The Communist Manifesto

In general, what Marx says about the rich is pretty accurate. The policy promoted is completely nonsense and impractical to apply in the world.

In a word, balance, that is the reason I read “The Communist Manifesto.” Marx and Engels identified early on that unfettered capitalism leads to gross imbalances. We need only look at income distribution, growth charts, and every other economic metric to see how imbalance escalates. Is it any wonder that gig work, quiet quitting, over employment, and anti-work are some of the most popular topics on social networks. The class struggle Marx and Engels discuss was itself played out poetically in the Pandemic struggle between the Everyman investor and hedge funds during the GameStop trading war. Capitalism unchecked is an Ouroboros that consumes everything and itself. In our case, the culture, agency, language, and identity of people and countries. Merging all into one mute, bland, indistinguishable whole that means you never really leave home when you travel. Everything gets commodified, even culture. On a recent trip to Mexico I saw more American restaurants in the city center than local ones. I don’t see how the McDonalds-ification of everything is better for the human experience. But I don’t see a Humanist balance in Communism either. So, do we hit reset as Tyler Durden called for in “Fight Club?” Do we try the Nordic models that have lead to consistently high happiness index scores across the region? What about circular economies, b-corporations, adaptive reuse, and union resurgence? All are points Marx and Engels would have likely taken up in a modern revision of their manifesto. Making me wonder if they would have put forward more of softer call to action than revolutionary angle they have here. Especially given the way in communist experiments have played out; though encumbered by western forces. Where do we find balance? The authors demonstrate that capitalism is an engine of unparalleled growth but don’t offer a compelling structure of replacement that would pull the majority with them without burning everything to the ground. They even acknowledge that despotism is a natural part of the process to a Communist state. Not very inspiring. Had they focused on their core theme of exploitation of the worker and devised regulations that work within the current structure it would have at least been a stepping stone to something better. The again, they argue even against that approach in their analysis of movements that came before. My own ideas for an overhaul of Capitalism is not an answer I can fit neatly here but would gladly discuss over some drinks and structured debate. But the questions have to be asked and thus the reading must be done. It’s a controversial book, but one that will at least ask you to objectively observe your relationship with work and capitalism. 150 years after initial publication, you can’t deny that some of their observations where prophetic.

Read the darn book, quit posting about how “muh communism bad” or “muh communism good”. Reading is good, so read.

Abolish all private property! Abolish the bourgeois! Proletarians rise!!!! POTATOES FOREVER!!!!!!!

Communists killed millions of people!!!!!! Communists killed millions of people!!!!!! Communists killed millions of people!!!!!! Communists killed millions of people!!!!!! Do you want your family to be next???? Stay away!!!!

absolutely stunning work. i hadn’t begun to even think that i would agree with pretty much, if not all of it.

Excellent manuscript that could have changed parts of the hidden past.

Honestly this book is stupid. Get rid of family??! What the heck! He is legit suggesting that the government raise children not the parents! Who do u think honestly would care about the child more: the government or the parents who birthed them?!! All attempts at communism have failed miserably. Communism has killed millions of people! Look at China! Birth control, no free speech, and oppression of all religions! Heck look at Vietnam! People are starving!!! The man who wrote this was a hard core atheist because he didn’t want any sort of God to exist. He wanted to be his own God. He didn’t want to be accountable for his sins. Heck his own son and wife called him the devil. He was kicked out of his own country. Apparently he lived in filth and was against bathing (????). He didn’t even pay his rent… sounds to me like he just wanted to not have to work and live off of others. Stop getting brainwashed people. This book is horrible and is NOT what communists/ communism countries make it out to be.. I could go on and on hopefully I shed some light on this matter to some misguided souls.. God bless

Is it just me or does this predict World War II?

While I would personally give The Communist Manifesto one star for Marx’s confusing use of words and long philosophical and theoretical tangents, I have to rate it higher due to its historical significance. This manifesto is one of the larger reasons that communism as a form of government and mentality gained international attention and traction. Since it’s written nearly 200 years ago in another language, the writing can be complicated and confusing, and I often found myself rereading portions to fully understand them. However, this was also clearly written as politically persuasive propaganda meant to rally the working class against their “oppressors”, and it should be read as such. Marx doesn’t use evidence to support his long and generous claims and tends to be very confusing in his writing structure. I’d recommend anyone read The Communist Manifesto for its historical/cultural significance. However, understand that this method of government and mindset is both deceiving and problematic when applied on a large scale. It should be read with our current historical and economic understanding.