A novel form of marketing sprang up in the U.S. in the 1960s. Unlike previous advertising techniques, cultural marketing relied on promotional messages targeted at specific groups. With this tactic, advertising campaigns came to be customized to appeal to each group’s values and demographics.
At about the same time, also in the 1960s, Marxists realized that classic Marxism didn’t work; it failed everywhere it was tried. Marxist class warfare wasn’t selling in America either. The U.S. middle-class had upward mobility and was happily benefiting from free enterprise. Instead of ending the failed Marxist experiment, however, the far left decided to double down. Far-left university professors got together and brainstormed how to sell Marxism to the American public.
After trying this and trying that, the Marxists eventually began to apply the concepts of cultural marketing to Marxist ideology. They started to create promotional messages that would appeal to groups in the U.S. beyond the middle class. They tailored messages about race to appeal to many racial minorities and leftists. They fashioned ads about gender to appeal to many sex- and gender-based minorities and leftists. They designed promotional messages about physical ability to appeal to many disabled people and leftists. And they continued to produce many more identity groups.
Different sales pitch, same plot
Despite inventing a different sales pitch for each group, the Marxists kept the same plot line for every group. They provided each victim group with a victimhood myth to escalate any grievances. The myths always involved tales of oppressors vs. the oppressed. The goal of the tales was always the same—to create radical activists. The way that was achieved was the same in all the fables, too: By raising the critical consciousness of victims and other potential recruits.
In a word, oppressors and oppressed. —Karl Marx in ‘The Communist Manifesto’
Marxists have successfully used cultural marketing techniques to sell Marxist ideology to the American public over the past 60 years. For the most part, this has occurred without the public’s knowledge. This intentional manipulation by leftist elites has resulted in Marxism applied to the culture, or cultural Marxism.
In an article summarizing an interview with Paul Kengor, PhD, an expert on Marxism, author Grace Reilly explains:
Marxism is not merely economic. Marxist tactics extend beyond economics to include the permeation of religion, education and culture.
Today, in its expansion to the culture, Marxism comprises a much bigger tent that includes new victim classes: gender, race, and sexual politics. Identity politics aid the spread and relative attractiveness of Marxist ideology, as each group is provided a victimhood myth.1
Buyer beware: False advertising
The American public has been sold a communist bill of goods. We’ve been deceived about the dangers of communism while being told socialism is “being kind to people.” Other words for this false advertising campaign include swindle, racket, trick, sham, con, scam, fraud and hoax.
What can we do about the fact that we have been manipulated and exploited? Speak out against it. Expose it to the light. Explain how Marxism works so other people can see past the camouflage to what’s underneath.
The silent majority can no longer afford to be quiet. Now is the time to stand up for what is right and communicate it to others. More people are starting to do this—each in their own way. The more people who speak out, the easier it gets for everyone. With cooperation and compassion, and with truth on our side, together, we can root out this tyranny that intends to defraud us of our freedom.
Reilly, Grace. Rise of Marxism in Culture and Education. The American Spectator, 6-29-2023. spectator.org/video-marxism-culture-education-bella-dodd/
Excellent essay. Over and over Marxism has failed, but it has been revived by leftists who want use government to have power over the rest of us.
Arguably Communism was invented by Marx and Engels as Socialism 2.0 when it became obvious in the 1840s that the workers in Europe were never really going to embrace real egalitarian socialism. Communism was violent revolution to install totalitarianism that communists falsely promised would lead eventually to socialist utopia. It was a total lie from the start.
Instead of thinking yourself a victim, ponder the victim-hood of the sinless God-Man who deigned to come down to earth in the form of a man and suffer and die on a cross to wipe away our sins that we could attain salvation. That is how much he loves humanity. Now, THAT is a victim!