Young Marx (青年馬克思）

I was a college student in 1980s. At that time, I often heard people talk about young Marx. Why young Marx? Why not mature Marx? Why not simply Marx?

Most people tell stories. Few tell the truth. Those few telling the truth, such as Edward Snowden, are often rewarded with justice by the justice system. Those telling good stories are often rewarded with power and prestige. 

In his youth, Marx once wrote, The greatness of rulers are inversely related to their numbers. In other words, great leaders are dictators; dictators are great leaders. Young Marx told the truth. 

But Marx was smart. He realized he needed to tell good stories to gain power and prestige. In his mature years, he told the story of communism, a heaven on earth.

Marx was a great storyteller, a great prophet. Those who follow the great prophet gain great profit. The communist party is the most profitable party in the world.

According to Marx, profit is the surplus value squeezed from the workers. High profit for some means high pressure for the rest. A call for young Marx is a call for more truth and less story. But such a call never generates resonance among good storytellers, who control most resources. The call for young Marx died off quietly.