WI: Marx and Engels never become friends

[Aranfan]

The first time Marx and Engels met they didn't much like each other. What if they had never reconciled?

 

[Aelita]

The first time Marx and Engels met they didn't much like each other. What if they had never reconciled?

Marx better hope he gets the job as a railroad clerk while exiled in Britain, or else he and his family are going to wind up shit out of luck.

Philosophically, Marx would probably be seen more in a left-communist light. It's Engels commentaries on Marx after he died that really set the Marxian social democratic mainstream in place. Engels was considerably less nuanced and far more centralist and authoritarian in his thinking than Marx was (for example, it's Engels who is responsible for the 10 point program in the Manifesto).

 

[Maur]

The first time Marx and Engels met they didn't much like each other. What if they had never reconciled?

Uh, IIRC they pretty much fell in love at first sight... or did i mix things up?

 

[Aranfan]

Uh, IIRC they pretty much fell in love at first sight... or did i mix things up?

I had read that they thought poorly of each other on their first meeting. Later on they clicked.

 

[Tobit]

Marx might move to America if there is a chance his finances are really horrible.

 

[Aranfan]

That would be interesting.

 

[Nivek]

Marx might move to America if there is a chance his finances are really horrible.

That means a more interesting aproach to the inminent War between the states... that means than in some way... Marxist in some way will be popular in USA(Remember the legendary letter of Marx to linconl in OTL)

 

[Aranfan]

Interestingly, before Marxism became so big, most of the working class was Anarchist. Working class theorists like Proudhon and Bakunin tended towards anarchy, while intelligentsia like Engels (a factory boss) and Lassalle (middle class) tended towards top down collectivism.

If Marx is forced into the working class because Engels won't support him, he might become an anarchist.

 

[jakewilson]

Russia would be either much lovelier (KaDets) or much grimmer (wacky tsarists). Possibly Germany, too.

 

[Aelita]

That means a more interesting aproach to the inminent War between the states... that means than in some way... Marxist in some way will be popular in USA(Remember the legendary letter of Marx to linconl in OTL)

Marx actually was pretty popular in the 1800s in America relative to Europe. The second oldest and probably the purest Marxist political party in the world is the American Workingmen's Party, now called the Socialist Labor Party.

But, it would definitely become more popular, with intellectuals becoming greatly influenced by Marx by being in the same writing and political activism scene as him. Maybe a Marxist Henry David Thoreau?

 

[wolf_brother]

Early Republicans have a more 'leftist' feel and ideology to them, free the slaves of debt bondage as well as free the blacks?