Best Marx Book?

[A_Non_Ymous]

A somewhat interesting article here.

http://www.counterpunch.org/roberts09052005.html

LSN

[Mikey_C]

It's what they call a "Guardian Engels", isn't it?


Sorry. I'm on holiday. That's my excuse.... 8)

[DeeCrowSeer]

We all need an Engels. Where's mine? :lol:

I think that would be the showstopper in the musical of Marx's life. "We all need an Engels... where's miiiiiiiiiiiiiiiine?" And then he could descend on wires... or an Engels for every character on stage? Looks great on the posters too: "I got my Engles!"

:oops: Sorry. Serious political stuff. Carry on.

[Mikey_C]

Marx would have drank himself to death and died under a bridge if Engels hadn't supported him.

We all need an Engels. Where's mine? :lol:

[Groakes]

I agree with much of the critique of Rand. M's description is part of the reason that Rand is so hard to read. Very boring. I do however agree with her economic ideas.
Try Walter E Williams then or Friedman.
Milton Friedman: www.adamsmith.org/friedman/

One of the big problems with economists and econimcs is the limited scope of their vision - though dangerously they sem to believe that their models capture everything. Friedman is one of the worst, Keynes is worrying. Galbraith is quite good though...

Marx went further than what Marxism would have you belive. For a post ecomics view of the world check out some of Hazel Henderson. Her "Politics for the Solar Age" concisely dissects economics as well as having a quite succinct description of Marx's theories.

[mordenkainen]

I've already read him, thanks. And Hayek. And Mises. And Rothbard. Bring'em on.
"Her economic ideas" are pseudoscience. Self-referential axiomatic reasoning based on a priori premises, that never gets to be tested because these people need to deny all relevance to real-world data to keep their intelectual constructs running in the void of their fantasy world.

[helmeteye]

I agree with much of the critique of Rand. M's description is part of the reason that Rand is so hard to read. Very boring. I do however agree with her economic ideas.
Try Walter E Williams then or Friedman.
Milton Friedman: www.adamsmith.org/friedman/

[Theocrat]

Ayn Rand is Ron Hubbard in drag.

Nice one! Maybe 'Xenu' knows the whole truth about that!?
:lol:

[mordenkainen]

Ayn Rand is Ron Hubbard in drag.

[Theocrat]

http://www.lewrockwell.com/rothbard/rothbard23.html

Well a society based on Objectivism and pure egoism is just stupid and will fall apart. Although I have some beef with marx and I think altruism and solidarity isn't enough for a human society. I'd side with marx anyday. Popper has a better critique against marxism than Rand could conjure up.

[mordenkainen]

Ayn Rand is one of the main sources of inspiration for the world my story in PX is set in....

[DeeCrowSeer]

Try reading Ayne Rand.

To quote our patron:

She's crap. Third rate reasoning, dreadful cardboard characters in her fiction. She started a cult a few years ago which had some of the characteristics of Scientology....

[link expired]

(That's just a single link, but her name has come up in a number of threads)

[mordenkainen]

[helmeteye]

Read "Memoirs of a Revolutionist" by Kropotkin. He was an early anachist. They considered Marx a lunatic. Try reading Ayne Rand. Rand will give you a counter balance to Marxism. Try reading something by Friedman. Marx would have drank himself to death and died under a bridge if Engels hadn't supported him.

[Doc]

The Manifesto is great, but a little misleading. Marx (and Engels) were capturing party ideology, rather than their own ideas.

The Economic Manuscripts of 1844 are vital, but is relatively hard to read, especially if you've never read Marx. Theses on Fuerbach is an interesting read, because it contains some of Marx's early ideas. Avoid Capital, as it is unfinished.

I would recommend getting a reader. There are several good ones on the second hand market.