Communist manifesto analysis

Karl Marx wrote in 1848, ” The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles”; it still holds true today. Feudal society gave way to democracy, yet the class stratification only intensified. As Marx states ” Society as a whole is more and more splitting up into two great hostile camps…the Bourgeoisie and Proletariat,” or in today’s terminology, the have and have-nots. The growing middle and lower classes in America cannot compete with the ” old wealth” of the upper class. Some entrepreneurs, who were in the right place at the right time, have managed to climb the social ladder and enter the bourgeoisie. An individual born today is more likely to move down the ladder rather than up. Marx addressed that possibility by stating, ” What the bourgeoisie therefore produces, above all, are its own grave diggers.” The bourgeoisie gain strength through political advances at the expense of the proletariat. The United States Senate, the Millionaires Club, as well as Congress and the office of President, have all evolved from feudal systems. Marx states, ” The executive of the modern state is but a committee for managing the common affairs of the whole bourgeoisie.” Most legislation is directed to the bourgeoisie of American society even though the proletariat often proposes it. Recent laws have included tax credits for private schools, tax cuts for wealthy (what used to be middle class) individuals, acceptance of an outrageous war budget while people are hungry in America, and the backing of monopolies in federal court cases. The Communist Manifesto claims that in this stage of society, that every victory for the proletariat is actually a victory for the bourgeoisie. The commercial relationship between the bourgeoisie and the proletariat has developed as Marx described it would. ” The need of a constantly expanding market for its products chases the bourgeoisie over the entire surface of the globe.” One American brand name comes to mind—McDonalds. This American icon has infiltrated 119 countries on seven continents. All the many aspects of the working relationship between the bourgeoisie and the proletariat are found in McDonalds. Laborers, as described by Marx, ” live only so long as they find work…sell themselves piecemeal…exposed to the fluctuations of the market…the cost of labor is only equal to its cost of production.” McDonalds describes itself as a great place to work with excellent opportunities for its employees. However, its pays its employees an unlivable wage, few benefits, and does not allow for individuality on the job. Workers may view themselves as an extension of the frill or fry machine, bound to the job by low wages, and be placed under threat of loss of job due to decreased customer count. In 2004, without raising benefits or wages, McDonalds posted a $600 Million increase in cash from its operators. While McDonalds did not exist while Mark wrote the Manifesto, he spoke of the greed of corporations. These corporations thinking they aided the bourgeoisie actually boosted the proletariat into revolution. McDonalds is run by 11 members of the bourgeoisie exploiting the workers while promoting their world growth. . An aspect, according to Marx, of the bourgeoisie that has not yet emerged in American society is that of equality among the workers. He claimed that with the shift from manual labor to modern industry, that women superseded men in the workforce. While there is growing equality among certain professions, there is still a discrepancy in pay and equality of position. Certain positions are unavailable to women, simply because they are women. The bourgeoisie in the military refuse to allow equality among the ranks. Women can fight for their country, even die, but are not allowed in ” dangerous” positions such as the Special Forces. Marx describes the international aspect of the bourgeoisie as, ” The bourgeoisie draws all nations into civilization…it compels all nations, on pain of extinction, to adopt the bourgeoisie mode of production…to become bourgeois themselves.” President Bush, the voice of the bourgeoisie, stated that democracy was the only form of government for the modern world. We are forcing our civilization on all other nations to adopt, or through war, we will force you to adopt it. Our history is built on the use of diplomatic force to expand our civilization without gaining new territory. Even though the United States was built by the hands of the proletariat, its constitution and laws was set by the bourgeoisie. This fight has been raging for over 200 years. Unlike in the Communist Manifesto, the proletariat has not gained enough political power to revolt and successfully overturn the bourgeoisie. Many individual groups, African-Americans for example, have managed to become a legitimate part of the proletariat but not destroy the bourgeoisie. In America the proletariat is expanding even more, but with gaining power. Marx states,” The lower middle class, the small manufacturer, the shopkeeper, the artisan…all fight against the bourgeoisie, to save from extinction their existence as fractions of the middle class.” Another bourgeoisie establishment, Wal-Mart, is driving the ” mom and pop” shops into extinction while keeping their employees in the proletariat. Wal-Mart is the epitome of Marx’s description of the bourgeoisie converting people into an exchange value. An employee is only worth what he produces. By outsourcing, Wal-Mart is proving, at least to the bourgeoisie, that this aspect of the Communist manifesto holds true still today. Revolution will, and must, take place some day, but not to the extent, that Marx described. Both the bourgeoisie and the proletariats need each other to exist. The large-scale revolt has not happened because the bourgeoisie have placed barriers in its way. Marx describes the proletariat unionizing and overturning the political power of the bourgeoisie. Our workers have become unions, but as we saw with the New York Transit Strike, that has no value in today’s society and economy. The executive can and does force the proletariat to stay in their subservient position. The last proletariat revolution to happen in the United States occurred in 1776, when we, the proletariats, revolted against England, the bourgeoisie.