Karl Marx quoted at Oscars — and it’s not even surprising

Julia Reichert, the co-director of “American Factory,” the film produced by ex-President Barack Obama’s new movie company, gave a little bit of a hat tip Karl Marx’s way during her acceptance speech for best documentary feature at the Oscar’s, quoting from what seemed to be a riff on the last line of “The Communist Manifesto.”

The surprise here is that it’s not surprising.

We always knew those on the left, particularly the scholarly, intellectual, high-brow elitist of the left, were in love with Karl Marx. And Vladimir Lenin. And Benito Mussolini. And Joseph Stalin. And Che Guevara. And the like.

They’re just becoming more open about it.

They’re taking their love of fascism and adoration of despots out of the shadows and dark corners, straight into the limelight of Hollywoodacceptance speeches. Why not? They’ve got the politicians such as Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez giving credibility to the socialist-slash-communist ideology.

They’ve got polls showing growing numbers of millennials and youthful Americans giving the thumbs-up to socialism, the nose up to capitalism.

Why hide their true tyrannical leanings any more?

“Working people have it harder and harder these days,” said co-director Reichert. “And we believe that things will get better when workers of the world unite.”

Isn’t that special.

“Workers of the world,” Marx wrote in German in 1848, “unite. You have nothing to lose but your chains!”

Obama, whose new film company is called Higher Ground, was quick to tweet his praise.

“Congrats to Julia [Reichert] and Steven [Bognar], the filmmakers behind American Factory for telling such a complex, moving story about the very human consequences of wrenching economic change,” he wrote. “Glad to see two talented and downright good people take home the Oscar for Higher Ground’s first release.”

Again: isn’t that special.

Now if only someone would riff off Stalin as a reply.

Stalin, remember, was the guy who used Marxist principles to seize the revolutionary reins and — wait for it, wait for it — murder the intellectuals. In other words: The very principles these leftists support would prove their own downfalls.

Now there’s a documentary of the truths of socialism and communism you’ll never see produced by Obama’s company.

• Cheryl Chumley can be reached at [email protected] on Twitter, @ckchumley. Listen to her podcast “Bold and Blunt” by clicking HERE. And never miss her column; subscribe to her newsletter by clicking HERE.