Compare the theoretical concept of Marxism with the realities of its implementation throughout history.

What will be an ideal response?

Marx predicted that capitalism would end with a revolution of the workers and the creation of a new government that would take over the economy and make it equal for all people. This stage, called socialism, would end when the government “withered” away and a new utopian, communist world would exist with no government, no inequality, and no poverty. However, most of the regimes that attempted to implement Marxist policies became little more than autocracies seeking to control their people and the wealth of the country. Three of the world’s four worst mass murderers were Marxist dictators. While the Soviets and Chinese were able to make some strides toward modernizing and developing their economies, ultimately, central control of the economy failed, and poverty and inequality became rampant. Many Marxist scholars and activists argue that the failure of Marxism was not because the theory and its prescriptions were wrong but because all of the countries that adopted Marxism were not ready. They argue that unless a state has gone through capitalism, it cannot become socialist and then finally communist. None of the countries that embraced Marxism were truly capitalist before Marxism took hold, and many were simply advanced feudal societies.