reform and rev

["Charles Brown" <CharlesB@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

It seems clear to me that many non-Marxists became Marxists and Communist Party members because of the inspiration of the Russian Revolution. Big Bill Haywood and Mother Jones joined the Communist Party. No doubt millions joined the Communist Parties in China, Viet Nam, the U.S. all around the world and studied Marx and Engels , many who would not have otherwise. The Black Panthers and many other radical groups studied Lenin , Mao, Marx, and not other radical historical figures because the Soviet Union and China existed as countries striving to build socialism in the real world.

Marx fails his own test of practice if there is never any realized Marxism in the world.  With the Russian Rev., et seq. , Marxism passes the test of practice far better than the other revolutionary theorists, and social theorists.