In the "Communist Manifesto," Marx and Engels suggest some "wonderful improvements" for society. Cite a line from the Manifesto highlighting one of these improvements, i.e, something Marx and Engels want to see changed. Would the change they suggest be a good one? Why, or why not? Do you get a feeling of deja vu when you read through the Manifesto? Any issues raised similar to those in contemporary American politics?
You do not need to read the whole of the Manifesto. Part II (Proletarians and Communists) is sufficient, though reading the conclusion of Part IV is also helpful Here's an online edition of the Manifesto.
"When, therefore, capital is converted into common property, into the property of all members of society, personal property is not thereby transformed into social property. It is only the social character of the property that is changed. It loses its class character." I found this line particularly interesting because it highlights one of the most talked about points of the communist movement. Having all capital owned by the people with no private property is a hard sell to most Americans. I'm not sure if it is necessarily a good or bad thing, but I do know that most Americans would fight to their dying breath to keep their private property private. And I'm not sure that I necessarily blame them for that. Having everything owned by the whole group may have some advantages, but it also has drawbacks and I think that those disadvantages might outweigh the positives of communal ownership. I do get a small sense of deja vu reading the Communist Manifesto, especially when I think about how it has become the basis of so many countries political, economic, and social set-up. It also brings to mind what I know about the rise and eventual fall of the Soviet Union. Some of the issues raised are similar to contemporary American politics, particular the people in America that believe we should have have multi-millionaire or billionaires. It also brings to mind the arguments of some who believe that people should not have extreme luxuries while others are struggling to feed their families or heat/cool their homes.
ReplyDeleteReagan Spomer
DeleteThe Communists' theoretical conclusions are in no way based on ideas or principles invented or discovered by this or that would-be universal reformer. Regarding the quote, I really liked this one. Communism was a terrible idea—we all know that. This saying the ideas would be universal. And they were the ideas that scared people into not accepting it. When Stalin ran, he was known as a horrible leader. Communism played a part. The discovery should have also been kept a secret. Overall, they stated there needs to be a change, which is apparent in this article. It also ties into today's discussion of society and trade. The culture that also stands today. Overall, communism is in the past, and this article pushes for it to stay in the past.
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