Marxism has only killed 100 million people, so naturally at the new voice of the mainstream center Democratic Party, they’re ready to give it another chance: Daily Kos: Is Marx relevant to American politics? I think so.

Karl Marx has, paradoxically, a bad name amongst the political mainstream and yet an abiding influence amongst scholars and political activists.

Go figure.

Yet, while mainstream Democrats may seek to abstain from ever mentioning the name of Marx, out of fear of appearing “too far to the left”, Marx’s thinking remains very useful for all those dedicated to progressive causes, whatever party label they may happen to embrace.

In my discipline, sociology, Marx is so influentiual that the main American sociological organization, the American Sociological Association has an entire section dedicated to Marxist sociology; I was briefly a member, but since my resources are limited and my scholarly interests lie slightly elsewhere, I am not at the moment; I still respect careful Marxian analysis, though.

This Daily Kos diarist is running a poll:

Is Marx a useful theorist for Democrats?

Groucho maybe, Karl no — 24% (8 votes)
He offers some insights, but these are limited — 15% (5 votes)
He offers much insight and we should take him more seriously — 51% (17 votes)
He offers to most complete explanation of our society of all political theorists — 9% (3 votes)