Marks of Marx
The ABC's of Marxism
“Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need.” - Acts 2:44-45
“All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had." - Acts 4:32.
“I have unlocked the secret of being content no matter my circumstances.” - Philippians 4:11
The average American knows little of Karl Marx and the danger of Marxism which has infiltrated the United States educational, governmental, and societal institutions.
Our nation seems to be on a slow, steady march toward becoming a Marxist nation.
The father of Kamala Harris is a Marxist economic professor with tenure at Stanford University.
The Stanford Review wrote about Kamala’s father in 1976:
“Professor Donald Harris, a Marxist economic professor, attracts students to his field of instruction. He is a “pied-piper” who leads students astray from neo-classical economics. In short, he (teaches) bad courses too well. (There is) a growing interest in the student body for Marxian economics.”
The Stanford Daily, Nov. 3, 1976
Marx Was a Professing Christian as a Youth
Karl Marx was born on May 5, 1818, in Trier, Prussia (now Germany), and died on March 14, 1883, in London, England.
His parents were Jews who’d converted to Christianity, and they raised Karl in a Christian home. However, Marx, went off to college, and after listening to his materialist professors, he turned away from the Christianity of his youth.
Marx's adult views of religion are famously summarized in his statement:
"Religion is the opium of the people.”
Karl Marx, Critique of Hegel's Philosophy of Right, 1843
Marx once boasted of memorizing major portions of the New Testament, but later took pride in his materialistic atheism as an adult.
You can read Marx for yourself, but to save you time, after I list his six major works, I’ll give you the ABC’s of Marxism in a simple to understand summary.
Karl Marx authored and published six major works:
"The Communist Manifesto" (1848) – Co-authored with Friedrich Engels, this is one of Marx's most famous works, outlining the principles of communism.
"Das Kapital" (1867, with later volumes posthumously published) – Often considered his magnum opus, Das Kapital critiques political economy and capitalism. Marx personally completed the first volume, and Engels edited and published the second and third volumes after Marx's death.
"The German Ideology" (written in 1846 but not published during his lifetime) – Co-authored with Engels, this work critiques other German philosophers and lays out their theory of historical materialism.
"A Contribution to the Critique of Political Economy" (1859) – This work was a precursor to Das Kapital and delves into Marx’s theories on value, labor, and capital.
"The Poverty of Philosophy" (1847) – A response to Pierre-Joseph Proudhon’s work, where Marx critiques his ideas on political economy.
"Critique of the Gotha Program" (1875) – Marx critiqued the program of the German Workers' Party, discussing socialism and the future communist society.
The ABCs of Marxism
Marxism is negative and destructive.
After 100 years of governments around the world adopting Marxism, over 100 million people have been murdered by Marxist governments.
That’s horrific.
Put the word “No” before the words that start with the letter A, and theletter B, and the letter C in the ABCs of Marxism, memorize the acrostic, and you’ll never be at a loss to explain Marxism to others. Marxism advocates:
A - No ASSETS for self.
The government owns everything and gives to you according to your need.
B - No BORDERS for states.
When all are Marxists, the entire world will be communal (communism).
C - No CLASS for society.
The haves (bourgeoisie) and have nots (proletariat) will be gone. All are equal.
New believers in Christ often read the book of Acts and think that Christianity advocates the same thing as Marx did (see the Scriptures at the top of this post)
But there is one fundamental difference between biblical Christianity and Marxism:
In Christianity: GOD favors His people with new, generous hearts that lead them to voluntarily give to others through individual freedom and autonomy.
In Marxism: GOVERNMENT controls its people by external force and confiscates citizen’s possessions involuntarily through the state’s power and tyranny.
When you see United States political leaders, government non-profits, religious institutions, college professors, and young people advocate:
Government confiscation of your personal wealth to give to others, it’s Marxism.
Government advocacy of open borders in the name of globalism, it’s Marxism.
Government selective prosecution by class, politics, and religion, it’s Marxism.
The Differences Between Marxism, Socialism, and Communism
The best way to illustrate the meaning of the above chart is with an illustration of a grocery store.
