Leftism as Marxism

Submitted by Jim Ryan (Canada), Mar 19, 2003 at 23:17

Yes. People tend to draw too deep a distinction between Marxism and "the left" of today. The essential moral premise of Marxism, that all principles of justice (except the communist one, of course) are merely delusions fostered by the reigning economic system, is the core of contemporary leftism. So, too, does the left of today nihilistically resort to appeals to relativism and "resistance by any means necessary," rather than argument, thinking that argument is not necessary in an arena devoid of reason. The essential anthropological premise of Marxism is that people without plenty and not yet free of non-communist moral values are not autonomous agents, while very wealthy and powerful people are free. So, too, does the contemporary left, while it excuses evils perpetrated by the less-than-powerful and less-than-rich, hold the rich and powerful responsible for what they do, and also assume that this is always evil, since they have refused, in full autonomy, to give up all their wealth. Thus, the assumption that Bush wants to take over Iraqi oil (and the whole world, for that matter). There is no full distinction between generic left and Marxism.

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