Neo-Marxism

Not to be confused with Neocommunism, Neosocialism, or with the fictional ideology of Neo-Bolshevism

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"One of the most important characteristics of any group that is developing towards dominance is its struggle to assimilate and to conquer “ideologically” the traditional intellectuals, but this assimilation and conquest is made quicker and more efficacious the more the group in question succeeds in simultaneously elaborating its own organic intellectuals."

Antonio Gramsci

Neo-Marxism is an ideology that seeks to incorporate new elements from other intellectual traditions into classical Marxism, such as psychoanalysis, critical theory, and sometimes existentialism. Broadly speaking Neo Marxism incorporates Max Weber's understanding of social inequality into Marxist Philosophy. Some of the Most famous Neo-Marxist concepts are Theodore Adorno's and Max Horkheimer Idea of the Culture Industry where they proposed that popular culture is akin to a factory producing standardized cultural goods—films, radio programmes, magazines, etc.—that are used to manipulate mass society into passivity, and Antonio Gramsci's theory of Cultural Hegemony. He is the arch enemy of Jordan B. Peterson.

Overall, Neo-Marxism is a broad ideology and umbrella term for a diverse range of heterodox Marxist ideologies, philosophies and schools of thought, including Eco-Marxism, Situationism, Structural Marxism, Marxist Feminism, Analytic Marxism, Post-Marxism, Western Marxism, Hegelian Marxism, Freudo-Marxism, the Frankfurt School, Neo-Marxian Economics, Autonomism, and many others.

Beliefs

As with many uses of the prefix neo-, some theorists and groups who are designated as neo-Marxists have attempted to supplement the perceived deficiencies of orthodox Marxism or dialectical materialism. Many prominent neo-Marxists, such as Herbert Marcuse and other members of the Frankfurt School, have historically been sociologists and psychologists.

Neo-Marxism comes under the broader framework of the New Left. In a sociological sense, neo-Marxism adds Max Weber's broader understanding of social inequality, such as status and power, to Marxist philosophy. Examples of neo-Marxism include analytical Marxism, French structural Marxism, critical theory, cultural studies, as well as some forms of feminism. Erik Olin Wright's theory of contradictory class locations is an example of the syncretism found in neo-Marxist thought, as it incorporates Weberian sociology, critical criminology, and anarchism.

Neo-Marxists often philosophically synthesis Marxism with other schools of thought as well, usually continental philosophy. Post-Modernism, Structuralism and Post-Structuralism, Nihilism (especially active nihilism), Deconstruction, psychoanalytic theory, branches of Hegelian and Freudian thought as well as many others have all influenced different modern Marxists and their theories which fall under the umbrella of neo-Marxism.

Critique of Economic Determinism

Neo-Marxists often critique traditional Marxist emphasis on economic determinism, which posits that economic factors such as class struggle are the primary drivers of historical change. Instead, Neo-Marxists emphasize the role of other social forces such as culture, ideology, and identity in shaping social relations and structures.

Culture and Ideology

Neo-Marxism expands Marxist analysis to include cultural and ideological dimensions of society. Neo-Marxists argue that cultural institutions, such as media, education, and religion, play a crucial role in shaping consciousness and maintaining the status quo. They explore how cultural hegemony, or the dominance of ruling class ideology, perpetuates social inequality and exploitation.

Power and Domination

Neo-Marxist theories often center on power relations and forms of domination beyond economic exploitation. They examine how power operates in various spheres of society, including politics, culture, and everyday interactions. Concepts like "symbolic violence" (introduced by Pierre Bourdieu) and "hegemonic masculinity" (developed by Gramscian and feminist scholars) are examples of Neo-Marxist analyses of power dynamics.

Intersectionality

Drawing on feminist and critical race theory, Neo-Marxists incorporate intersectional analysis into their critique of capitalism. They recognize that social identities such as race, gender, sexuality, and nationality intersect with class to produce complex forms of oppression and privilege. Neo-Marxists argue that understanding these intersecting systems of power is essential for effective social change.

Social Movements

Neo-Marxist approaches often highlight the role of social movements and collective agency in challenging capitalist exploitation and inequality. They explore how grassroots activism, labor unions, and other forms of resistance can challenge dominant power structures and work towards social transformation.

