Letter from Marx to Arnold Ruge - Karl Marx

Submitted by pogo on April 12, 2015








Letters: Letter from Marx to Arnold Ruge

Letters of Marx and Engels 1842

Letter from Marx to Arnold Ruge

in Dresden

Written: Trier, July 9 [1842];

Source: Marx Engels Collected Works Vol 1, pg 398-391;

Publisher: International Publishers (1975);

First Published: Documente des Socialismus, Bd I, 1902;

Translated: Clemens Dutt;

Transcribed: S. Ryan.

Dear Friend,

If events had not apologised for me, I would have abandoned
any attempt at an excuse. It stands to reason that I regard it as an honour to contribute to the Anekdota and only unpleasant extraneous circumstances prevented me from sending you my articles.

From April to the present day I have been able to work for a total of perhaps only four weeks at most, and that not without interruption. I had to spend six weeks in Trier in connection with another death. The rest of the time was split up and poisoned by the most unpleasant family controversies. My family laid obstacles in my way, which, despite the prosperity of the family, put me for the moment in very serious straits. I cannot possibly burden you with the story of these private scandals; it is truly fortunate that scandals of a public nature make it impossible for a man of character to be irritated over private ones. During this time I was writing for the Rheinische Zeitung, to which I should long ago have sent my articles, etc., etc. I would have informed you long before about these intermezzos, had I not hoped from day to day to be able to complete my work. In a few day's time I am going to Bonn and shall not touch a thing until I have finished the contributions for the Anekdota. Of course, in this state of affairs I was not able to elaborate in particular the article "On Art and Religion" as thoroughly as the subject requires.

Incidentally, do not imagine that we on the Rhine live in a political Eldorado. The most unswerving persistence is required to push through a newspaper like the Rheinische Zeitung. My second article on the Provincial Assembly, dealing with the question of clerical discords, was deleted by the censor. I showed in this article how the defenders of the state adopted a clerical standpoint, and the defenders of the church a state standpoint. This incident is all the more unpleasant for the Rheinische Zeitung because the stupid Cologne Catholics fell into the trap, and defence of the Archbishop would have attracted subscribers. Incidentally, you can hardly imagine how contemptible are oppressors and at the same time how stupidly they dealt with the orthodox blockhead. But the matter has had a successful ending: before the entire world, Prussia has kissed the Pope's mule, and our government automatons walk the streets without blushing. The Rheinische Zeitung has now put in an appeal about the article. In general, the fight for the Rheinische Zeitung is beginning. In the Kölnische Zeitung, the author of the leading articles, Hermes, – ex-editor of the former political Hannoverzeitung, has taken the side of Christianity against the philosophical newspapers in Königsberg and Cologne. If the censor does not again play some trick, a reply from me will be published in the next Supplement. The religious party is the most dangerous in the Rhine area. The opposition has of late become too accustomed to opposing within the church.

Do you know any details about the so called "Free"? The article in the Kölnische Zeitung was, to say the least, undiplomatic. It
is one thing to declare for emancipation--that is honest; it is another thing to start off by shouting it out as propaganda; that sounds like bragging and irritates the philistine. And then, reflect on who are these "Free", a man like Meyen, etc. But, at any rate, if there is a suitable city for such ventures, it is Berlin.

I shall probably be drawn into a prolonged polemic with the Cologne Hermes. No matter how ignorant, shallow and trivial the man is, thanks precisely to these qualities he is the mouthpiece of philistinism and I intend not to let him go on chattering. Mediocrity should no longer enjoy the privilege of immunity. Hermes will also try to saddle me with "The Free", about whom, unfortunately, I do not know the slightest thing for sure. It is fortunate that Bauer is in Berlin. He, at least, will not allow any "stupidities" to be committed, and the only thing that disquiets me in this affair (if it is true and not merely a deliberate newspaper fabrication), is the probability that the insipidity of the Berliners will make their good cause ridiculous and that in a serious matter they will not be able to avoid various "stupidities". Anyone who has spent as much time among these people as I have will find that this anxiety is not without foundation.

How are you getting on with your Jahrbücher?

As you are at the centre of philosophical and theological news, I should like nothing better than to learn something from you about the present situation. True, the movement of the hour-hand is visible here, but not that of the minute-hand.

Old Marheineke seems to have considered it necessary to provide the whole world with documentary proof of the complete impotence of the old Hegelianism. His vote is a disgraceful vote.

Will the Saxons in this Assembly not denounce the censorship? Fine constitutionalism! Hoping to hear from you soon,

Yours,

Marx


Rutenberg is a weight on my conscience. I brought him on to the editorial board of the Rheinische Zeitung, but he is absolutely incapable. Sooner or later he will be shown the door.

What do you advise if the article on the Archbishop is not stamped for publication by the high police censorship? It must appear in print because of 1) our Provincial Assembly, 2) the government, 3) the Christian state. Should I, perhaps, send it to Hoffmann and Campe? It does not seem to me suitable for the Anekdota.

