Ted Hinds gives a refresher course in lying. Only in the Gainesville Times.

I am not a Communist but I dabble in Marxist Economic Theory. Few people in Northeast Georgia will ever see the distinction. The distinction is very big. Marxist Economic Theory holds that all 'value' comes from human beings but the value does not return to the individual equally.

Having stated that, I want to correct the errors made by W.T. "Ted" Hinds in his letter to the Times.

The idea of getting rid of all private property is not exactly the goal of Marx's communism. Marx says that private property has already been abolished by the current economic system, as of his time.

Marx and Engels should be quoted as writing, "The distinguishing feature of communism is not the abolition of property generally, but the abolition of bourgeois property...

"We Communists have been reproached with the desire of abolishing the right of personally acquiring property as the fruit of a man's own labor, which property is alleged to be the groundwork of all personal freedom, activity and independence..."

Dear Ted quotes a passage as, “You reproach us with intending to do away with your property. Precisely so; that is just what we intend. This cannot be accomplished except by tyrannical means and violence against the rights of property (owners), to ‘sweep away’ all existing rights.”

I cannot find that passage. Not finding a passage doesn't mean the passage doesn't exist. Many translations exist of German works. Those works are not always well translated. The online copy that I use is at

http://www.anu.edu.au/polsci/marx/classics/manifesto.html#c1r1

That copy uses information from more than one translation.

But, I don't think Ted's passage exists in any legitimate translation. It's an error on his part that he didn't check his source. Or, he changed passages to met his needs.

He says Democrats started Marx's heavy, progressive income in 1913, He should have been more honest.

President Howard Taft, Republican, proposed the 16th Amendment on June 16, 1909. That amendment, ratified by 42 of the 48 states, allows a federal income tax. Georgia was the 8th state to ratify that amendment on August 3, 1910. Only three states rejected the amendment. Three states never took up the issue.

Either Ted doesn't know his U.S. history any better than he does Marx, or he just lied. Which was it Ted?