Parliamentary cretinism

Parliamentary cretinism is a term originally coined by Karl Marx in chapter five of his "Eighteenth Brumaire of Louis Bonaparte" [ [http://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1852/18th-brumaire/index.htm 18th Brumaire of Louis Bonaparte. Marx 1852 ] ] , published in 1852 following Louis Napoleon's coup d'état in France. It describes the belief that a socialist society can be achieved by peaceful, parliamentary means. Marx and Engels considered this a fatal delusion for the socialist movement, believing it would only waste time and allow reactionary forces to grow stronger.

In the words of Friedrich Engels:

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