Marx didn’t come up with World Systems Theory, and it’s not from the 19th century. It’s from the 20th century (the 1970s).
The best Marxists focus on his criticisms of Capitalism, many of which are still highly relevant (which is why conservatives, libertarians, and others obsessively bring him up). The worst Marxists focus on his more Utopian ideas.
But for the most part, being too quick to criticize Marxism under Capitalism, is a bit like being too quick to criticize human rights defenders under Nazism… In that, you’re probably unintentionally going to allow harms to society as a whole by focusing your criticism on the wrong group.
Capitalism is the overwhelming philosophy in power today. It damages social cohesion, our rights, our health, and our ability to enact a free and fair democracy. Marxists are vastly outnumbered, and have some degree of protective effect against the ills of Capitalism… So going after “Marxists” under Capitalism is just, not something I can support.
We need doorstops and ideas against the overwhelming force of Capitalist Fascism. We need other value systems to be compellingly humanistic, and not frowned on.
Marx didn’t come up with World Systems Theory, and it’s not from the 19th century. It’s from the 20th century (the 1970s).
The best Marxists focus on his criticisms of Capitalism, many of which are still highly relevant (which is why conservatives, libertarians, and others obsessively bring him up). The worst Marxists focus on his more Utopian ideas.
But for the most part, being too quick to criticize Marxism under Capitalism, is a bit like being too quick to criticize human rights defenders under Nazism… In that, you’re probably unintentionally going to allow harms to society as a whole by focusing your criticism on the wrong group.
Capitalism is the overwhelming philosophy in power today. It damages social cohesion, our rights, our health, and our ability to enact a free and fair democracy. Marxists are vastly outnumbered, and have some degree of protective effect against the ills of Capitalism… So going after “Marxists” under Capitalism is just, not something I can support.
We need doorstops and ideas against the overwhelming force of Capitalist Fascism. We need other value systems to be compellingly humanistic, and not frowned on.