ABSTRACT
Marxism is several things. Many people regard it as a political doctrine, although regimes which are dubbed ‘Marxist’—self-styled or otherwise-are often gross perversions of the political philosophy of socialism to which Marxism is committed. This is not unusual: National ‘Socialism’ was in fact the antithesis of socialism, just as many organisations and countries now called ‘Christian’, ‘Free’, ’Democratic’ or ‘Communist’ are frequently anything but these things. You cannot judge Marxism, socialism, or any other world view solely by the actions of those who profess them.
