So what should the answer be?    So far, it has
not been much more than.... Check it out!     But be careful.    Or some
little Pol Pot might bite you on the butt.

Tony Abdo

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