The Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx

I have postponed posting on this because it was a little sobering to read and discuss even though I have been aware of what is in there for awhile. It is a very short piece probably about 30 normal pages (my great books pages have very small print and large pages, it was 15 pages in there), it is worth reading. It really doesn't take long. There are 4 sections.

The first section is about the proletariat (the people) and the burgeoisie ( the ruling class) and the problems between them and how the proletariat could oust the burgeoisie if they combined against them. He talks about some of the problems of capitalism such as how laborers are replaced by machinery and improved methods of production, there is a great problem of over production and the constant revolutionizing of methods and finding of markets cannot go on forever. I found myself agreeing that there are definitely some problems with capitalism. Then he talks about how the proletariat is the revolutionary class and they should combine against the evil burgeoisie.

The second section talks about how the proletarians should adopt the communist view. And he talks about how we should ban the private property of the rich beorgeoisie and abolish the family because burgeoisie husbands and wives are unfaithful to each other anyway and a few other things. He sets out 10 mandates to make a society where "the free development of each is the condition for the free development of all." They are:

1-Abolition of property in land and application of all rents of land to public purposes.
2- A heavy progressive or graduated income tax.
3-Abolition of all right of inheritance.
4-Confiscation of the property of all emigrants and rebels.
5-Centralization of credit in the hands of the state by means of a national bank with state capital and an exclusive monopoly.
6-Centralization of the means of communication and transport in the hands of the state.
7- Extension of factories and instruments of production owned by the state; the bringining ino cultivatioon of wastelands, and the improvemetn of the soil generally in accordance with a common plan.
8- Equal obligation of all to work. Establishment of industrial armies, especially for agriculture.
9-Combination of agriculture with manufacturning industries; gradual abolition of the distinction between town and country by a more equable distribution of the population over the country.
10-Free education for all children in public schools. Abolition of child factory labour in its present form. Combination of education with industrial production etc.

So this is the sad part, how many of these mandates have we adopted? Too many!!! Are we really a capitalist country anymore? In light of the recent and future bailouts, not to mention other indicators, I would say we most definitely are not. That is why I postponed this post. Our awesome America is simply not the same country it was 100 years ago. I don't think the communists stopped trying to implement their ideas when we had the red scare in the 50's; they just changed their approach or influenced people to adopt their ideas and here we are today in the United States following more than half the mandates for the communist manifesto.

In the third and fourth sections he talks about the socialist parties in Europe and how that is not enough. Communism will also abolish the differences between cities and towns and countries. Everybody will be equal. The best way to run countries and people is through communism and the above madates. This is the final paragraph:

The Communists disdain to conceal their views and aims. They openly declare that their ends can be attained only by the forcible overthrow of all existing social conditions. Let the ruling classes tremble at a Communist revolution. The proletarians hve nothing to lose but their chains. They have a world to win. Workingmen of all countries, unite!