This is peak Georgie Porgie.
Let me make it short and simple. For Marx the society is divided into owners of the means of production and the proletariat i.e, the labour class, which has nothing to sell but its physical labour.The Communist Manifesto begins with Marx's interpretation of class struggle. As long as the society continues to be divided into two classes, there is no chance for any good of the labourers. So, Marx provides us with his remedy to make the society equal for all and that is the proletarian revolution. The revolution will result into a communist society based on the idea of “from each according to his ability to each according to his needs”. Communism will not immediately follow the revolution but has to pass through a transitional phase of SOCIALISM.
Socialism is the important word here because Corbyn and McDonnell DONT envisage the endgame of Marxism just the path. Marxism ultimately is an attempt to remove the disjoint between human essence and its existence. At the heart of Marx's thought is his deep concern for man and his future. For him, human essence is a totality of social relationship. His central criticism of capitalism is that man was stripped of his human essence when he first fell into the class of the exploited and faced the destruction of all humanity in him under capitalism. it is a scientific revolutionary philosophy which points the way to get rid of exploitation, oppression and injustice in the society which is surely a good thing.
This bit
from wiki explains the difference better than i can
"• Marxism is more theoretical in nature whereas Socialism is more practical in nature. This is one of the main differences between Marxism and Socialism. • Another difference between Marxism and Socialism is that Marxism is political in its concepts whereas Socialism is economic in its ideologies."
Socialism is economic in its ideologies. In other words, it can be said that Socialism is an economic system wherein all the means of production are owned by the public. Socialism aims at the co-operative system of control over the means of production. Moreover, Socialism is based heavily on cooperative social relations and self-management. It aims at the elimination of hierarchy in the management of political affairs. Hence, it can be said that Socialism too is a kind of political thought though its ideas are based more on the economic issues of the development of society. Socialism aims at the achievement of the state of production for use. Its ideas see to it that the allocation inputs are carried out in the right manner to satisfy human needs. This is the crux of socialism. Socialism is a mixture of reformation and revolution in equal proportions
Here are some of the differences between what a Socialist Labour Party believes and what Marx envisaged.
• Marxism is more theoretical in nature whereas Socialism is more practical in nature. This is one of the main differences between Marxism and Socialism.
• Another difference between Marxism and Socialism is that Marxism is political in its concepts whereas Socialism is economic in its ideologies.
• Socialism speaks about the public ownership of the property and natural resources. Marxism speaks about creating a society where there is no discrimination between rich and poor.
• Marxism speaks about changing the society through a proletariat revolution. Socialism speaks about changing the society by changing the economic structure of the country.
• Marxism proletariat revolution becomes possible because there is an imbalance between social classes. This is created as the bourgeoisie manipulates the working class as the bourgeoisie own capital, land, and entrepreneurship. However, in Socialism, such class discrimination is not possible as the means of production are owned by the public. So, there is no need for a proletariat revolution to happen in a society with socialism.
• In a society where Marxism theory of working class rising against the bourgeoisie happens, there is a largely competitive market. In Socialism, market competitiveness does not exist as the society is made for collectivism and collaboration, not for competition.
• Marxism is pure revolution. Socialism has equal proportions of revolution as well as reformations. The definition of revolution here does not necessarily mean it is violent overthrow just merely revolution by ballot box.
These are the differences between Marxism and Socialism so to categorise Corbyn and McDonnell as full blown Marxists is simply untrue, they are Socialists influnced by Marx.
George you sound like an American in the throes of Macarthyism looking for bogeymen where none exist, but I understand it, because the power of the right wing media in this country loves to use convenient labels that encourage opprobrium towards any form of politics that may be even slightly anti-capitalist. When an election is finally called the rhetoric will go through the roof and i am sure the likes of the Mail, Sun and Telegraph will be apocolyptic about Corbyn, but then its those newspapers owners that have most to lose from a victory of the left.
So do democracy a favour George and call it properly, using Marxist as an insult is not only a bit ridiculus but it also opens up others to accusations of fascism and i hope and believe nobody here wants either a full blown Fascist or Communist state, just a victory for good Socialist values of fairness and freedom for all.
