I think Karl Marx is a was a great scholar, but a poor writer. I really appreciate he efforts tho. I think his analysis, especially in regards to dialectal and historical materialism should be required reading to anyone subjected to Western colonialism and capitalism, which is just about every one.
I don’t think Marxist solutions are applicable to the Black condition, not at all. But Blacks should read Marx with a “it takes one to know one” point of view, because Marx gives insights into White history, motivation, and economy that will aid us in opposing White Domination and Oppression.
I don’t like Communisim because it attempts to marry political and economic Socialism with industrial production, which is just absurd.
I read once that “Western Man cannot practice Socialism because it’s based on cooperation and sharing, which is anathema to their culture.” Please don’t ask me were I read that because I’ve been trying to find that quote for years and failed, it ain’t my quote, but I don’t know who to attribute it to.
I think Communism was an attemt to make Socialism palatable to the Western Mentality, but if developed into Totalitarianism, so; the Communist project failed, but many unfortunately think it was a failure of Socialism, which it was not.
I use Marxist terminology because is it applicable in the Western Context, but I’m not a Marxist, that’s just the tragedy of trying to define the Black conditions using the languages of our colonizers and enslavers.
I know many Black Nationalist “ain’t tryna read anything any White scholar has to say about anything,” and these types love to jump all over me when I quote Marx, or Sarte, or even modern White thinkers like Orlav or Jensen, but shit; truth is truth, insight is insight, and when it comes to Knowledge “I don’t discriminate, I review very shade of that Information.” – In my Big Pun voice.
If your are rooted in your African Identity, reading and even giving props to accurate White scholarship and analysis will not threaten you, or turn you from your mission.
