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The single most powerful movement in history, according to Karl Marx, was capitalism. During the six hundred years that spanned the Middle Ages, various monarchs, emperors, and holy men virtually enslaved the common man as serfs in a feudal society. These men were bound by obligation and lineage and by whatever tools the oppressors could use that ensured the plight of the common man did not improve.
Little by little, the common man slowly dragged himself up from the debts of servitude in feudal society, organized and armed themselves to form self-governing collections powerful enough to resist the old world order. The men who were once serfs slowly evolved, by breaking the bonds instituted by “their betters” to become free men with full political right, or “burghers” as Marx refers to them.
The burghers destroyed all remaining feudal ties of the past. They overrode the ancient inefficient guild systems and replaced them with superior manufacturing capabilities of organized factories. The “bourgeoisie”, as Marx has collectively named them, had revolutionized all manners of production, transportation, and communication.
The bourgeoisie manufacturing continued to evolve into the mighty capitalistic industries that had extended the bounds of human capabilities to new heights, far outstretching the entire collection of accomplishments of all known civilizations combined. The capitalistic tendencies of the bourgeoisie had truly invented a new world order.
Invented a new world order? Indeed, they had. Invented for whom? Created at what cost? Marx agreed that the bourgeoisie had made large changes in the lives of all peoples. But Marx was appalled that nothing had truly changed, only, it had been rearranged.
Throughout history there have been two classes of man, the oppressors and the oppressed. It was clear to the bourgeoisie that the monarchs and emperors were their oppressors. The bourgeoisie were successful in overthrowing their oppressors to live as free men. The bourgeoisie, however, had not realized that in the process they themselves had become the oppressors!
With the actions of violent ascension in the ranks society, the bourgeoisie had destroyed all the old and inefficient feudal ways, and created new technology and opened new frontiers. The accompaniment to their “revolution” was the violent replacement of religious beliefs and mutation of the once proud ideal of personal worth into mere exchange value. The capitalists replaced all innate freedoms with a single, bourgeoisie ideal, free trade.
With free trade, the bourgeoisie ventured to new continents and subjugated entire races of new people. The promotion of naked self-interest allowed for the exploitation of peasants, barbarians, monarchs and every single class of man, including other bourgeoisie!
This exploitation had to continue for the system to succeed. To survive and prosper, free trade, or capitalism, needed to continue to expand, revolutionize, conquer and exploit. Without this ability, free trade was ultimately self-destructive. The bourgeoisie, however, were fully aware of this yet knew that they could continue unabated because the common people, the proletariat, would be unable to stop them.
The poor proletariat was unable to stop the bourgeoisie because they had been systematically reduced to little more than mindless drones. The bourgeoisie continued to cut down everything in their path to suit their commercial needs. Monarchs, emperors, and holy figures were reduced to figureheads or outright removed and destroyed. The once proud guilds of artisans and craftsmen were replaced by machinery and paid next to nothing to stand and care for those very machines. If man could not succeed into the ranks of the bourgeoisie, then that man was reduced to the ranks of the proletariat, reduced to simply a wage laborer.
For all the grandiose claims of the bourgeoisie class, the relationship of the oppressor and the oppressed had not disappeared, only changed, simplified and became more overbearing than ever before. Karl Marx could not stand by and see this sustained. Marx set about to convince the common man, the proletariat, of the inevitable collapse of the entire bourgeoisie system.
The proletarians had it within their power to unshackle themselves from the tyranny of the free market system. The workers had slowly begun to unite, in small numbers, to do battle with the evil taskmasters and make small changes in their collective environment. But the bourgeoisie was a very talented combatant. The capitalists could play one portion of the proletariat against another. The bourgeoisie could prevent the unification of the common man by a constant barrage of attacks, from all angles. The proletariat was constantly under conflict with other bourgeoisie and factions of the proletariat by design. Drawn into the plots by the very bourgeoisie that paid them their small wages in the first place.
Marx knew the truth of the matter. He could see the constant battles for what they truly were, the bourgeoisie manipulating the proletariat at every turn. Marx knew that the only hope for the common man was a complete overthrow of the free trade system. To strike the evil at it’s very core.
Marx knew that only by the unification of the common man in a common cause could the world rightfully inherit the appropriate society that was so inevitable. Unlike previous changes in the stratification of society, the proletariat, who would predictably be joined by a small number of enlightened bourgeoisie, could not succeed until the destruction of the ultimate symbol of free trade, that of “personal property.” This must be done in small localities, then proceed to national disintegration of the bourgeoisie, and then to establish a truly new world order. To accomplish this, the proletariat needed to combine into a distinct class, revolt against all oppressors and totally erase the capitalistic system and replace it with the superior system of communism.
Marx outlined 10 basic guidelines in the “Communist Manifesto” to assist the proletariat in establishing the correct functioning of a communistic society. Summarized, all personal property was to be abolished and control of all social, educational, political, and economic interests were to be guided by the state. These actions facilitated the total removal of social and political class divisions amongst fellow members of society. This utopian society would ask from each according to his abilities and provide for each according to his needs. It is truly unfortunate that Karl Marx et al could not have lived long enough to prosper in the glorious fruits of their labor.
