Tuesday, February 04, 2014

Why You Can't Criticize Karl Marx

First, if you have the time, i strongly recommend listening to this podcast by Stefan Molyneux on Karl Marx.  If you don't, then allow me to give you the Thug Notes version:

From what superficial studying of Karl Marx as an individual I did, I knew the guy was not right.  He came from a relatively wealthy family, always had financial problems, ended up marrying into wealth, but still managed to squander it.  He never had a real job and instead focused his efforts on his political-economic theorizing.  This lack of focus and adult responsibility is clearly evidence in Das Kapital.  Not because of it advocating childish theories, but the writing is HORRIBLE and PAINFUL to read. It was blathering, not a logical, succinct, cogent argument for socialism.

Beyond that I never gave Marx, the person, another thought.  However, until I listened to the podcast above, I had no idea just how literally and genuinely insane the man was.

Marx was indeed an older version of today's hipsters.  He lived off of other people's money, and when those sources dried up, he would go and try to find others.  He viewed real work beneath him and had a crusaderist view of himself which is why he was always "researching" in the library to advance his own economic religion.  This alone is enough to make me see red, but mercy almighty, it gets much worse.

Marx also didn't like to bathe.  That rats nest of a beard is not by accident.  It's because of a lack of hygiene.  Because of his preference to avoid basic grooming (probably too much work) he ended up having boils over his body regularly.  This is not the sign of a sane person, but somebody who obviously had mental problems.

Further evidence of mental problems are abound if you look into his family life.  Such a poor provider was he that 4 out of his 7 children died before the age of 18.  2 of the survivors went onto commit suicide.  Marx also sired an illegitimate son with his maid, a woman he never paid, but lived with the family.

Finally, Marx was a hypocrite.  To avoid creditors he would use aliases, skipping out on rent and often times not paying butchers, tailors, and other "workers" he so claimed were "exploited" by those evil capitalists.  Further more, he was an intellectual hypocrite.  Instead of using facts and data to create theories, he did it the other way around.  His entire "research" was spent trying to find proof and evidence that his childish and naive ideology would work.

There is certainly more, but the larger point is a simple one:

Karl Marx was batshit insane.  He was psychotic.  And to believe or subscribe to any ideas the man had (be it political, economic, familial or anything) is foolish.

History has proven this.  Only a madman's illusions de grandeur could result in killing more people during peace time than Nazi's did purposely during war.  You can compare similar people's implementing Marxism vs. freedom (the Koreas, East vs. West Germany, Cuba vs. Caymans, etc.).  And you can look to see what happens when countries abandon socialism in pursuit of capitalism (China, Vietnam, the Baltics).  But the real issue isn't what a "moron" or "psychopath" Marx was.  It isn't even the devastation and poverty his cancerous and flawed "theories" has wreaked upon the world. 

It's the scary fact as to just how receptive humans are to such a stupid, and ultimately, dangerous and evil ideology.

This is why you can't criticize Marx.  There have always been idiots.  There have always been megalomaniacs.  There have always been psychopaths.  It the fact humans are actually stupid enough to listen to these morons that is the problem.

For example, it is a fact, A FACT you can't just "print off more money."  They tried it in ancient Rome, they tried it in the Weimar Republic, they tried it in Yugoslavia, and they continue to try it in Venezuela, Argentina, and yes, these United States.  You would think with a basic and cursory knowledge of world economic history we would know that printing off money will not solve any economic problems and will only bring about a collapse in the economy.  But we still do it.  And the reason isn't a lack of knowledge, but psychological.  Human's want to believe they can have their cake and eat it too.

Another example, obesity.  We all know what causes people to be fat - too many calories, not enough exercise.  The solution is simple - work out more and eat less.  But despite having the KNOWLEDGE the human mind performs acrobatics to ignore this reality and rationalize away pigging out, and obesity rates continue to increase.  (Some humans are so delusional and weak-minded, they've even gone so far as to advocate "fat acceptance). 

