I dunno why I felt the need to type this out. I teach history to college students and I learned a few things about how to argue against Marxism and FOR Capitalism. I have also learned that as much as the departments and educators and administration are rife with Marxism…you’d be surprised at how few students care about these ideas. Not that there aren’t problems with their education which is full of wishy washy feel good PC diversity social justice garbage…but most switch off their brains about it. I guess it depends on the campus and the size of the school and even the department, but this is my experience on two local campuses. You’d also be surprised at just how many students actually support Capitalism or are Republican or libertarian and can argue for these things eloquently. There are a few. More than you might think. So take heart.

But anyway…

Some tips for dealing with Marxists or even people who are taking even just an interest or are mildly enthused by Marxist ideas.

1. You do not have to be a card carrying party member type Marxist to unknowingly adopt Marxist ideas. Some people really just don’t know the ideas they have and the incorrect assumptions they have are actually Marxist in origin. Some do, they are the sly ones.
2. You know you are hearing bullshit when you hear or see the words “The means of production…”. Any time I see those words, they are used as a straw man to define Capitalism so it is easy to knock down and elevate Marxism. I always, in any discussion with Marxists, define Capitalism simply as economic freedom. If pressed, I add “without government coercion of or involvement in citizen’s economic lives”.
3. Related to 2, Marxists will ALWAYS try to accuse Capitalism of killing more people. Calmly explain that true Capitalism has never killed anyone. Governments are responsible for the things Marxists accuse Capitalism of doing. Governments are not Capitalist. Societies can be, but governments are not. Governments are force. Capitalism if, again, economic freedom. Governments can only regulate, hinder, or destroy economic freedom. We are lucky to have a government who generally just regulates, and sometimes hinders…though where we are headed…who knows.
4. Marxists are truly terrified of freedom. The idea of people “just doing whatever they want” scares, and angers Marxists more than anything in the world. Above all the Marxist desires control over people. They sometimes fool themselves into thinking “It is only doing what is best for people, trying to help them” etc. etc. but it still comes down to an almost infantile fear of freedom.
5. Marxists are almost never actually workers themselves.

To be continued…