Why Marx Was Wrong

In February 2009, near the low point of the financial crisis, Karl Marx made the cover of Timeâ??or at least its European editionâ??for the first time since 1948. The images provide a vivid illustration of the revival of Marxâ??s reputation in the mainstream press since the early years of the Cold War. In the 1948 cover, an enormous, glowing-eyed Marx looms over a boiling cauldron of hellfire, whose steam forms a hammer and sickle. The 2009 version renders Marx as a computer graphic. Rather than marinating in the vapors of hell, his disembodied head floats beatifically over a cable news-style crawl text: â??What Would Marx Think?â?