The impact of Marxism on the Caribbean While Marxism was a popular theory, political thinkers in the Caribbean embraced the Neo-Marxist ideology. Neo-Marxists believe that: • the capitalist class has control of the mass media, the security forces and the political machinery; • the capitalist class uses the superstructure to strengthen its dominant position in society. Leaders in the Caribbean, such as Forbes Burnham and Cheddie Jagan of Guyana, Michael Manley of Jamaica, Fidel Castro of Cuba, Maurice Bishop of Grenada and Desi Bouterse of Suriname, were infl uenced by the ideology of Marxism and Neo-Marxism. In Jamaica and Guyana the socialist experiment failed because of heavy debt burden. In Grenada, the socialist experiment failed because of internal confl ict and the overthrow of Maurice Bishop in 1983. Marxist ideology also had an impact on: • C.L.R. James of Trinidad and Tobago, a leader in the Pan-African movement, political activist and historian; • Walter Rodney of Guyana, a political activist, historian and author of the renowned book, How Europe Underdeveloped Africa; • Trevor Monroe of Jamaica, a politician, political scientist, labour activist and author of The Politics of Constitutional Decolonization. Figure 17.6 The infl uence of Marxism in the Caribbean Countries attempted to create welfare states, including Jamaica, Guyana, Cuba and Grenada Opposition to neo colonialism, represented by the USA, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund Establishment of social services, such as healthcare and educational opportunities, to address the needs of the masses Influence of Marxism in the Caribbean Political tribalism, where there is an alignment to a political group based on family ties, largesse and communit