"Karl Marx exposed the peculiar dynamics of capitalism, or what he called “the bourgeois mode of production.” He foresaw that capitalism had built within it the seeds of its own destruction. He knew that reigning ideologies—think neoliberalism—were created to serve the interests of the elites and in particular the economic elites, since “the class which has the means of material production at its disposal, has control at the same time over the means of mental production” and “the ruling ideas are nothing more than the ideal expression of the dominant material relationships … the relationships which make one class the ruling one.” He saw that there would come a day when capitalism would exhaust its potential and collapse. He did not know when that day would come. Marx, as Meghnad Desai wrote, was “an astronomer of history, not an astrologer.” Marx was keenly aware of capitalism’s ability to innovate and adapt. But he also knew that capitalist expansion was not eternally sustainable. And as we witness the denouement of capitalism and the disintegration of globalism, Karl Marx is vindicated as capitalism’s most prescient and important critic."
Quote Details
Added by wikiquote-import-bot
Unverified quote
0 likes
Activists from the United StatesPhilosophers from the United StatesHuman rights activistsHarvard University alumniJournalists from Vermont
Original Language: English
Available Languages (1)
Sources
"Karl Marx Was Right", Truthdig (1 June 2015).
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Chris_Hedges
Revision History
No revisions have been submitted for this quote.
Categories
Chris Hedges
Christopher Lynn Hedges (born September 18, 1956) is an American journalist, Presbyterian minister, and visiting Princeton University lecturer. His books include War Is a Force That Gives Us Meaning (2002), a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award for Nonfiction. In 2002, Hedges was one of eight reporters at T
185 quotes on TrueQuotesView all quotes by Chris Hedges →
Related Quotes
"There will be no economic or political justice for the poor, people of color, women or workers within the framework o…"
"Technocratic human beings are spiritually alive. Their objective is to fully utilize our technological capabilities f…"
"Neoliberalism as economic theory was always an absurdity. It had as much validity as past ruling ideologies such as t…"
"Amazon workers, like many American workers, endure appalling work conditions. They are forced to work compulsory 12-h…"
"Global capitalists have turned back the clock to the early days of the Industrial Revolution. The working class is in…"
"The long campaign against Julian and WikiLeaks is a window into the collapse of the rule of law, the rise of what the…"
"The architects of imperialism, the masters of war, the corporate-controlled legislative, judicial and executive branc…"
"Political, economic and social dysfunction define the American empire. Our staggering inability to contain the pandem…"
"I'm more optimistic because I see the resistance in the streets... That's where hope lies.... They're mostly young, i…"
"The tinder that could soon ignite widespread violent conflagrations throughout the United States lies ominously stack…"