[peisistratos]

> OP: In the 20th century, a lot of very smart people were Marxists — just no one who was smart about the subjects Marxism involves.

In 40 years, the USSR, whose economy was about the size of Brazil's in 1917, and who waged a civil war and repelled two waves of invasions (the first of which included an invasion by the USA after WWI) - this country under Stalin had enormous economic growth, to where it could repel an invasion by continental Europe, then launch the first satellite, man on space, moon probe and whatnot. For a country that Lenin considered to be in a holding action waiting for revolution in the west. I find that impressive.

The western anti-Marxists went through an array of nonsense in the 20th century - "The End of History", the idea that Keynesian or monetarist or whatever remedies would smooth out the business cycle.

Marx predicted worsening economic crises like in 2000 or 2008, with accompanying unemployment, overproduction and a falling of profits. Lenin predicted an unquenchable and self-destructive drive for imperialism.

[pjc50]

> he first of which included an invasion by the USA after WWI

I'm not familiar with this event?

> this country under Stalin had enormous economic growth

Ironically this is the same argument used by capitalists and colonialists when they claim that a huge body count or deliberate famine was "worth it".

[TuringTest]

Probably this?

https://nationalinterest.org/blog/the-buzz/fact-america-actu...

[zozbot234]

The best argument for Marxism isn't the USSR - it's China. They've actually managed to turn into a modern, mostly-developed country, though the process is most likely far from complete. The USSR was a dismal failure by comparison.

BTW, they're even launching their own space satelites, men in space, moon probes and whatnot lately.

[AnimalMuppet]

But the way China turned into a modern, mostly-developed country was to turn away from what Marxism said about how to run an economy, and turn back at least part of the way to capitalism. What they kept from Marxism (or at least the Soviet Union) is the one-party dictatorship. So not that great an argument for Marxism after all.

[zozbot234]

Hey, I never said that this would be a great argument; I just think that it's the best available one.