Rejection of Stalinism and Authoritarianism

A good amount of Neo-Marxists reject the authoritarianism and totalitarianism associated with Stalinist regimes. They criticize the suppression of dissent, lack of democratic accountability, and concentration of power in the hands of a ruling elite. Instead, Neo-Marxists advocate for participatory democracy, grassroots organizing, and decentralized forms of governance.

History

Neo-Marxism developed as a result of social and political problems that traditional Marxist theory was unable to sufficiently address. This iteration of thinking tended toward peaceful ideological dissemination, rather than the revolutionary, and often violent, methods of the past. Economically, neo-Marxist leaders moved beyond the era of public outcry over class warfare and attempted to design viable models to solve it.

There are many different branches of neo-Marxism often not in agreement with each other and their theories. Following World War I, some neo-Marxists dissented and later formed the Frankfurt School. The Frankfurt School never identified themselves as neo-Marxists. Toward the end of the 20th century, neo-Marxism and other Marxist theories became anathema in democratic and capitalistic Western cultures, where the term attained negative connotations during the Red Scare. For this reason, social theorists of the same ideology since that time have tended to disassociate themselves from the term neo-Marxism. Examples of such thinkers include David Harvey and Jacque Fresco, with some ambiguity surrounding Noam Chomsky, who has been labelled a neo-Marxist by some, but who personally disagrees with such assessments. Some consider libertarian socialism an example of rebranded neo-Marxism.

Variants

Analytical Marxism

Analytical Marxism is an approach to Marxist theory that applies the techniques of Analytic Philosophy, along with tools of modern social science such as Rational Choice Theory.

Historical Materialism

For G. A. Cohen, Marx's historical materialism is a technologically deterministic theory, in which the economic relations of production are functionally explained by the material forces of production, and in which the political and legal institutions (the "superstructure") are functionally explained by the relations of production (the "base").

Neoclassical Economics

In his A General Theory of Exploitation and Class (1982), the American economist John Roemer employed rational choice and game theory to demonstrate how exploitation and class relations may arise in the development of a market for labour. Roemer would go on to reject the necessity of the labour theory of value to explain exploitation and class. Value was in principle capable of being explained in terms of any class of commodity inputs, such as oil, wheat, etc., rather than being exclusively explained by embodied labour power. Roemer was led to the conclusion that exploitation and class were thus generated not in the sphere of production but of market exchange. Significantly, as a purely technical category, exploitation did not always imply a moral wrong.

Freudo-Marxism

Freudo-Marxism, as the name implies is the synthesis of the doctrines of Marxism and Freudianism. It combines ideas and concepts from both schools of thought to reinforce and expand upon each other. Such as Marx's idea on alienation and Freud's idea of repression, claiming that the workers due to the despair caused by alienation repress their true feeling about their predicament. Like all Marxist ideologies it’s end goal is to create a classless stateless society but adds the element of making that society psychologically non-repressive, thus not only making it’s inhabitants equal but mentally sound and happy.

Laschism

Laschism is the ideology of Christopher Lasch. Christopher Lasch (1932-1994), was born to a political family rooted in the left. He gradually came to believe that the reason for the left’s failure to thrive despite widespread discontent was the fact that the American public held a dogmatic belief in “progress”. This realization gave birth to a highly original freudian critique of capitalism that was combined with a social conservatism.

Autonomism

Autonomism also called as Autonomist Marxism is a Marxist philosophy.

Badiouism

Badiouianism is a philosophical ideology of Alain Badiou. It revolves around a unique blend of mathematical ontology, radical political thought, and an ethics centered on the fidelity to truth. Badiou rejects traditional metaphysical categories and asserts that reality is inherently mathematical, with multiplicities forming the basis of existence. Central to his philosophy is the concept of the "event," a disruptive occurrence that leads to transformative possibilities. Badiou argues for active political engagement, aligning with communism as a pathway to collective emancipation. His ethics demand a commitment to universal truths, challenging relativism, and urging individuals to actively participate in truth-procedures. Badiou's influence extends to various fields, sparking debates on ontology, ethics, and politics.

Central to Badiouianism is the idea of mathematical ontology. Badiou draws on set theory and mathematics to develop an ontology that transcends traditional metaphysical categories. He argues that being is mathematical and that the essence of reality can be understood through the structure of mathematical sets.

