Does Marxism really need update for this age?

[Nakarin]

I have participate an idealogy school of the PSM (socialist party of Malaysia) last month, where a economic professor from singaporian university also gave an interesting issues, which are :



 if / how marxism should be updated due to this globalized age, according to the difference condition between our age and early Marx-Lenin periode

if / how we should act against the process of globalization or use it in our own way

but, most importantly, not to revision it.



So, what's our idea?

[socialism]

I think that we should change views from the creation of our own goods in our own country to depending on a socialized global economy.
In other words, one place produces the things that another can't and distribute it to that area and vise versa for other areas. As can be seen,
not every country can produce EVERY good needed by there citizens. So all we have to do is create a global socialized economy for our own gains in socialized countries.
Once this happens, then the capitalist countries will fall faster than Wall Street now and we will win!
=)

[P.O.U.M]

Well, having a globalized socialist economy is not a new idea. It's really a must. But yes, every country can not produce everything they need. Hence why capitalism has international trade. They recognize this as well. That's why Marxists oppose "socialism in one country". It's just a silly idea all around. Oh sure, isolated countries can last awhile. But where are they now? Returned to capitalism at a devastating impact on society.

Cuba was on it's own for sometime. Then Venezuela started down the socialist path. And now they are exchanging goods and services for the benefit of humanity. However, I do believe both are in danger of capitalist reformation. But that's a different story.

As to Nakarin's post:

1) The world has definitely changed since Marx's and Lenin's time. No doubt. But Lenin's piece on Imperialism is still pretty relevant to the world today. I'm always really doubtful of people claiming Marxism needs to be updated. Yes, some can be dated. But the core idea's are just as relevant as 1848. Both Marx and Engels had to wage a war against reformism. It's nothing new. And people will always try to change it or "update" it. Alan Woods has a recent book concerning the Venezuelan revolution and this problem of reformism. The book is called Reformism or Revolution*. It's a reply to a reformist leader claiming a new socialism for the 21st century. The reformists ideas are not new. You could read Engels Anti-Duhring and find similar arguments against the reformists. The author of the book points this out too.

2) Globalization is a great thing. It's connecting the world together. However, the way it's carried out it poorly done. The world needs to be connected together. I think that's a given. But capitalism only seeks to exploit and rape. While socialism, you know, doesn't. I point to the co-operation between Cuba and Venezuela once again as a good non profit, humanitarian effort to solving each country's problems.

* http://www.marxist.com/reformism-or-revolution-preface.htm

[Christopher Hill]

I believe all which was lacking in Marx (due to the times) was reconcilled with Trotsky, although we should keep our minds open to whatever we can to make it more perfect we must make sure, however that anything we do subscribe to is actually an improvement.