Karl Marx Essay, Research Paper

Kings and Dukes ran Europe in the early nineteenth century. The working class was stripped of all but the most basic rights. They were not allowed to have a say in politics whatsoever. Karl Marx recognized these injustices and wanted change. His answer to the problem was a 142-page manifesto outlining a political system that abolished social classes and made every citizen equal. His writings set peasants free and scared noble men. He inspired world leaders from the great Leon Trotsky to Mao Zedong. Karl Marx was a political genius.

Karl Heinrich Marx was born into a comfortable middle-class family in Trier, Germany on May 5, 1818. He came from a long line of rabbis, but was baptized as a Protestant so that he could attend public schools (Feinberg p. 10). When Marx was seventeen, he enrolled in the Faculty of Law at the University of Bonn. His father wanted him to follow in his footsteps as a lawyer. Marx ran a muck at the liberal university, and was arrested on more than one occasion for public drunkenness (Feinburg p.15). Marx?s father decided to send Karl to the more serious University of Berlin in 1837. While at the University of Berlin, Karl joined a group called the Young Helgians.

The Young Helgians were followers of the ideas of the philosopher George Hegel (Feinburg p.16) His theories stated that history was moving in a direction of greater freedom for mankind (Feinburg p.16) Marx also joined the Young Doctor?s Club. The club idolized Bruno Bauer, a theologian. Bauer believed that the Bible was fiction, created by people to fulfill their need to understand the unknown. Karl was a devout atheist his entire life. It was around this time, that Marx decided that he enjoyed studying theories rather than studying facts, and switched his area of study from law to philosophy. Marx received his doctor of philosophy in April of 1841.

In April of 1847, Karl and his friend Freidrich Engels traveled to London to attend a meeting of the London Communist League. They traveled in hopes of convincing the members of the group to lead the workers of the world in a revolution (Feindberg p.32). A revolution that would set the workers of the world free, with the abolition of social classes and private property. Marx gave a powerful speech that lasted two hours. When Marx had finished, the London Communist League agreed to adopt Marx and Freidrich?s views. They asked the pair to prepare a theoretical and practical platform for the movement. The result of this assignment was the Communist Manifesto.

The Communist Manifesto a handbook of sorts on international communism. It explains the criteria a country or organization must meet to truly call themselves communist. There are ten ?planks? of communism that Marx talks about in his manifesto. It was Marx?s belief that Communism would evolve from capitalism as the necessary result of class struggle, and take over as the dominant form of government in the world (pagez.net p.1).

The first plank of communism is, ?the abolition of private property and the application of rent to public purpose? (Marx p. 7). This means that all private property would become public domain. McDonalds, Key Bank, the car wash, and everything else would belong to the public. No one person would own these establishments. The same rule applies to your home. Money collected for rent would be used for the good of the public, i.e. maintaining roads or paying teachers.

The second plank calls for, ?a heavy progressive or graduated tax? (Marx p.18). Karl is calling for large taxes. This helps make sure that everyone is economically equal. The government will redistribute the tax money through various programs. These taxes do not have to be set at fifty percent right away. That would have an effect that could parallel an entire nation of smokers quitting cold turkey. Instead, he calls for a tax that would steadily increase over a period of time and eventually reach a high number.

Marx?s third plank calls for the abolition of all rights of inheritance (Marx p. 30). This would prevent some fat slob form hitting the jackpot when Uncle Frank croaks. As a result, the fat slob never works a day in his life. Instead of relatives inheriting the money, the government would get it. The government would then use the money to better the nation as a whole, not just one lucky person.

The fourth plank states that the government will confiscate the property of all emigrants and rebels (Marx p.42). The purpose of this clause would make sure that property within the country wouldn?t be used to help bring down the government. Outsiders cannot be trusted, and they should be stripped of all privileges in order to protect the state.

?The centralization of credit in the hands of the State, by means of a national bank with state capital and exclusive monopoly? (Marx p.49). The fifth plank establishes that the government should be in control of the money. Inflation rates, interest rates, and all the rest will be set by the government. There will be no need to shop around for the best mortgage because they will all be the same. Again, this is fighting economic inequality.

The sixth plank states that the government should control all forms of communication and transportation. The government would set the rates for the above services. This would make sure that all the citizens could afford a car or a long distance telephone call to their friends in Cuba.

The seventh plank is pure genius. It calls for an, ?extension of factories and instruments of production owned by the State? (Marx p.73). Marx realized that in order for communist countries to be successful they must be industrialized. He was a wise man and could see that technology was the future. Without textiles and other industries, a country couldn?t compete in the global economy.

For the eighth plank, Karl came up with,? equal liability of all labor?(Marx p. 82).

Karl recognized the little man and his role in the success of a government. Everyone will make the same wage. It doesn?t matter if you are a brain surgeon or a substitute teacher; each week your check will be the same as your neighbor?s.

Now we?re doin? fine, time for plank number nine! ?Combination of agriculture with manufacturing industries; gradual abolition of distinction between town and country?(Marx p.95). This is designed to turn production into a well-oiled machine. If cotton is grown a mile away from the textile factory, it will cost less to transport raw materials to be processed. Also, the two fields can discuss business without traveling far or wracking up costly phone bills.

The final plank of communism is the best. It calls for free education of all children in government schools, and the abolition of children?s factory labor (Marx p.104). Karl Marx was way ahead of his time. When the Communist Manifesto was published in 1847, child labor was common practice. Not only did Karl disagree with child labor; he recognized the importance of education.

These planks of communism helped more than one country establish their rules and operating procedures. One such great country was Cuba. Yes, what we know today as the land of fine cigars, fine women (former MTV VJ Daisy Fuentes), and fine baseball players, was molded by Karl Marx writings. Since communism took over in 1959, Cuba has improved drastically in education, lowering unemployment, and income redistribution.

In 1961, Cuba imposed a new literacy campaign to combat its 23.6% illiteracy rate. One year later, through the efforts of an intense literacy campaign, the illiteracy rate in Cuba dropped to an impressive 3.9% (Leon p.148). This feat is probably unparallel in the history of education.

While Batista was in power, there was on average, 900,000 unemployed Cubans. This translates to an unemployment rate around 14% (Leon p.146). Six years after the revolution, the unemployment rate was consistently around 4.3%. This can be credited to mass mobilization, the expansion of the educational system, and making young people stay in school longer (Leon p.146) All these actions are outlined in the Communist Manifesto.

The equal distribution of wealth is a cornerstone of the communist governments. Cuba went straight to work making sure that no one was economically superior. The government nationalized 40% of all rural property, limited land ownership to 66 hectares, and transferred land to those who farm it but do not own it (Leon p.149). These reforms helped small farmers obtain land very cheap. It abolished the sugar can plantations that had been common for so long. All this helped equal the financial playing field. Oh yes, it is true, communism has done a lot for the great land of Cuba.

Karl Marx was a brilliant man. He devoted his life to helping the working class. His writings inspired revolutions around the world, with dreams of economic freedom and the abolition of social classes. Without Karl Marx the world would be a terrible place. The tyranny that is capitalism would rule all. The rich would run the government, using the lower classes would be their pawns. Not to mention, there would be no Soviet female weightlifting team for teenage boys to drool over.

Bibliography

not much, just made it up