Influence your thoughts and feelings

[Chaerophon]

Mark and Engels evil? Maybe in a negligent fashion. More sophomoric than evil, I think. They were wise enough to see the extremes of unregulated capitalism around them. They were smart enough to deduce the opposite extreme from what they observed. But they were too stupid to see the lesson that history put before them time and time again: a social problem isn't solved by going to the opposite extreme. It is solved by finding some workable middle ground. Only when dealing with fanatics is that solution not immediately workable -- but if the fanatic is 'eliminated' (and any means *are* justified to do so (i.e., WW II) smile.gif ), the middle ground solution becomes workable.

As an aside, although I used Occhi's post as a springboard, this post is actually a summary on my view on communism in general.

Extremely well put, although I have always thought that you expect a bit too much of Marx and his compatriots. After all, the industrial revolution had no historical parallel. Engels, in particular, began to realize some of the error in his ways as he grew old.