[–] Master_Foo 0 points 1 point 1 point (+1|-0) ago (edited ago)
Meh, I'm 90% Austrian School. But, I have to admit, I've never read any Austrian School manifesto.
Marx is an important read, even if you don't agree with he says. Wait, no, ESPECIALLY if you don't agree with what he says.
It's kind of like reading the Bible. Christians are Christians because they've never read the Bible from cover to cover. I know lots of Atheists who were once Christians, but one day they decided to read the Bible from cover to cover without a pastor there to shove an "interpretation" in their brain and then poof, that's one less Christian.
Everyone should read Karl Marx. His works are an excellent vaccination against Communism.
Meh, I'm 90% Austrian School. But, I have to admit, I've never read any Austrian School manifesto.
Try Pierre Bastiat. The writing is a bit archaic, but he uses real world examples so it's easy enough for anyone to understand. For example, he came up with the "broken window fallacy" to explain why government stimulus programs fail, and he wrote a satire suggesting blotting out the sun to promote the candle industry.
but one day they decided to read the Bible from cover to cover without a pastor there to shove an "interpretation" in their brain
Yeah, but these aren't people just deciding to broaden their mind and find out why communism sucks. They're a congregation being force fed marxism from the pulpit of a new religion. Do you really think the professors assigning these texts are going to give them a fair hearing? Lolno, the whole point is to teach a slanted view of politics in which marxism is successful.
[–] Master_Foo 0 points 1 point 1 point (+1|-0) ago
OK, here's what you do. At the beginning of the semester, you find some sneaky way of replacing everyone's copy of Das Capital with the Ferengi Rules of Aquisition. Problem solved.
[–] baneofretail 0 points 2 points 2 points (+2|-0) ago
Marxism and communism fail because of greed.
Capatilism succeeds because of greed.
Greed is a part of human nature, and you cannot change human nature.
[–] jollux 0 points 2 points 2 points (+2|-0) ago (edited ago)
You should read Das Kapital. I took a full course on communism in university, and it benefited me greatly. Now I know how to argue with communists better than anyone. One of my hobbies is hanging out in /r/LateStageCapitalism and nudging them in the right direction. Easier than you think.
I will say that the first book of Das Kapital provides an excellent analysis of the very real problems with capitalism. It's just that he goes on to provide idiotic solutions. The first book is the most important.
Here it is:
https://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1867-c1/
When you've finished at least the first volume of that, you can find the real solutions here:
If you buckle down with these, you'll never lose another argument.
[–] Broc_Lia [S] ago (edited ago)
I've read the communist manifesto, is Das Kapital any better?
The arguments I've seen against capitalism are usually either arguments against government intervention in the market (which commies claim is the inevitable result of markets, not governments) or outright fantasies.
[–] jollux 0 points 2 points 2 points (+2|-0) ago (edited ago)
I'd say that Das Kapital is more important to read than the communist manifesto. It addresses quite a bit more points and sticks more to economic concerns rather than social. It can get repetitive, but at least dipping your toes in this book is crucial if you really want to get to communists in debate.
Note that he doesn't address arguments in the same manner that a capitalist does. He comes from a different angle, and understanding that is a big part of how to speak to communists. It lets you get to the foundations of their beliefs.
[–] Lord_Odious_the_Foul 0 points 7 points 7 points (+7|-0) ago
We can safely say, at this point, that college graduates are not as intelligent as college dropouts.
[–] httbmc 0 points 1 point 1 point (+1|-0) ago
The Naked Communist and the 45 Goals.. is being pushed every day. Understanding why will help break down the fallacies of Marx.