While the government is commonly viewed as an institution standing above society, Marxist theory has traditionally held that the state is a method of one class oppressing another. What has remained the same and what has changed in this regard? Marx saw the necessity of making a distinction between property rights and human rights. Is this still valid? Lenin, basing himself on the experience of the Paris Commune, called for “smashing the state” and establishing a new form of worker’s government. What does Marxism have to say about the growth of the state into many aspects of modern life with the internet being a prime example? All of this and more is examined in this CPUSA webinar that examines the Marxist theory of the state.
Image: Txetxu, Creative Commons (BA-SA 2.0).
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