Badiou conceives reality as multiple, consisting of an infinite number of multiplicities. Each multiplicity is a set with its own internal structure and logic. The concept of multiplicity challenges traditional notions of identity and substance.

Badiou introduces the concept of the "event" as a rupture or discontinuity in the normal course of things. Events are unpredictable, exceptional occurrences that disrupt the existing order. They have the potential to introduce new possibilities and truths.

Following an event, individuals or subjects engage in a truth-procedure, a process of faithful commitment to the consequences of the event. Truth, for Badiou, is not correspondence with reality but rather the fidelity to the consequences of an event.

Badiou defines the subject as the one who is faithful to a truth. The subject emerges through the process of a truth-procedure and is characterized by its fidelity to the event. The subject, as a bearer of universal truths, transcends particularities.

Badiou argues for the inexistence of the subject, asserting that the subject is a void or void-presence. The subject is not reducible to empirical identity but emerges through its commitment to a truth.

Badiou is associated with a radical political stance, often identified with the idea of communism. He argues for the potential of politics to break with established norms and create new possibilities. Communism, in Badiou's terms, is an idea of equality and collective emancipation.

Badiou emphasizes the role of political events in creating transformative moments. Politics, for him, involves fidelity to an event and the construction of a new political subjectivity.

Badiouian ethics is centered around fidelity to truths and events. It involves the commitment to universal principles and the rejection of relativism. Ethics, for Badiou, emerges from the subject's fidelity to a truth and the consequences of an event.

Badiou argues for a form of ethics that involves active engagement and militancy. The ethical subject is one who acts in accordance with universal principles and strives to bring about transformative change.

Badiou criticizes postmodern relativism and the rejection of grand narratives. He contends that a commitment to universal truths is essential for ethical and political engagement.

In contrast to postmodern trends, Badiou's work represents a return to metaphysical questions, exploring the nature of being, truth, and subjectivity.

Badiou engages with aesthetics, particularly the relationship between art and truth. He argues that art has the potential to reveal universal truths and contribute to the formation of subjectivity.

Badiou proposes an "invariant" theory of aesthetics, suggesting that certain artistic features persist across different historical and cultural contexts. This challenges relativistic views of aesthetics.

Gramscianism

Gramscianism is a political thought of Italian marxist philosopher Antonio Gramsci, one of the founders of the Communist Party of Italy and the most famous and influential figure of Italian Marxism. His philosophy is influenced by Marxist Humanism, an opposition to Benito Mussolini's dictatorship, a vision more oriented towards culture and intellectuals, a Marxist return to Hegelianism and influences from the Frenchman Georges Sorel.

Hegemony

Gramsci expanded on the Marxist concept of hegemony, which refers to the ruling capitalist class's control over society. While classical Marxism predicted an inevitable socialist revolution, Gramsci argued that capitalism maintained its power not just through force, but also through spreading its values and norms. This created a culture that everyone, including the working class, accepted as normal. Gramsci believed that the working class needed its own culture to challenge this dominance.

Unlike Lenin, who saw culture as less important than politics, Gramsci thought cultural leadership was essential for achieving power. He argued that a class couldn't dominate solely through economic interests or force; it needed intellectual and moral influence, forming alliances with other groups. Gramsci called this coalition a "historic bloc," which consented to the existing social order, reinforcing the dominance of the ruling class through institutions, social relations, and ideas.

Gramsci focused on how bourgeois values were tied to folklore, popular culture, and religion. He saw Marxism as needing to fulfill people's spiritual needs to replace religion, much like how the Catholic Church bridged gaps between educated and less educated believers. For Gramsci, Marxism could only succeed if it resonated with people's experiences and aspirations.

Intellectuals and Education

Gramsci focused on the role of intellectuals in society, believing that everyone has intellectual abilities, but not everyone functions as intellectuals in society. He saw modern intellectuals as practical organizers who shape society's beliefs and values through education and media.

He distinguished between traditional intellectuals who see themselves as separate from society and organic intellectuals who emerge from within social classes. Organic intellectuals express the thoughts and experiences of marginalized groups, representing what Gramsci called the "subaltern." Gramsci argued that to challenge capitalist power, there needed to be a counter-hegemony, where organic intellectuals and the working class develop alternative values and ideologies. This process, called the "war of position," involves creating a working-class culture that can contest the dominant bourgeois ideology.

