Karl Marx

I wonder if this would follow the class conflict and violent revolution Marx claimed was the only means by which socialism could be achieved?

Marx and Friedrich Engels' Communist Manifesto was a collection of other people's ideas, a fact that Marx never denied.

In it he called for the abolition of property and land ownership, the abolition of right to inheritance and the confiscation of the property of all immigrants, among other things.

Socialist states modelled on Marxism, and this does include some African states contrary to Mr Colborn suggesting otherwise, show poor economic performance and human rights records.

The capitalism he opposes has proven to be a more effective means of generating and distributing wealth than either socialism or communism.

The gap between rich and poor that concerned Marx, together with the class differences, have changed.

The working man now owns a lot of corporate stock through his pension funds.

Marxist states usually evolve into totalitarian regimes when people begin to defect from supporting them. Is this based on Marx's "real democracy"?

Des More, Darlington.

IN his letter headed "Marx blameless", Steve Colborn (HAS, Jan 16) agrees African regimes today are Leninist, but denies that they are Marxist. How so? Lenin based his views and actions on the writings of Marx, so how can you be a Leninist without also being a Marxist?

Mr Colborn also says: "Marx talked of democracy, real democracy." No he didn't. He talked of the dictatorship of the proletariat, which in effect meant dictatorship by the Communist Party. He also preached revolution and class war - hardly democratic processes.

The fact is in nearly every country where Marxism has been put into practice it has led to the abolition of democracy and years of bloodshed and misery for ordinary working people - as we see in Africa today, which was the point of my original letter.

Tony Kelly, Crook, Co Durham.