___________
Marxism is like the business plan of a grocery store owner (the government), where everyone is paid by the store owner for manufacturing and producing the meats, fruits, vegetables, and grains. People come in to the store to pick up what they need. The only one with “wealth” is the owner of the grocery store (the government or state). Think of North Korea as the prime example of Marxism.
Socialism is the enforcement of grocery store owner (the government) as it visits regularly the manufacturers and producers, controlling every aspect of their work, ensuring that no worker is taking anything for himself, but is only producing for the state the necessary goods for its grocery store.
Socialism is the bridge from capitalism and personal liberty to communism and state tyranny.
Communism is the ultimate goal of the grocery store owner (the government). Communal food in the grocery store is available to all “free of charge.” When citizens walk in the grocery store door, they get food “according to their needs.” There’s no cash. There’s no money. There’s no need for private assets or personal wealth. The government will take care of you. Government takes the place of GOD in your life.
______________
Communist nations historically run short of groceries.
Shelves become bare.
Why?
There’s no incentive for state workers to work hard or advance by superior merit or effort. Everyone is treated equally, regardless of merit or production.
Even worse, those who own the store (government leaders) are tyrannical and selfish. In times of scarcity, the grocery store owners (government leaders) have everything they need because they rob citizens to feed themselves.
Get the picture?
Someone has summarized this visually on Pinterest.
A Marxist government only works with ONE POLITICAL PARTY.
Dissent is the kryptonite of Marxism.
Therefore, in a Marxist country, the political leaders all walk in lock-step and shut down dissent by force.
Don’t Let the United States Become Marxist
Major Nations during the 20th century that Adopted Marxist Philosophy include:
Soviet Union (1917–1991): The first country to attempt to implement Marx's ideas on a large scale following the Russian Revolution of 1917. The USSR became the world’s first socialist state under the leadership of Vladimir Lenin and later Joseph Stalin.
China (since 1949): Under Mao Zedong, China adopted a version of Marxism, often referred to as Marxism-Leninism-Maoism. The Chinese Communist Party remains in power today, although China's economy has incorporated market elements since the late 20th century.
Cuba (since 1959): After the Cuban Revolution, Fidel Castro established a Marxist-Leninist state, aligning closely with the Soviet Union during the Cold War.
Vietnam (since 1976): After the Vietnam War, the reunified Vietnam became a Marxist-Leninist state, governed by the Communist Party of Vietnam.
North Korea (since 1948): Although North Korea’s political ideology is officially "Juche," a philosophy of self-reliance, it has roots in Marxist-Leninist thought, especially under Kim Il-sung.
Eastern European Nations (1945–1989): Several Eastern European countries, including East Germany, Poland, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, and Czechoslovakia, adopted Marxist-Leninist governments following World War II under Soviet influence. These governments largely collapsed with the fall of the Soviet Union.
Other Notable Examples:
Laos (since 1975)
Angola (since 1975, with a Marxist-Leninist period)
Mozambique (since 1975, Marxist elements in governance)
Ethiopia (under the Derg, 1974–1991)
Nicaragua (Sandinista government from 1979–1990)
Movements or Governments Influenced by Marxism
Chile (1970–1973): The presidency of Salvador Allende was influenced by Marxism, but he was overthrown in a coup.
Spain (1936–1939): During the Spanish Civil War, various Marxist factions, including anarchists and communists, played key roles on the Republican side.
India: The Communist Party of India (Marxist) has governed certain states like Kerala and West Bengal at various times.
All the above states suffered tremendous downturns economically, socially, and industrially.
They become poor nations.
You have the ability to keep the United States consistent with our Judeo-Christian heritage and capitalistic, Austrian economy.
Don’t let anyone fool you.
The greatest nation in the world is one where followers of Jesus are the leaders, working hard to protect personal liberty for all, keeping out government tyranny, and advocating an economy built on meritocracy, not equality.
I write at Istoria Ministries about Christian principles, using my study of history and economics as a resource for you and your family.
Only you can prevent communism from coming to the United States.
Outstanding article. Thank you.
Before the 2016 election I read the Communist Manifesto and connected so much of what was going on in our country to it. I also read or listened to autobiography of those who lived through communism. But I can never explain it well. Thank you for writing this in a format that I can share with friends who will never study the details for themselves. If you have written more specific details that relate to specific current events or proposed legislation, I’d love to see that as well.