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Karl Marx was the FIRST Democratic Socialist

Karl Marx was the first Democratic Socialist. 


As the election of Zohran Mamdani shows, Democratic Socialism includes the belief that socialism can be realized through democratic processes, and that where this can be done No Violence is needed.

Karl Marx declared over 150 years ago that “there are countries, such as America and England … where the workers may attain their goal by peaceful means.” [1]

And, ironically, in a New York City newspaper, the New York World, published on July 18, 1871, Marx said “the way to show political power [in Britain] lies open to the working class. Insurrection would be madness where peaceful agitation would more swiftly and surely do the work.” [2]

Then, as if prophetically describing our own times, Marx observed,

“Let us sum it all up in a word. The working classes remain poor amid the increase of wealth, wretched amid the increase of luxury. Their material privation dwarfs their moral as well as their physical stature.

They cannot rely on others for a remedy. It has become then with them an imperative necessity to take their own case in hand. They must revive the relations between themselves and the capitalists and landlords, and that means they must transform society.” [2]

Finally, Frederick Engels, life long friend of Marx, wrote,

“Surely, at such a moment, the voice ought to be heard of a man whose whole theory is the result of a lifelong study of the economic history and condition of England, and whom that study led to the conclusion that, at least in Europe, England is the only country where the inevitable social revolution might be effected entirely by peaceful and legal means.” Frederick Engels November 5, 1886 [3]

Are we hearing that “voice”? Are we beginning to listen?

 

William J. Kelleher, Ph.D.

The Political Science Interpretivist

@WilliamJKelleh1

 

[1]  https://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1872/09/08.htm

[2] Karl Marx: interview with the correspondent R. Landor published in the New York World, 18 July, 1871. David McLellan, Karl Marx: Interviews and Recollections. New Jersey. 1981 https://www.marx-karl.com/2016/09/lintervista-di-karl-marx-al-world-di-new-york-pubblicata-il-18-luglio-1871/

[3] https://www.econlib.org/book-chapters/chapter-editors-prefaces-by-frederick-engels/


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