And a third example, minority poverty.  It is a fact illegitimate children are the number one cause of poverty.  Throw in a lack of education in STEM fields as well as a propaganda-destroyed work ethic, and it is very clear why minorities suffer lower standards of living.  The solution is simple - don't have illegitimate children, studying in fields that are in demand, and work hard.  However, despite KNOWING this is the path to success, the majority of minorities would rather swallow the spoon-fed lie that it is "discrimination" that is keeping them down and wallow in a Detroitian self-pity.

We could go on as the examples are endless, but the point is that it isn't "bad ideas" that threaten society, but a weakness in human psychology that excuses people for believing in them. The belief that you can have something for nothing.  The inability of the human mind to understand delayed gratification.  The willful ignorance of not asking "where does the money come from?"  It's almost as if there's a piece of the brain that, despite thousands of years of wisdom, evidence and fact, stubbornly insists on forcing its host to make bad decisions in the long run. 

Because of this merely criticizing Marx, socialism, and socialists won't work.  The people that need convincing do not believe in socialism or Marxism on a logical level, but an emotional, psychological, even greedy one.  Throw all the charts up in the world, cite all the case studies of North vs. South Korea, point to China's historic improvement, it won't work (trust me, I've tried) simply because socialism's adherents WANT to believe in socialism just like a fat woman wants to believe "one more cookie won't hurt" or an alcoholic's belief that "one more drink is fine" or a 38 year old spinster's belief that "38 is the new 24."

Therefore, I suggest a new approach when battling socialism.  Instead of fighting it on a logical and mathematical level, we fight it on a psychological one.  Understand Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, and Dennis Prager have been doing the same damn thing, day in, day out, and the country has still dramatically shifted to the left despite their admirable work.  Their factual tactics have failed.  But if we were to do something on a psychological level, especially something they won't dare do, then we might actually see success where they have failed.

I suggest being mean.

Specifically, shame, mockery, and ridicule.

For example the shame, mockery and ridicule that is rampant in the Manosphere has done more to not only free men from their psychological brainwashing, it strikes right at the core of female psychology - shame.  40 years of touchy feely nice guy bullshit has only allow feminism to run rampant over Baby Boomer and Gen X men.  It wasn't until about 8 years ago or so did some men say, "fuck this, we're done," and dared to start mocking women for being naive in their political beliefs, shame them for being fat, ridicule them for majoring in stupid subjects, and start holding them to task about wanting to be genuine equals.  The jury is still out on whether this tactic has worked, but based on the cumulative "chatter" of social media sites younger women are at least taking note and not swallowing whole their 60's grandmother's feminist bullshit.

Another example the black community.  I am obviously indifferently harsh on the black community (and other minority communities).  Do I do this because I hate minorities?  Do I do this because I am a racist?

No, I do this because I refuse to lie to my fellow man.  I could no longer tolerate delicately dancing around eggshells and gingerly trying to maybe convey the concept that hopefully someday maybe, kind of, our minority brothers and sisters will kind of sort of maybe see the logic I'm trying to convey.

Fuck it. Don't have time. Don't have the patience.

Black community, stop fucking up and get your shit together.

And shocks of shocks, guess what!  I have a disproportionately higher black readership (especially young black males) who appreciate me giving them the straight dope instead of lying to them to spare their feelings.  Again, despite having a fraction of the audience, I've converted more blacks to libertarianism/conservativism in the last year than Dennis Prager has in 20.

Again, we could go on, but the point is simply this: 

You can't criticize ideas.

But you sure as hell can criticize the idiots who believe in them.

And it is that psychological line where the battle for freedom, liberty, and capitalism should be fought.

19 comments:

  1. " I have a disproportionately higher black readership (especially young black males) who appreciate me giving them the straight dope instead of lying to them to spare their feelings. Again, despite having a fraction of the audience, I've converted more blacks to libertarianism/conservativism in the last year than Dennis Prager has in 20."

