But also, thank God, there are millions of Americans who oppose them. If we open our eyes, inform ourselves, and work together, we can keep our country free. _Part II_ HOW COMMUNISM BEGAN 1. _Marx—And the “Science” of Communism_ The principle of communism is not new. Some primitive societies practiced a limited brand of communism in that the whole tribe lived in common and shared property, food, and housing. But modern-day communism, known as the “science of Marxism-Leninism,” is just a little over a century old. This kind of communism is also known as “scientific socialism” to distinguish it from “Utopian socialism,” which, according to the Marxists, is unplanned and does not operate on “laws” of society. “Utopian,” or early, socialism predated Marx; and its exponents, such as Robert Owen, believed in making society socialist by peaceful means. Many of these men were visionaries, hence the word “Utopian.” A few years before the American Civil War “scientific socialism” stemmed from the mind of an egotistical, crabby, stubborn man who from student days showed no interest in productive labor to support his family and who used to pawn his overcoat in the middle of winter to buy a few loaves of bread. This man was born in Germany, became an exile in France and Belgium, later lived and wrote in England. From his extensive writings he is known as the “originator” of communism and is today regarded with the greatest respect by communists everywhere. His name was Karl Marx. Marx was born in Trier, Germany, in May, 1818, the son of a prosperous German lawyer. He was an intelligent child, but temperamental. At school his marks were superior, and his capacity for work, a trait that was to continue all through life, tremendous. But he did not make friends easily, perhaps because of self-pride. He made arrogant remarks and wrote satirical verse. He was a “smart” young man, but already vain, bitter, and rebellious. Strangely, his heart held an inner love for a home-town girl, Jenny von Westphalen, a devotion to remain bright despite the utter squalor, poverty, and despair that lay ahead. Jenny, four years older than Karl, was the daughter of a government official in Trier. She was beautiful, charming, and of a socially high rank, much higher than that of the Marx family. She, too, was desperately in love, but she feared to tell her parents. What would they think—the daughter of Privy Councillor Ludwig von Westphalen marrying Karl Marx? Young Karl was obsessed. He wrote feverish love letters and poetry. “... a new world has opened for me,” he wrote his father in 1837, “the world of love ... art is not as beautiful as Jenny.”