The enormous dynamic and creative, as well as destructive energy of capitalism... is written up with more praise and more respect by Marx and Engels in the 1848 Communist Manifesto than probably by anyone since. I don't think anyone has ever said so precisely and with such awed admiration how great capitalism is, how inventive, how innovative, how dynamic, how much force of creativity it unleashes.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Hitchens notes that Marx and Engels praised capitalism's energy and creativity more than anyone else. He points out the irony that critics often ignore this acknowledgment.
- In plain terms
- Marx admired capitalism's creativity as much as any modern supporter.
- What can you take from it?
- Critics may miss nuances in opposing theories.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Who understood capitalism best?
- What does critique require?
Another view
It simplifies the complex relationship between Marx and capitalism.
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