    No Shit??!
    Count me as one too, though older.

    P.S.
    I just came for the black chick in the photo on the side.

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  2. leeholsen11:39 AM

    2nd a lot of that. cant remember where i read the article; maybe here; but some guy went off on how he and basically the white male is superior because most dont do destructive things, have pushed society forward, stay in good shape, have some principles that are positive for society, etc., etc.
    i figured i'm basically the same, so screw it; anyone looking down on me better show me their resume and their beliefs and show me where mine doesn't stomp their into the dust.

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  3. Anonymous11:53 AM

    Yes, she is drop dead gorgeous!!!!

    You're doing good work. Lots of us older guys have done this all our lives, but I don't have a weblog (nor do I want to), so I'm glad to see others amplifying my positions to a wider audience.

    I have had these conversations with friends and family, and have successfully chased all the left wingnuts into caves to the point they avoid me. Which suits me just fine. They realize they can't debate me, so they simply hate me quietly behind my back.

    Works for me.

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  4. Anonymous11:53 AM

    This tactic fits in well with this article about how to battle the liberal mind...directly.

    Fighting them with facts is counter productive. You must bypass the frontal lobe and attack directly where these morons live.

    http://www.anonymousconservative.com/blog/touching-the-raw-amygdala-an-analysis-of-liberal-debate-tactics-preface/

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  5. Do you have any sponsors who could help us mock the Marxists?

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  6. There are times in this world when I have been an idiot, I have not known what was needed. Fortunately I was in the military at the time, so someone told me straight that I was being an idiot. I appreciated that, and it helped me. You are right.

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  7. Maximo Macaroni5:07 PM

    Captain, I've been reading you for some months now. This is the best post you've done. It gets everything down. Marx lived off the factory owner Engels and let his children die. He didn't care at all. No more did Lenin or even Trotsky. It was all about them. I don't think I even have to attack Stalin. He is elf-refuting for anyone with a brain.

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  8. I saw one of the demotivational posters somewhere once that said "Socialism: for people who are shit at everything." Wish I could find it now, lol.

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  9. Anonymous2:16 AM

    I've found out these facts about Marx's biography from the book "Intellectuals" by Paul Johnson. The recurring theme of all left's heroes is their grand social theories always come from their personal (failed) lives. Marx hatred of capitalism started from hating of moneylenders who chased him to collect his debts. Rousseau invented "the noble savage" trope as a rationalization why he, being a backwoods slob, is morally superior than french nobility and so on.

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  10. Anonymous6:02 AM

    300 or so years ago, an amazing thing happened in the Western world. After thousands of years of development of human civilization, a critical mass of people across all social classes finally internalized the most constructive of all societal values, the golden rule of the old testament. I am not making a theological argument, merely a practical one. Ideas are free and no religion has a monopoly on any of them. Once the golden rule, "do unto others as you would have them do unto you", was internally adopted by society, then the value of the individual rose, representative government became an imperative, true freedom blossomed and wealth creation and the institutions that support it flourished. The pillaging of the population by rulers was frowned upon and ordinary people could actually benefit from their own hard work.

    Leftist philosophy pitches the replacement of the outwardly looking philosophy of freedom with the inwardly looking philosophy of self-absorption and selfishness camouflaged with the language of compassion. The reason that conservatives have such a hard time breaking the reality shell of the average leftist is that the left has systematically conquered the levers of culture and education. They just took down the the Boy Scouts and they are completing their cultural conquest by queerifying the military and elementary schools and pussifying the NFL.

    When politicians are chosen from a society that feels no shame about parasitically living off the efforts of others, then crony-capitalism becomes inevitable as does deceitful, win-by-any-means-necessary political tactics. The left's construction of psychological frameworks to allow the perpetrators of irresponsibility and injustice to feel good about themselves has been masterful.

