Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Summary of "The Communist Manifesto"
In The Communist Manifesto, Karl Marx writes of the Communism that was "haunting Europe." Marx explains his theory of the struggles of the class and economic concerns are what drive history. After the discovery of America opened new ground for the Bourgeoisie, they established the world market. And during these times of production classes were defined and the "freeman and slave, patrician and plebeian" were no longer able to live peacefullly. These fights agaisnt class would always end in revolution and the higher class takes over. And in order for the lower class hard working Proletarians to overcome their positions a revolution must occur. "The dangerous class, the social scum that passively rotting mass thrown off by the lowest layers of old society....be swept into the movement by a proletarian revolution." And this is what Marx argues drives history, the cival war that rages between classes, and the rise and fall of each. Communism is inevitable. Do any of you feel this is happening now in a more modern way?
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As I was reading "The Communist Manifesto" the first thing that came to mind was "Cuba." Me being from Cuba, (still a communist country) I could relate to Marx in a big way. I don't know if you remember Batista before Fidel Castro took over in 1959 but Batista use to run Cuba without caring much about the citizens right. The poor stays poor while the richer stay on top by earning dirty money from business extort ions, gambling and prostitution; then Castro came in and took over and while he promised a new way of life eventually things went south and he became the new dictator no different than Batista. In a way is very sad but at the same time no one is doing anything to stop them and Cuba still proclaims itself as a communist country with no interest in changing (yet). So the lower class and the high class are treated equally except for those who work for Castro.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you Torres in terms of the rich getting richer and the poor staying poorer.And to answer your question Ashley,its still like that in America today.Like forinstance,middle class and poor folks have to pay more in taxes at times,where as,the rich gets more breaks in terms of tax write offs.I agree that it is still very real in modern society today.
ReplyDeleteTo answer the question of whether or not I think that this is happening today, I would have to say yes. Today, you see the struggles between the worker and the capitalists over healthcare,wages, etc. We hope that these struggles will provide changes and help improve our society.
ReplyDeleteIn the country my mom came from it is communist still and yes I do agree with the poor gets poorer and the rich gets richer but no matter what as society today we still have the working class the high society and those that are striving to be better and get better income. To me it all amounts to is how much income a person can earn to get better earthly material to keep up with the jones's per say. We live in a world we create ourselves if we strive to do better through our struggles our future will be better just look at our ancestors and their mistakes. there are so many "hidden classses" out there and we ourselves have to be not be involved and be happy and conent where we are I have a family and there are struggles but I don't keep up with the jones's I do my best to succeed and grow? why do we have to label ourselves in a class in society?
ReplyDeleteMarx mentions industrialization hundreds of times in his passage. As I was reading this I also realized that because of the means of production, the world market and industrialization, our world has changed. Was it worth it? Sure we have more ""valuables", we have more "control" but who is really in control? Marx argues that machinery and the division of labor have caused humans to become " ...and appendage if the machine, and it is only the most simple, most monotonous and most easily acquired knack..." and that even though the labor increases the wage decreases. Why is that? Marx is not referring to communist the same way I refer to communist. When I think of communist I think of division of wealth (You have ten cows, you no longer own those cows because now the community owns them), and Castro (Who doesn't think of Castro?)
ReplyDeleteTurning to your question, is it going on today? I say yes, There is still DIVISION of labor, which makes companies pay you less because you can be replaced at anytime (Like Marx suggested) but I think services or "Individual Character...and all charm for the workman" is making a comeback because people are getting more creative. They are providing services that machinery is unable to provide.
I loved how he communitst manifesto breaks down the good and bad on the Bourgeoisie and Proletariat. Sure this form of production and labor creates jobs and creates income but i think Marx truly believes that if your a Proletariat you have no where to go. Yes this is a form of democracy but i do think that you can rise to the occasion and prove to the upper class or Bourgeoisie as marx classifys the upper middle class that yes there is a structure but anybody can become a higher power and a lower power. One thing that i truly dont understand at the end of the passage Marx says "Let the ruling classes tremble at a communistic revolution. The proletarians have nothing to lose but their chains. They have a world to win. Working men of all countries unite. I do agree with this statement but at the same time i dont because if you bring a communist structure into a society where everbody earns the same everybody goes to public school everybody has the same type of environment then the ability to rise and better a person's self is lost and the ability to dream is gone. Basically where living in a jail except without the jail sentence.
ReplyDeleteYes for sure this is one of the inherited characteristic in every level of any human we compete with each other for our own benefit. People try to take advantage of poors and stand on top of them for example most houses on sale now in current market belongs to average people but when average people wants to buy it, there millions of questions from bank, but if invester buys it cash, they sell them with out any problem.
ReplyDeleteThis will never end.