The Omaha guide., 1946-03-09

Sixtythree years ago March Ia, when the news Of Karl
Marks death went over the telegraph wires, ruling class
statesmen in Europe and America breathed a sigh of re-
lief. Death, they thought, would accomplish what deport
alton, abuse and SANDER had failed TO dO-siIence the great
est and most potent voice the oppressed and exploited
masses ever had.
Subsequent history proves the statesmen to have been a
trifIe previous in their rejoicing. Marx died, but The
principles that tOk his name lived and gathered strength
as history confirmed their scientific merit. Today, more
tina never before tOiers throughout the world turn to them
for guidance. Marxism has indisputably become the most
dynamic and powerful political force Of the twentieth cen
fury.
Surely a philosophy as puissant as Marxism has proved
itself to be, is deserving Of the special attention or Negroes
of that body of our citizens which has the least TO lose
and the most to gain from social changes that destroy eco
nOmic despOtism. | can think of at least five urgent rea-
sons why Negroes, and Negro wage workers particularly.
should study Marxism. Here they are:
/. 1t is said that we are headed for a Doom. My
own view, is, that for the workers, this 'boom7 will turn
out a 'bust.' Be that as it may, once pentup demand for
goods is satisfied and capitalist production is again geared
to current income, the twin specters of mass unemploy-
ment and oevrproducion are certain TO reappear. Marx
ism, by showing what wages and profits are and where
they come from, how commodities exchange for one anOth-
err, ETC., lays bare the cause 0 Economic crisis. 1t proves
beyond peradventure that crises are inherent in the wages
systematic system in which the workers receive only a
fraction Of the wealth they create, and under which inn
proved technology only speeds the Unemployment of men
and the accumulation of unsold surpIuses.
2. Whatever betdes. Negro workers are certain to suf-
fer disprOportiOnately as unemployment rises. Anti-dis-
elimination laws may tend olevel off the suffering be-
tween Negro and white workers in some degree. But not
even Mr.. A. Philip Randolph, than whom FEPC. has no
more ardent supporter, would contend that they strike at
the root of the unemployment problem. Marxism demon
strates that the industrial reserve army of unemployed
workers is created by capitalism, and that to strike effect
lively at the root of the problem requires that the capital
wage labor relationship be done away with.
3. Marxism has the same direct and destructive effect
on race prejudice that DOT. has on nocious insects. Weth-
er a workers skin is white, yellow, brown or biac& once he
has acquired the class consciousness that Marxism teaches
he has freed himself from the most degrading bondage of
all. the ensIavement of the human mind. Marxists are not
only among the most militant foes of race prejudice. They
are also the only ones who stubbornly and aggressively TO-
Gus attention on its basic cause.
A. In such tumultuous periods in history as that which
lies ahead cynicism will vie with despair to claim the impOv
erished masses. A knowledge of Marxism is protection a
gainst both, and a protection also against the bIandish-
ments of political adventures and others who seek to ex-
plot the tragedies of oppressed classes and groups.
5. There are a lot of phony movements that call them
selves "Marxists'' and Socialist" There is only one way
to detect these phonies. That is by subjecting each of
them to the test: Does its program square with the primo
iples enuciated by Marx? If it does moi, no matter how
loudly the groupj shouts its claim, it is a phony flying IN
der false coolrs. Obviously, to exercise independent iudg-
ment and apply this test, one must study Marxism.
Nearly every Negro who has informed himself on the
struggle against chattel slavery knows something of the
part Marx played in enlisting the support of European. and
particularly of British, workers. But too few grasp the
role of Marxism in the struggle this generation Is waging to
bring to birth a decent world.