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July 18, 2018
Karl Marx, born two centuries ago, left a legacy of ideas that remain as relevant today as they were in his time. Rosa Luxemburg, a leading Marxist of the early 20th century, made important contributions to Marxist theory that also remain relevant today.
Marx's ideas are relevant in every part of the world. In the developed capitalist countries, Marx's ideas provide the best basis for understanding the evolving conditions faced by working people as well as for developing strategies for moving beyond capitalism. In the developing capitalist countries, Marxist ideas are the necessary basis for analyzing the obstacles to economic development and the path to socialism. In the countries that have moved beyond capitalism, Marxist ideas are essential for charting a path forward toward socialism and communism.
1. Marx developed a way of understanding human societies as evolving through time, with technological developments and class conflicts among the main drivers of change. We have seen again and again the rise of new technologies reshaping society. The railroad, electric power, automotive vehicles, and more recently new communication and information processing technologies have transformed the way people live. At the same time, various groups and classes have contested over the distribution of the benefits from new technologies. In some periods, working people have been able to gain some of the benefits through collective action, while in other periods, a small group appropriates most or all of the benefits-and each outcome puts a stamp on the character of a period.
2. Marx illuminated the complex interaction among economic developments, political developments, and developments in the realm...