Thus The Guardian today. “Capitalism is in crisis across the globe,” the newspaper muses, “but what is the alternative?” Karl Marx is going mainstream, no less. There is a dash of panic in these words, which is why I cannot wipe a smirk off my face. There is no alternative to good old Marx, it goes without saying. But there is a rub here, as well. The very notion of the alternative to capitalism shows that much time has passed since the collapse of the Soviet Union. There are alternatives galore, that is. In fact, there are so many of them that confusion is bound to return no matter what happens with capitalism in its many variants. It is good to remember that China is a capitalist country, too. The range from China to America is vast. And so is the range from socialism in North Korea and Yugoslavia of old. Take your pick if you can. To wit, much fun lies ahead.