@Ron Ruggieri " I agree with every bit of that, but fail to understand why you conflate it with a failed and archaic economic and social philosophy. "
George Orwell - hardly a dogmatic Marxist- wrote that " socialism should be obvious ". Sadly sectarian Marxist parties wallow in in effete " class warfare " formulae combined with militant atheism which turns off the very MASSES they would lead . They do not have any patent on SOCIALISM nor the blessing of HISTORY .
They operate much like the notorious " Church of Scientology " with members much like those daffy " Clears " .
No wonder they have failed miserably for 100 years since Lenin's Bolshevik Revolution made Russia an " officially atheist " country.
The IDEA of socialism , " communism " actually goes back to Plato's " Republic " and was a humble reality with the early Christians .
Why on earth should ONE PERCENT of the population own everything and then have the means to own even " democratic " governments ?
Yes,, Orwell was right . You don't have to wallow in convoluted Marxist- Hegelian ideology to see an obvious truth .
Marxism was a " science " only to the degree that it focused on observable ,objective reality . It did not make Marxists masters of the Universe or even of human history . Today most Marxist parties are bizarre personality cults led by some permanent Great Leader ( with a very private capitalist bank account ) .
Still as a GREAT IDEA socialism survives , is in the air , and ON THE AIR .