Claim: Kamala Harris often quotes Karl Marx when making arguments in support of what can and must happen now, unburdened from what’s happened previously. I find the sentiment deeply inspiring. My rating: 3
Before the 2024 U.S. presidential elections, several Republicans attempted to link Kamala Harris – Vice President and Democratic candidate for U.S. presidency – and Karl Marx, author of “The Communist Manifesto.” In particular, critics pointed to her frequent usage of “What can be, unburdened by what has been,” purporting that Harris may have stolen it directly from Marx himself.
(Taken via Instagram).
One thread on X purported that Harris’s phrase was an inverted quote of Marx: I take it that this phrase refers to “Le Mort saisit le Vif”, made famous in Marx’s introduction of Capital by Karl Marx as meaning the past is present and burdening present life; her Marxist father may have repeated the phrase for her while growing up; she may then recall and turn it against itself by using an analogy revolving around “No longer seizing us! No burden from what has passed. So here we march toward Donald Trump’s victory and possibly end of representative democracy altogether! Sorry. Sorry to sound negative here but all these thoughts might just as true! Sorry to be so negative but, no doubt about that scenario either! Sorry for being pessimistic
As previously reported, Harris was indeed raised with Marxist economic values; however, there is no indication she adheres to Marxist beliefs herself. We conducted extensive searches through archives and found no indication of Marx making similar claims about being “freed from what has been”. Additionally, we reached out to an expert on Marx for additional input; until that happens we rate this claim as unproven.
At first, let us briefly define Marxism according to Merriam-Webster: it is both an economic theory and practice associated with socialism – meaning an egalitarian economic and political movement or theory advocating collective or governmental ownership and administration of production means and distribution channels – that would ultimately cause conflict among competing classes within capitalism itself, in addition to predicted its collapse leading to working-class revolutions. Marx’s concept can take many forms; for instance it could include advocating collective ownership over production channels by government bodies as opposed to individual ownership/administration or collective or government administration of means of production/distribution channels etc. However its meanings may differ considerably between individuals but in general terms its meaning is quite straightforward in that its main criticism lies within capitalism’s creation of fundamentally opposed classes within its system which would eventually clash into conflict among itself, or simply being dismissed in theory from an analytical point of view he predicted this collapse followed by working-class revolutions from within its ranks he predicted such revolutions on its collapse leading uprisings from within its ranks of workers revolutions within itself (via Karl’s critique), rather than through working-class revolutions from within its ranks (like Stalin’s revolution), then going all the way of course due to it has always existed since Marx critiqued capital’s creation by creating fundamentally opposed classes that clash in conflict causing its collapse followed by workers taking revolutionary revolting against each other by creating classes clashing against their opponent class conflict eventually leading uprating its form (via his prediction that capitalism’s collapse followed by working-class revolution.
Beginning our search, we conducted extensive online research. First we searched both Marx’ “Collected Works” (archived here and here) as well as Friedrich Engels, his close collaborator and close ally; also searching through Marxist Internet Archive as an independent volunteer-run library (archived here and here); searching for variations including unburdened, move forward or what has been seen but none came remotely close to Harris’ phrase in Harris.
Marx actually did use the French expression, “Le mort saisit le vif,” as indicated by the above post X. In fact, in his Introduction to Capital Volume One he wrote (with emphasis by us).
But aside from this, in places where capitalist production has been fully naturalised among Germans (for instance factories themselves) conditions are much worse due to an absence of factory acts as protections against capitalist production. As is true for much of Western Europe, we suffer in all other areas as a result of capitalist production developing too slowly or incompletely. Apart from modern evils, an array of inherited ones also plague us, stemming from our society’s survival of antiquated modes of production with their attendant social and political anachronisms. Not only are we victims to living humans; our mortality also takes its toll – Le mort saisit le vif (French common law terminology for that phrase is).
What, if anything, does this have to do with Harris’ use of “What can be, unburdened by what has been?” Harris may well be turning around “The dead seize the living,” yet that claim remains tenuous at best.
Harris Has Relied on This Phrase
Harris has utilized this phrase extensively during campaign season. At one campaign reception held at the White House in July 2024, she discussed Democratic prospects in 2024 elections as they planned on “fighting” for “this nation we love”. Specifically she stated this when making this speech at this reception stating as such. She went on to state:
Harris mentioned “women’s rights” again when she delivered her victory speech upon becoming vice president on November 2020. Harris noted the history of women fighting to obtain voting rights, as well as those women who cast ballots this election cycle, before concluding:
Tonight I reflect upon their struggles, determination and strength of vision to see what can be undone by what has come before; their accomplishments stand on my shoulders as testaments of character – such as Joe’s courage in selecting a woman as his vice president!
These speeches do not make any overt Marxist statements; as we reported previously, Harris has yet to demonstrate her father’s Marxist leanings through her policies or statements; in fact, The New York Times reported how Harris has repeatedly expressed support for capitalism while we wrote in our prior coverage:
Harris is a member of the Democratic Party in America – which can generally be described as being on the left but more moderate than many international left-wing parties – though American progressives do not consider her quite as far to the left as some do; some even derisively labeled her a prosecutor (distasteful!). […] […] Harris found her career unappealing so was disparaged as “cop” […]
Overall, Harris can often be perceived as not far enough left by progressives and too far to the left by conservatives. As a presidential candidate in 2020 Democratic primaries however, Harris wasn’t seen among more progressive contenders such as U.S. Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) or Elizabeth Warren (D-Massachusetts).
Interpreting Harris’ use of an expression which has been employed across different contexts as Marxist is pure conjecture; drawing connections where none exist. With regard to sources,
Economic Manuscripts of Capital Vol. I (1867). https://marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1867-c1/preface.htm Accessed 8 October 2024 by fruitallica At Britannica.com/biography/Karl-Marx (accessed 8 Oct 2024), Karl Marx can be found under Books, Theory, Beliefs, Children Communism Sociology Religion & Facts “Marxists Internet Archive Library, Complete Index of Writers.” Accessed 8 October 2024. Medina, Jennifer. Trump Ties Harris Critically to Her Father Who Studied Marxism.” The New York Times 11 Sept 2024 NYTimes.com reported, on September 10, 2024: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/10/us/politics/harris-father-marxist-trump.html; this link can also be accessed October 8th of that year.Palma Bethania “Copypasta Falsely Claims Kamala Harris Is Marxist by Association.” Snopes 20 January 2021. https://www.snopes.com/2021/01/19/kamala-harris-marxist/ Pollard, Christopher. Karl Marx: His Philosophy Explained.” The Conversation (2022, July 4). Retrieved 8 Oct. 2024 via this URL. Prashash, Neha. Karl Marx’s Philosophies Exposed.” 2024-2030 Editions 2032-2034 Edition. Accessed 8 October 2024 via This Link & This One Here (2024-2030 Editions of 2023-2024. ). “Read Kamala Harris’ Victory Speech as Vice-President-elect.” Marie Claire Magazine (November 2020). Accessed 8 October 2024.Rascouet-Paz, Anna. “Kamala Harris Is a Marxist Economist’?” Snopes, 4 August 2024, https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/harris-father-marxist-economist/, Accessed on 8 Oct. 2024
