The defeat of center and center right austerity governments in France and in Greece, while by no means a clearcut victory for new pro working class policies in these countries, is a defeat for finance capital and their political servants, who thought that they could transfer in the "Euro Zone" the costs of this crisis unto the whole people. 

Pundits here are beginnning to say that the French elections particularly constitute a "blow to the U.S."  Actually, they are a victory for  progressive Americans since the new President, Hollande, representing centrist groupings within the Socialist party has sought to distance himself both from the anti-welfare state austerity policies of Sarkozy and also the support given by Sarkozy for the U.S. NATO bloc, especially in Afghanistan.  This is good news for Americans, who bear the  great brunt of the costs, both in terms of wasted capital and human lives, for the adventures of the NAT0 bloc.

So, let's have a new Marxist IQ in  honor of this electoral victory

1.  Many scholars, both  Marxists and non Marxists  regard the following figure and group  or work  in the French revolution as a precursor  of the Communist movement

   a. Maarguis de Sade  and  his Memoirs

   b.  Francois-Noel "Gracchus" Babeuf and the Society of Equals

   c. Maximilien Robespierre and the Jacobin Club

   4. Samuel du Pont de Nemours and  the Girondists

2 Which one of these did Marx and Engels not regard as a Utopian Socialist

a. Claude Henri Saint Simon

b. Robert Owen

c. Jeremy Bentham

d. Charles Fourier

3. Karl Marx saw in the Paris Commune of 1871

a. The first socialist government in history

b. a continuation of the capitalist democratic tendencies of the French revolution

c. a government of anarchy and terror

d. the first government in history representing the interests of the working class

4.  The first "counter-insurgent"  war of the cold war era was funded and managed by

a.  the U.S. against Communist led Greek insurgents after WWII

b. The French against insurgents in 1950s  Algeria

c. The British against  insurgents in 1950s Kenya

d. The U.S. against Communist led insurgents in Vietnam

5. The great radical  French man of letters Anatole France in this classic statement summed up many Marxists believe  the function of freedom and equality under capitalism

a. From each according to his ability to each according to his work

b.  The highest freedom is the freedom to trade

c. the majestic equality of the law...forbids the rich as well as the poor to sleep under bridges, to beg in the streets, to steal bread

d. I may disagree with what you saw but I will defend to the death your right to say it.

As for last weeks correct answers, check out the commentary which some bright person sent in to the quiz they were all right

Norman Markowitz

P.S.  The answers to this week's quizz  will be presented next week, barring correct answers in the commentary.

There is another quote from Anatole France which is one of my favorites and while not that well known here may be of great relevance today  "It is only the poor who pay cash, and that not from virtue, but because they are refused credit."