Karl Marx, the Racist

In a file photo, youths are seen at a rally during the height of the Red Guard upheaval waving copies of the collected writings of Communist Party Chairman Mao Zedong, often referred to as Mao's Little Red Book and carrying a poster of Karl Marx. China's official media reaffirmed on Tuesday, May 17, 2016 the Communist Party's longstanding judgment that the Cultural Revolution was a catastrophic mistake after staying silent on Monday's 50th anniversary of the start of the decade-long upheaval. AP Photo

It’s been nearly 100 years since Karl Marx’s ideas triggered the world’s first communist revolution in Russia on March 8, 1917.

Every so often, there seems to be a renewed interest in Marx’s ideas here in the West. In a recent example, protesters could be seen displaying communist hammer-and-sickle flags at demonstrations and marches opposing newly-elected President Donald Trump’s victory and inauguration.