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New AI slop gives 10% chance of total councilism in next century

Submitted by goff on February 20, 2025

9/1 is a lot shorter than I’d have it. Have to give the devil its due, this is decently prescriptive.

- - -

A worldwide libertarian communist revolution—combining the anti-authoritarian ethos of libertarianism with the classless, stateless vision of communism—faces steep challenges but could theoretically succeed through a mix of strategy, timing, and historical luck. Let’s break it down into what it would take, step by step, while keeping it grounded in practical and speculative reasoning.

Core Concept
Libertarian communism seeks a society without hierarchies, private property, or centralized authority, where resources are managed collectively and individual freedom is maximized. Think anarcho-communism (e.g., Kropotkin or the Spanish CNT-FAI in 1936) but scaled globally. Success hinges on dismantling capitalism and the state while avoiding new tyrannies—like the Soviet or Maoist outcomes—through decentralized, voluntary cooperation.

Global Discontent with Capitalism
A revolution needs a spark. Widespread anger at inequality, climate collapse, or corporate overreach could prime the pump. Imagine a 2030s scenario: automation guts jobs, wealth concentrates further (top 1% owns 60%+), and ecological crises displace billions. People reject both neoliberalism and populist strongmen, creating an appetite for radical alternatives.

Decentralized Coordination
Unlike top-down Marxist revolutions, this one can’t rely on a vanguard. Modern tech—encrypted platforms, blockchain for resource tracking, or AI-driven logistics—could enable leaderless networks to organize. Picture X-like platforms evolving into global assemblies where workers, farmers, and techies self-coordinate strikes, mutual aid, and production handoffs without a Politburo.

Mass Defection from Power Structures
For the state and capital to crumble, key players must walk away. Military and police defections (e.g., soldiers refusing orders, as in Russia 1917) plus corporate insiders leaking resources or sabotaging from within could kneecap enforcement. A tipping point might come if, say, 30% of a nation’s workforce and security apparatus join the cause, paralyzing opposition.

Economic Self-Sufficiency
Post-revolution, communities must feed and power themselves without global trade or bosses. Localized production—3D printing, renewable microgrids, urban farming—could sustain a transition. Historical precedent: during the Spanish Civil War, anarchist collectives ran factories and farms, producing efficiently until Franco’s forces crushed them.

Cultural Shift
People need to want this. Propaganda (memes, art, manifestos) must sell mutual aid over individualism while dodging accusations of utopianism. Education systems, already crumbling in some places, could be co-opted to teach cooperation and anti-authority values, seeding a generational pivot.

How It Plays Out
Phase 1: Collapse and Opportunity
A global crisis (economic crash, war, or climate event) weakens states and markets. Protests escalate into general strikes. In, say, 2032, a “Global Spring” sees workers seize factories from Shanghai to Detroit, ports shut down, and digital currencies crash as hackers redistribute wealth.
Phase 2: Power Vacuum
Governments fall or retreat. Militias form but lack unity to suppress decentralized uprisings. Communes emerge—some rural, some urban—linked by tech and trade barter. X posts might read: “Berlin collective shares solar tech; who’s got grain?”
Phase 3: Scaling Up
Success spreads via contagion. If one region (e.g., Catalonia 2.0) thrives—low crime, high output—others copy it. The revolution dodges civil war by focusing on sabotage (e.g., cutting elite supply chains) over pitched battles, wearing down holdouts.
Phase 4: Stabilization
After a decade, most of the world runs on federated councils. Property’s gone; work’s voluntary but socially expected. Conflicts linger—some hoard, some slack—but peer pressure and resource abundance (thanks to tech) keep it viable.

Why It Might Work
Tech Leverage: Tools like AI and decentralized networks solve old logistical nightmares (e.g., the Soviet planning mess).
Historical Precedent: Short-lived wins (Paris Commune 1871, Rojava today) show small-scale feasibility.
Human Nature: Cooperation thrives under pressure—studies like Elinor Ostrom’s commons research suggest people can self-manage without coercion.

Why It Might Fail
Power Vacuums: Warlords or new states could fill the gap, as in post-1917 Russia.
Scale: Coordinating 8 billion people without hierarchy is a logistical monster—local successes might not globalize.
Resistance: Capitalists and nationalists won’t go quietly; expect drones, mercenaries, and propaganda wars.

Odds and X-Factor
Realistically, a full global win might sit at 5-10% odds in the next century, barring a perfect storm of crises and tech breakthroughs. The X-factor? A wildcard like Musk-level innovation (ironic, given his capitalism) repurposed for communal ends—say, Starlink democratizing communication or Tesla tech powering free energy grids.
Could it happen? Yes, if the stars align and humanity bets on trust over control.

goff

1 year 8 months ago

Submitted by goff on February 20, 2025

How: Study agitprop…

How: Study agitprop—Kropotkin’s pamphlets or Occupy’s memes. Use AI tools (like me!) to draft sharp, shareable content. Hit X hard: “Day 1: No landlords, no CEOs. Who’s in?”

lol