    The real key to fighting the left has to be the re-establish of sane control over education and the other cultural and religious institutions co-opted by the left. Culture matters. Political economy follows culture.

    Call me a self-deceiver if you wish, but I think the evidence is there that the majority of Americans have still not bought into the insanity. Most Americans still reject the "hate-corporations" message of the socialist. Most women, that majority which have never taken a college women's study course, reject the man-fish-bicycle, career-is-the-only-thing-that-matters message of the professional feminist. Most men have no respect for sniveling, bed-wetting beta-males. The problem is that the sane have no political representation and are only now beginning to wake up and bellow their rage.

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  11. Nice job Aaron!

    If you or anyone on here is interested in reading more I highly recommend this book:

    http://www.amazon.com/Requiem-Marx-Yuri-N-Maltsev/dp/B001DTHDNY

    It's a bunch of short essays that briefly highlight was is wrong with Marx the man and his theories. It's not as in-depth as pure theory but it's through enough to give a solid idea of what Marx is about and what's wrong with Marxism.

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  12. JoeAmerica3:21 PM

    I don't spend too much effort on Marx, he may have had some possible merit for a pre-industrial dark ages society. Where nothing changes and everyone is content in living in pig slop. It just flat out does not work for an industrial or post industrial society. I think at this point that is pretty well established. A trip to Cuba can quickly confirm this. Cuba may wholesale dump communism soon.
    Lately I have been interested in Oliver Cromwell and Maximilian Robespierre.

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  13. Anonymous5:57 AM

    Here is an excellent article on the PsyOps part of the shaming strategy - the power of naming. That's one tactic that Rush has always employed very well.

    http://www.americanthinker.com/2014/02/gun_control_a_war_not_a_conversation.html

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  14. Anonymous9:05 AM

    BRAVO Aaron! You've written some fantastic articles, but this one is the BEST, I will be sharing the link, EVERYONE needs to read this, BRAVO!

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  15. Shaming works well, it worked for me in my teenage years. Of course I hadn't sold myself into full blown emotional dept, I was just repeating things that were taught to me in school. The shaming, provided by a close relation, shocked me into actually thinking about my position, and *gasp* looking at the other side of the debate.

    I've lived in former communist countries, and have friends that are full blown marxists. My observation in each case is that they attempt to divorce effect from cause, and vice-versa. I personally call it a war on free agency, but that's because of some strongly held beliefs about deeper roots of the issue in human nature.

    In addition to shaming, I think we need to sneak things into our education system that teach real-world cause and effect relationships. American education as it exists tries to keep students isolated from reality for as long as possible, and it is only getting longer as prolong adolescence.

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  16. Stuntman12:55 PM

    I think I just died of laughter LOL!!

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  17. Anonymous6:30 AM

    captain stupid. bravo! bravissimo!

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  18. Anonymous8:50 PM

    This is probably the best thing I've read on this topic. You cannot talk to Leftists anymore, they choose not to listen. I fully support your suggestion to mock them.

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  19. Anonymous4:44 PM

    The author of this blog post once wrote a book "for abnormally intelligent people", which "identifies and addresses a litany of problems intelligent people face, as well as analyzes them and provides solutions". It seems to me, that by now he has no problem with an unintelligent society.

    "This lack of focus and adult responsibility is clearly evidence in Das Kapital. Not because of it advocating childish theories, but the writing is HORRIBLE and PAINFUL to read. "

    Yes, it is painful, like reading the proof of the modularity theorem, if you are not intelligent enough. Recognizing and resolving the inner paradoxes of the up-to-date existing labour theory of value (see, Smith and Ricardo, HORRIBLE and PAINFUL to read, sorry for that) is clearly not childish. Of course, the theory can as appear childish (or anything else), if you are not intelligent enough to grasp it (the right wing morons, for instance), but that doesn't matter so much - just another issue intelligent people must handle in an unintelligent society.

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