Jordan Peterson’s Critique of the Communist Manifesto

Video by Professor Jordan B. Peterson

Commentary by Charles H. Sulka

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This examination of Marx’s Das Kapital (The Communist Manifesto) is incisive, and should be viewed thoughtfully, as it is so important to understand the fundamental principles comprising the different economic paradigms. Yet Peterson’s analysis is not without it’s shortcomings. The man is, after all, not an economist. Peterson likes to make sweeping generalizations glorifying what he refers to as free market economics. It is not clear that Peterson understands that the traditional concept of the free market as put forward by classical economists is not at all what mainstream economists today (viz., adherents of neo-liberal economic theories) would label the ‘free market.’ “Market economics” might be a better term to describe the classical concepts, now almost completely missing from economic thinking.

Financialization of the economy — the principal failing of neo-liberal economics — is both the bane of sound economics and the mechanism by which a whole class of economic parasites is sucking the life-blood out of the economies of the nations of the world — and no nation has been spared. In a total abandonment of logic and reason — not to mention Christian values — psychopathic behavior, anti-social attitudes, and the previously outlawed sins of economic exploitation (usury, speculation, unearned income and undeserved wealth) have become core principles of America’s neo-liberal economics, the new paradigm of capitalism, at least in the West. Capitalism has, quite literally, become the predatory monster that destroys not just individual lives, but entire nations, as so accurately predicted by Marx.

Peterson claims that in practice, communism has always impoverished people, while capitalism has always enriched people. This might be true … at least to the extent that Peterson confuses market economics with capitalism (they are not the same.) But the reality is not so simple. Communism — at least as it has been implemented in the world to date — has brought not merely millions, but billions of people out of abject poverty and enslavement to feudal overlords. Communism brought Russia from feudalism — a relic of the Iron Age — to the exalted status of a global superpower in only 70 years, while providing the Russian people with health care, education, and social services second to none … and this despite the horrific mistakes of a ruthless totalitarian oligarchy. Russia defeated Nazi Germany, the greatest threat the world has ever known, and under Communist rule went on to become a formidable military powerhouse in its own right. Russia put the first satellite in orbit and put the first man in space. And the Moscow subway, which was free to ride, was widely regarded as one of the best public transportation systems in the world.

Russian accomplishments in many fields are noteworthy. Consider military armaments. In Russia military spending is a small fraction of the defense budget in America. Still, in many ways, Russian defense preparedness and armaments put this nation’s to shame. None of the nations of the world want to purchase American anti-missile and anti-aircraft systems (because they are junk.) Instead, they line up to buy Russia’s air defense systems. Russia’s obsolete air defense batteries are preferable to America’s newest air defense systems. Even America’s allies and vassal states prefer Russian military technology to weapons that bear the label, ‘Made in USA’.

A large portion of the wealth capitalism has bestowed on the American people (unequally, it should be added) has come from exploitation of the developing world. America’s crimes never end; as recently as last year, America invaded a sovereign nation on some pretext trumped up by the Jews, and seized that nation’s oil — oil to which America has no claim. This criminal act demonstrated this nation’s (the USA’s) disdain for civilized behavior and international law. In what has to be America’s finest hour (warning: sarcasm) the President of the United States bellowed from the White House balcony that American military forces had seized that country’s oil. Shamefully, the American people, now fully complicit in their government’s crimes, applauded. America’s war crimes have become the scourge of the entire planet.

Russia, with an economy that is dwarfed by America’s, has exploited no-one; to the contrary, the Russians have aided in the growth and progress of much of the developing world. Even penny-ante Cuba, the West’s sole communist nation-state — and the victim of relentless American persecution — provides free education and universal health care to its citizens, something America has never been able to do under capitalist rule.

An estimated 40% of American children are undernourished … and the rest are malnourished, being fed highly-processed chemical goop by parents who do not know better, particularly women who are pressured to work outside of the home and are too exhausted to prepare real food for their families. The executives of corporate food conglomerates know that the ‘food’ they sell is garbage, but couldn’t care less that they are poisoning the American people. Besides, a population suffering from malnutrition, obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular problems all caused by diet and lifestyle creates a huge market for the profiteers in the health care industry. The same investors control both facets of the economy.

Starving American children and struggling American families who lack even basic health care make the victims of capitalism better off than the victims of communism … how, exactly?

In this video, Peterson rails against ‘central planning.’ While micro-management of the economy and government interference in the lives of individuals is unworkable and counter-productive, it cannot be denied that those nations which have been most successful incorporate a good measure of central planning into their economic programs. This is called industrial policy, and it is an essential part of responsible management of the economy.

Peterson is guilty of over-simplification and inappropriate generalizations in this critique of Marx in his latest pro-capitalism screed. His criticism of Marx’s economic theories is valid. But it is not the full story. Perhaps Peterson would support the populist — and wildly popular — calls for reform of American neo-liberal economics and the predatory capitalism of the West. But we do not know, because Peterson gives us no clue. It is almost as if Peterson fully expects that man’s better angels will prevail, and the system will regulate itself. It is surprising that a man who has spent a lifetime examining the interrelationships of human beings would think this. As Yoda might say, “Naive, such expectations are.” This is neo-liberal nonsense, like ‘voodoo economics’ — the absurd belief that cutting taxes for the rich will magically increase tax revenues. Unregulated capitalism, without structural reforms, is, in the final analysis, little better than communism — state capitalism.

(CHS 05-18-2021 2032 -0500)

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JORDAN PETERSON’S CRITIQUE OF THE COMMUNIST MANIFESTO

Youtube Video URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_MXSE3wUT4