Little by little, the common man slowly dragged himself up from the debts of servitude in feudal society, organized and armed themselves to form self-governing collections powerful enough to resist the old world order. The men who were once serfs slowly evolved, by breaking the bonds instituted by “their betters” to become free men with full political right, or “burghers” as Marx refers to them.
The burghers destroyed all remaining feudal ties of the past. They overrode the ancient inefficient guild systems and replaced them with superior manufacturing capabilities of organized factories. The “bourgeoisie”, as Marx has collectively named them, had revolutionized all manners of production, transportation, and communication.
The bourgeoisie manufacturing continued to evolve into the mighty capitalistic industries that had extended the bounds of human capabilities to new heights, far outstretching the entire collection of accomplishments of all known civilizations combined. The capitalistic tendencies of the bourgeoisie had truly invented a new world order.
Invented a new world order? Indeed, they had. Invented for whom? Created at what cost? Marx agreed that the bourgeoisie had made large changes in the lives of all peoples. But Marx was appalled that nothing had truly changed, only, it had been rearranged.
Throughout history there have been two classes of man, the oppressors and the oppressed. It was clear to the bourgeoisie that the monarchs and emperors were their oppressors. The bourgeoisie were successful in overthrowing their oppressors to live as free men. The bourgeoisie, however, had not realized that in the process they themselves had become the oppressors!
With the actions of violent ascension in the ranks society, the bourgeoisie had destroyed all the old and inefficient feudal ways, and created new technology and opened new frontiers. The accompaniment to their “revolution” was the violent replacement of religious beliefs and mutation of the once proud ideal of personal worth into mere exchange value. The capitalists replaced all innate freedoms with a single, bourgeoisie ideal, free trade.
With free trade, the bourgeoisie ventured to new continents and subjugated entire races of new people. The promotion of naked self-interest allowed for the exploitation of peasants, barbarians, monarchs and every single class of man, including other bourgeoisie!
This exploitation had to continue for the system to succeed. To survive and prosper, free trade, or capitalism, needed to continue to expand, revolutionize, conquer and exploit. Without this ability, free trade was ultimately self-destructive. The bourgeoisie, however, were fully aware of this yet knew that they could continue unabated because the common people, the proletariat, would be unable to stop them.
The poor proletariat was unable to stop the bourgeoisie because they had been systematically reduced to little more than mindless drones. The bourgeoisie continued to cut down everything in their path to suit their commercial needs. Monarchs, emperors, and holy figures were reduced to figureheads or outright removed and destroyed. The once proud guilds of artisans and craftsmen were replaced by machinery and paid next to nothing to stand and care for those very machines. If man could not succeed into the ranks of the bourgeoisie, then that man was reduced to the ranks of the proletariat, reduced to simply a wage laborer.
For all the grandiose claims of the bourgeoisie class, the relationship of the oppressor and the oppressed had not disappeared, only changed, simplified and became more overbearing than ever before. Karl Marx could not stand by and see this sustained. Marx set about to convince the common man, the proletariat, of the inevitable collapse of the entire bourgeoisie system.
The proletarians had it within their power to unshackle themselves from the tyranny of the free market system. The workers had slowly begun to unite, in small numbers, to do battle with the evil taskmasters and make small changes in their collective environment. But the bourgeoisie was a very talented combatant. The capitalists could play one portion of the proletariat against another. The bourgeoisie could prevent the unification of the common man by a constant barrage of attacks, from all angles. The proletariat was constantly under conflict with other bourgeoisie and factions of the proletariat by design. Drawn into the plots by the very bourgeoisie that paid them their small wages in the first place.
Marx knew the truth of the matter. He could see the constant battles for what they truly were, the bourgeoisie manipulating the proletariat at every turn. Marx knew that the only hope for the common man was a complete overthrow of the free trade system. To strike the evil at it’s very core.
Marx knew that only by the unification of the common man in a common cause could the world rightfully inherit the appropriate society that was so inevitable. Unlike previous changes in the stratification of society, the proletariat, who would predictably be joined by a small number of enlightened bourgeoisie, could not succeed until the destruction of the ultimate symbol of free trade, that of “personal property.” This must be done in small localities, then proceed to national disintegration of the bourgeoisie, and then to establish a truly new world order. To accomplish this, the proletariat needed to combine into a distinct class, revolt against all oppressors and totally erase the capitalistic system and replace it with the superior system of communism.
Marx outlined 10 basic guidelines in the “Communist Manifesto” to assist the proletariat in establishing the correct functioning of a communistic society. Summarized, all personal property was to be abolished and control of all social, educational, political, and economic interests were to be guided by the state. These actions facilitated the total removal of social and political class divisions amongst fellow members of society. This utopian society would ask from each according to his abilities and provide for each according to his needs. It is truly unfortunate that Karl Marx et al could not have lived long enough to prosper in the glorious fruits of their labor.
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