| Pol 237 | Final Essay | | V Marxist Critique and Case | 4/3/2012 |
Karl Marx, along with Frederick Engels gave us the Communist Manifesto. Their work would go on to revolutionize cultures abroad, but go on to change not only social, but economic systems, as well as political structure throughout the world. Take for example the Communist Manifesto, which was written in 1848. Parts of the Manifesto outline in great detail the issues of the world at those times. They were relevant at the time and still carry great influence. Marx position on property rights and his feelings about abolishing private property may be controversial but to this day still carry some relevance. And they may not always be well received; they may just be the answer to many of the economic problems facing the struggling economies of the world today. This essay will outline a brief history of capitalism with regards to Marxist theory. In addition it will examine the relation to property rights and how they create a barrier to freedom in liberal theory. It will also discuss the positives to Marxism and how abolishing private property may be a good thing. The issues of the past and how it affects the future with relation to Marxist theory will be talked about. It will end wit a summary of all points discussed and a conclusion.
To understand the system that is capitalism we must look back into history. Marx does this throughout his writings. What is Capital? According to Marxism “it has many forms: machinery, buildings, raw materials, fuel and other things required for production; it is also money used to pay wages for production. “ Marx argues that capitalism will turn everything, eventually into private property. Repeating the cycle Marx had foreseen in the mid 1800’s.Those who can levy tolls on the backs of traders and exploit the use of workers to gain profit will do so. Capitalism is a “Me First” system that is all about maximizing profit margins and will continue to see wage laborers do the work and turn the profits for capital because they have no other way of making a living.
Things such as water, the air we breathe, or even the ideas people come up with. Modern day powers that be have the means to dissect the minds of the intellects who want to see their own ideas prosper and enrich the world. Yet these people do not have the wherewithal to do so. So they must turn to the people who can produce on grander levels.
Marx believed that the whole idea of capitalism has its roots in history. From the times of the Romans to the Middle Ages and to our modern world there is class separation. There are those he labeled Proletarians or individuals who sell their labour power and have no means of production. The Bourgeois those who own the means of production and buy labour from the proletariat, exploiting the proletariat. There is also the Petit Bourgeoisie which is those people who employ labourers. They may also work, i.e. small business owners, peasant landlords, trade workers. According to Marxism, the petit bourgeoisie will eventually join the middle class and join the proletariat. This will be credited to the continual reinvention of means of production.
Marx tends to use Britain as his example of primitive accumulation. Although that may have been easier to those in 1848 to comprehend, perhaps a different approach is needed to understand it from a North American perspective.
At the time of contact there were those who had been here, the First Nations People or for reference the Proletarians of this land. They were a group of fully functional people who were dependant on the land for survival. The commons as Marx describes them would be things such as the buffalo and animals used to feed the locals, things like the water, or the wood used for fire.
The land which had belonged to The People, would be taken away using the Law as a means of possession. Lands were stolen, by use of treaty or by use of violence. The
