Is Marxism the opium of the intellectuals?

It was, liberal socialism has supplanted it since the early 90s.

Dude were did you come up with that one?

Hilarious question, but apt.

In my opinion Marxism is a great opiate for intellectuals - if I am defining intellectuals as those who know nothing about practical application and the essential need of humans to rise above their current circumstances - to build, to improve, to grow, to exceed one's grasp.

Perhaps for pseudo-intellectuals. A true intellectual will never allow himself or herself to be locked into an ideology or mindset that would mitigate the ability to think creatively and analytically. I'm not dumping on marxism as such in this regard. Capitalism and all the other -isms are equally capable of being used as opiates. The intellectual isn't a superhuman after all.

On the other hand I think that, far from being the opiate of the intellectual, marxism has become the boogey-man of those who *don't* think. They toss around epithets like marxist, socialist, liberal, fascist, communist, etc. as scare tactics without the slightest idea as to what the words mean. Unfortunately, this is a primarily American problem I think.

Hardly. Someone who thinks in this manner is not remotely intellectual.

Not only of the intellectuals, but, yes.

Unfortunately yes.

Many of the best Marxists are those who have never lived under a Marxist government.

A lot of our British spies went to Oxford and Cambridge universities and it was there that they became interested in communism,were recruited by the KGB and betrayed their country.