New book traces roots of resurging Marxism

The death of Marxism often has been exaggerated. The political philosophy that resulted in the death of millions in the 20th century is alive and well in the 21st century.

“For a generation after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, most Americans and Europeans regarded Marxism as an enemy that had been defeated once and for all,” author Yoram Hazony wrote. “But they were wrong. A mere 30 years later, Marxism is back. By the summer of 2020, even as American cities succumbed to rioting, arson and looting, the liberal custodians of many of the country’s leading institutions adopted a policy of accommodating their Marxist employees by giving in to some of their demands.”

Mass killings under Marxist movements.

Hazony, a U.S. native living in Jerusalem, traces the history of political philosophy in his new book “Conservatism: A New Discovery.”

“What initially looked like a temporary policy of appeasement has since become a rout,” he said. “Control of many of the most important news media, universities and schools, major corporations and philanthropic organizations and even the government bureaucracy, the military and some churches has passed into the hands of Marxist activists.”

He cites such examples as the “New York Times” dismissing employees and Princeton University removing the name of former President Woodrow Wilson. Conservatives will have a difficult time reclaiming the culture, Hazony believes.

“We know that most of these institutions will never return to what they were before,” he said. “Anti-Marxist liberals now find themselves in much the same situation that has characterized conservatives, nationalists and Christians for years. They are in the opposition.”

Understanding the current political and cultural environment is the first step in beginning to change it, said Rod Dreher of “The American Conservative.”

“An unusually compelling mix of history, political science, cultural analysis, religious wisdom and personal testimony, Hazony’s instant classic is not the just the voice of a new conservatism,” he said. “It also is the voice of an old civilization whose clarion call proclaims hope and sounds the way out of the contemporary West’s dark wood.”

–Dwight Widaman | MV