He believed that in advanced capitalist societies, a final revolution could only happen once the working class and organic intellectuals had established a counter-hegemony. Gramsci emphasized the importance of education in developing working-class intellectuals who critique the status quo from within their own experiences. His ideas resonate with later thinkers like Paulo Freire and Frantz Fanon, who advocated for critical pedagogy and popular education. Gramsci's writings remain influential in discussions about education and social change.

State and Civil Society

Gramsci's theory of hegemony is linked to how he views the capitalist state. He doesn't see the state simply as the government but divides it into two parts: political society (like the police, army, and legal system) and civil society (like families, schools, and unions). While these are separate in theory, they often overlap in practice.

He argues that the capitalist state controls through both force and consent: political society uses force, while civil society relies on consent. Gramsci says that the ruling class, or bourgeoisie, maintains its power not just through violence, but by allowing some demands from groups like trade unions. This way, they adapt to change without losing their control.

Gramsci suggests that a revolutionary party, acting as the modern Prince, can help the working class develop its own leaders and ideas within civil society. He says that a successful revolution requires both a "war of position," where revolutionaries work within society, and a "war of maneuver," a direct revolution, to avoid backlash. He warns against idolizing the state, as some have in the past, and believes the proletariat's goal should be to create a society where the state is less powerful and civil society is stronger. This, he says, is when the state "withers away," and civil society manages itself well.

Historicism

Like Marx, Gramsci believed in historicism, meaning that all meaning comes from the relationship between human actions and the historical and social context they're in. Ideas can't be understood without considering their social and historical background. The concepts we use to understand the world come from social interactions, not just our relationship with objects. This means human nature isn't fixed but changes based on social relationships.

Unlike many Marxists who saw truth as unchanging, Gramsci thought truth was relative to the historical situation. He believed Marxism was true because it reflected the class consciousness of the working class better than any other theory. This view was influenced by Benedetto Croce, but Gramsci's historicism differed because he didn't try to find a metaphysical explanation for history. While some criticize Gramsci's approach as relativistic, he rejected this label.

Critique of Economism

In an article before his imprisonment, Gramsci argued that the October Revolution in Russia showed that socialist revolution didn't have to wait for capitalism to fully develop. He believed Marxism wasn't about rigid rules but understood both economic and cultural changes as part of a larger historical process. He thought that relying on historical laws for social change was limiting, as history is shaped by human actions and willpower.

Gramsci criticized the idea of economic determinism, even among Italian trade unionists, who focused only on economic reforms and avoided political engagement. He believed the working class should aim for broader societal progress, not just improving conditions within the existing system. He called this approach "vulgar economism," which he saw as a form of covert reformism and liberalism.

Critique of Materialism

Gramsci's beliefs differ from the materialism of Engels and Lenin. He doesn't think Marxism deals with an objective reality outside human history. Instead, he sees reality as shaped by human actions and history. He argues that philosophical materialism lacks critical thinking and doesn't necessarily oppose religious beliefs. Despite this, he accepts that Marxism can sometimes be expressed in simpler forms, like common sense. However, to challenge educated classes, Marxists must present their ideas in a more sophisticated way and understand their opponents' perspectives.

Structural Marxism

Structural Marxism is a branch of Marxist philosophy associated with Louis Althusser and his followers. It gained traction in France during the 1960s and 1970s and influenced thinkers globally. Althusser emphasized Marxism as a scientific analysis of objective structures, contrasting it with earlier, more ideological forms. In the 1970s and 1980s, structural Marxists analyzed the state, law, and crime through a structuralist lens. Unlike instrumental Marxists who see the state serving the capitalist class directly, structuralists argue that state institutions uphold capitalism as a whole. This led to debates, notably the Miliband–Poulantzas debate, between instrumentalists like Ralph Miliband and structuralists like Nicos Poulantzas. Structuralists see the state's function not determined by specific elites but by the logic of capitalist structure ingrained in its institutions. Thus, they argue that state institutions serve the long-term interests of capital and capitalism, rather than the short-term interests of individual capitalists.

