this post was submitted on 05 May 2025

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Happy Birthday, Karl Marx! (lemmy.ml)

submitted 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) by Cowbee@lemmy.ml to c/memes@lemmy.ml

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On May 5th, 1818, Karl Marx, hero of the international proletatiat, was born. His revolution of Socialist theory reverberates throughout the world carries on to this day, in increasing magnitude. Every passing day, he is vindicated. His analysis of Capitalism, development of the theory of Scientific Socialism, and advancements on dialectics to become Dialectical Materialism, have all played a key role in the past century, and have remained ever-more relevant throughout.

He didn't always rock his famous beard, when he was younger he was clean shaven!

Some significant works:

Economic & Philosophic Manuscripts of 1844

The Eighteenth Brumaire of Louis Bonaparte

The Civil War in France

Wage Labor & Capital

Wages, Price, and Profit

Critique of the Gotha Programme

Manifesto of the Communist Party (along with Engels)

The Poverty of Philosophy

And, of course, Capital Vol I-III

Interested in Marxism-Leninism, but don't know where to start? Check out my "Read Theory, Darn it!" introductory reading list!

(page 5) 40 comments

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[–] nevaseerius@sh.itjust.works -1 points 2 days ago (7 children)

You guys would have a very bad time in the 1500s let's be real

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[–] JohnDClay@sh.itjust.works -5 points 3 days ago (18 children)

I don't think the Marxist definition of capitalism lines up with the colloquial definition. Colloquially, it's thought of as systems in which money is exchanged for goods and services. As opposed to communism, where it is not. (These are both oversimplified)

When people say capitalism has been around for thousands of years, what they mean is the colloquial definition. Redefining their terms with the Marxist version doesn't address their actual point.

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[–] dragonfucker@lemmy.nz 0 points 3 days ago (51 children)

Communism is human nature. Communism existed in the Americas and Australia for thousands of years. It probably existed in the rest of the world too before agriculture, but our historical records from other regions were destroyed. By contrast, Australia has the most intact ancient histories in the world.

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[–] Kennystillalive@feddit.org -3 points 3 days ago (6 children)

Isn't capitalism itself not only like 100-150 years old?

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[–] Sibshops@lemm.ee -3 points 3 days ago (3 children)

Where does 500 years come from? Capitalism goes back at least 3000 years, right?

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Complaint_tablet_to_Ea-n%C4%81%E1%B9%A3ir

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[–] fushuan@lemm.ee -1 points 3 days ago (19 children)

Is it? I'm pretty sure private property and ownership was a thing in the middle ages. People selling stuff to make a living, merchants... Isn't the oldest known text some babylonian dude complaining about the faulty products of a merchant?

[–] happydoors@lemm.ee -3 points 3 days ago (3 children)

Free market trade has existed and changed shape throughout most of human history. Advice with how to deal with it is in the Old Testament. how often or consistent it revolved around a common currency is/was constantly changing, though

[–] fushuan@lemm.ee -2 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (3 children)

I'm just saying that, one of the oldest known written texts, waaay before than when the old testament was written, is a customer complaint where they mention copper coins as currency. We don't know how common copper coins were, but saying that capital based societies are "young" is not correct either.