ECOVISION

WHY MARX MATTERS

Ted Trainer

There is now increasing discontent with our economic system but I want to argue that much of it is based on a mistaken understanding of what the essential faults are. Most critics are only calling for specific reforms, for example to the banking system or the trade imbalance or the decline of welfare and public services and unemployment problem. Many are only making demands for better redistribution within the same old system.

In my view the present economic system is fundamentally flawed. It cannot solve our big problems because by its very nature it causes them, and it can do nothing but rapidly increase our problems from here on. A totally different economic system is needed. It is most important that people in ERA and similar organisations should think carefully about this claim because I think most of us are wasting our time trying to apply bandaids to a dead horse.

I want to argue that Marx emphasised the crucial themes and that it is very important that we base our thinking more directly on some of the key elements in his theory. Before I suggest these I must make two points. Firstly, in my view many of Marx's ideas are invalid, e.g., to do with the "laws of history", value, the role of the party, the place for central and authoritarian leadership, the transition to socialism, and affluence and industrialisation. The list is so long that Marxists would probably say I can't be a Marxist. My concern is only to focus attention on those ideas that I think are important and neglected.

The second point is that we must distinguish sharply between Marx's theory of capitalism, i.e, his analysis of the nature of capitalism and the dynamics built into it, and on the other hand all that goes under the heading of Marxist political action and ideals, including "communism" and the Marxist and "communist" regimes that have existed. We can totally reject what "Marxists" have done and been for while judging Marx's analysis of capitalism to be extremely valuable. (As a radically green anarchist I strongly disagree with Marx's views on post-capitalist society and how to get to it).

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http://ssis.arts.unsw.edu.au/tsw/D19WhyMarxMatters.html