Epistemological Break

Althusser says people have misunderstood Marx. He thinks Marx's ideas are revolutionary, especially his view on how society changes. Althusser believes Marx's work has a big change in thinking, especially in "The German Ideology". He thinks Marx didn't fully get how important his own ideas were. Althusser's job is to help people understand how cool Marx's ideas are, even the stuff he didn't directly say.

Althusser says Marx's work is different from other stuff before because it rejects the idea of a clear separation between what we know and what's out there. Instead of saying we just see things as they are, Marx says we make knowledge through thinking. Althusser calls this "theoretical practice". He thinks Marx's ideas are like making something new out of old stuff.

Althusser also says Marx has ideas that don't match with older ways of thinking, like in economics. Marx's ideas about how societies work are different because they look at the whole picture, not just individual needs. He says Marx's ideas are powerful because they explain how everything fits together in society, not just money stuff.

Even though Althusser talks about a big change in Marx's thinking, he also says it's not so clear when it happened. He thinks Marx's later writings still have some old ideas mixed in. He says Marx's ideas are always fighting against old ways of thinking. So, even though Marx had a big change in his thinking, it's not like everything suddenly became different.

Practices

Althusser says Marx believed people are shaped by society, so it's not useful to base social theories on ideas about individuals. Instead of focusing on individuals, Marx looked at how society is structured. He saw society as made up of fixed "practices" rather than just individual actions. People are not the ones making history, but they support these practices.

Althusser defends Marx's ideas against the criticism that they oversimplify society by focusing too much on the economy. He argues that Marx didn't see society as just built on an economic base with culture and politics on top. Instead, Althusser says Marx saw these parts of society as connected and influencing each other. Economic practices, for example, involve many different things like resources, tools, and people working together.

Althusser sees society as made up of different "practices" like economics, ideology, and politics, which are all connected. Even though each practice has its own importance, they all depend on each other. For example, the economy can't function without laws and political systems to support it, and vice versa. So, for Althusser, understanding society means seeing how all these parts work together.

Contradiction and Overdetermination

Althusser explains how society works and changes through interconnected practices. He uses Lenin's analysis of the Russian Revolution to show that social change is more than just one contradiction. Instead, it involves many contradictions within a social system. These contradictions interact in complex ways, leading to unexpected changes. Althusser calls this "overdetermination." Economic practice, like capitalism, is the main driver of these changes and dominates other aspects of society. Unlike Hegel, who sees history as driven by a single essence, Althusser believes each society is made up of many interconnected parts without a single central point.

Ideological States Appartuses

Althusser believed that who we are—our desires, choices, and beliefs—are shaped by society's practices. In capitalist societies, people see themselves as independent individuals with thoughts and responsibilities, but Althusser says this idea is learned, not innate. Society teaches us our roles and limits through things like work and family. Our values and beliefs come from what Althusser calls "ideological practice," like family, media, and education. Even though ideologies change, their function stays the same: to make us see ourselves as subjects with specific roles. Althusser explains this with the idea of "hailing," like when a policeman calls out to someone on the street. When we respond, we're accepting our role as a subject, even if we don't realize it. Althusser says we can't see ourselves outside of ideology; it shapes how we act and see the world. This idea is similar to Lacan's Mirror Stage, where people form their identities by seeing themselves reflected in society's beliefs and practices.

Aleatory Materialism

In some papers written between 1982 and 1986, Althusser criticizes how Marxism is connected to dialectical materialism and materialist philosophy in general. Instead, he introduces a new idea called the Philosophy of the Encounter, later called Aleatory Materialism. Althusser believes that thinkers like Marx, Democritus, Epicurus, and others already hinted at this idea. He argues against the idea that history follows strict laws like physics, saying that history is more about chance events than predetermined rules. Instead of focusing on general laws, Althusser says we should look at specific historical moments, called conjunctures, where political action can make a difference. Aleatory Materialism is about understanding these moments in history from a materialist perspective.

How to Draw

Flag of Neo-Marxism

1. Draw a ball
2. Color it grey
3. Draw a big yellow Hammer And Sickle in the middle
4. Draw the eyes

You are done!

Color Name		HEX	RGB
	Grey	#666562	rgb(102, 101, 98)
	Yellow	#FCF800	rgb(252, 248, 0)

Relationships

Friends

• Sorelianism - Fellow heterodox Marxist who heavily influenced Gramsci.
• Acid Communism - Fellow comrade who is very fun at parties.
• Situationism - Based consumerism disliker.
• Left-Wing Populism - Power to the people!
• Post-Keynesianism - Keynes has some truly interesting ideas and this variant attempts to bridge the gap between him and Marx.
• Ricardian Socialism - I can let my beliefs boil down to a market socialist economy with criticism of only the most vulgar capitalist economists.
• Frankfurt School - Or I could just criticize authoritarianism and present all economically left-wing ideas through a “progressive” lens.

Frenemies

• Marxism - We're expanding on your theories, although I may temper my criticism of capitalism from time to time. Also, stop with this grotesque hatred of your own ethnicity. I understand you were a product of your times, but it’s still wrong.
• Trotskyism - Gramsci didn't like you very much but you two did look quite similar.
• Italian Left Communism - We share credit for Gramsci, although I wish you weren't so dogmatic and factionalist.
• Futurism - I like your commitment to being progressive, but you moved a bit too close to him for my liking.
• State Liberalism - You seem to be a pretty big fan of my writings on Social Inequality. But please don’t send me to the Re-education camp! Also, it’s not my fault some of my theorists are conservative and inspired ideologies that you hate!
• State Socialism - Wolff was being ironic when he said socialism is when the government does stuff.
• Marxism–Leninism - You're cool, just a bit too authoritarian.
• Maoism - Similar to the above.
• Conservative Socialism - Fellow Lasch enjoyer, and many of you seem to like Gramsci. Fusaro and many patriotic socialists also try to synthesize Hegelianism with Marxism. However, many of you also won't shut up about the "new left", as well.
• Charles de Gaulle - The capitalist president who came to power using Anti-Fascism, however, Althusser supported you in the May 68.

Enemies

• National Bolshevism - Even worse than them, definitely a red fascist that misunderstands communism! Though the aforementioned Fusaro and PatSocs are sort of close to you.
• Nazism - "Cultural Marxism" is obviously a conspiracy theory that comes from the Nazi concept of Cultural Bolshevism! Just ignore the writings of some of my theorists.
• Petersonism - An absolute clown who doesn’t understand post-modernism or Marxism. Žižek won that debate.
• Alt-Lite - Lobster Fans, you claim not to be fascist, yet you refer to me and my comrades by a name invented by the fucking Nazis!
• Capitalism - Your culture makes the proletariat passive!!!!
• Paul Gottfried - NOOOOOOOOOOOO, YOU BETRAYED ME!
• Alt-Right - Zoomer Neo-nazi troll.
• Traditionalism - The source of all bigotry and oppressive institutions.
• Conservatism - You are not even evil, just stupid regressive.
• Reactionary Liberalism - Peterson on crack, steroids, and other drugs okay maybe that was too cruel but aside from his problems it is true.
• Fascism - The worst thing that humankind has ever created! And stop interrupting me when I sp-----
  • Fascism - NUH UH

Further Information

Texts

• Selections from Prison Notebooks by Antonio Gramsci
• Speech to the Italian parliament by Antonio Gramsci
• The Critique of Domination by Trent Schroyer
• How Red (State) Is Marx? by Patrick Deneen

Wikipedia

• Neo-Marxism
• Marxist cultural analysis
• Cultural Marxism conspiracy theory (Former version of the page)
• Antonio Gramsci
• György Lukács

YouTube

Channels

• Nicholas Vrousalis
• Tom Nicholas

Videos

• Antonio Gramsci & The Socialist Intellectual Ecosystem by ShortFatOtaku
• Explaining Cultural Marxism by UBERSOY
• A Summary of Neo-Marxism by James Lindsay
• Antonio Gramsci, Cultural Marxism, Wokeness, and Leninism 4.0 by James Lindsay
• The Intellectual Roots Of 'Wokeness' by Ryan Chapman
• The Secret Marxist Conspiracy by Second Thought
  • REALITY CHECK | Reviewing Bourgeoisie Breadtuber's Cultural Marxism Video by Sitch & Adam and ShortFatOtaku

Gallery

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  Credit: u/El_Moro978
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  "Socialist Compass" by Spade
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