The Communist Manifesto

The Communist Manifesto, more specifically the preamble and the first two sections, discusses the struggle of the oppressed, the Proletarians, by those in power, the Bourgeoisie. It describes the Bourgeoisie as the modern evolution of the feudal ruling class of the past; as the few and powerful that control the means for production and resources. Marx claims that the Bourgeoisie exercises their power over the labor class, the Proletarians, by treating them as commodities, as resources that go into the production of products, and by forcing upon them the volatility of market forces. He claims that the means of the Bourgeoisie to handle crises is to expand into more markets, an initial cause of the crises in the first place, or to downsize overproduction, in this case to terminate employment of the laborers. Marx, in the Communist Manifesto, insists that it is the duty of the Proletarians to eliminate this control, and build a new community-enriching and society-serving populace, as opposed to capitalistic self-interest and exploitation of others.

I found it interesting that the forces that have led to the modern conveniences we all enjoy are thought to be “evil” in a sense. I understand that improvement and innovation for the sake of advancement of one’s society can be a powerful incentive, but humanity has a tendency to allow personal greed to overpower altruistic intentions. Humans tend to do things to improve their own selves, and will be opportunistic in doing so. I feel that Marx doesn’t take into account that not all human beings are equal, and many skill sets and personal attributes vary among all of the species. A society that assumes that those with more cunning and/or intellect will not utilize their skills to manipulate those with weaker wills into serving their ends is ignorant; it is pure idealism and not practical. Human beings are emotional, impulsive, and selfish creatures, and to claim that this can be changed simply by setting impossible standards is foolish. I understand that many lower- and middle-class people would benefit from a more unilateral society, but unless the motivation exists within those individuals to seek some means of bettering themselves, they cannot expect to be privy to privileges of those with superior skills.

I would like to know how Marx would feel about the modern conveniences we enjoy and know if he would conclude if these inventions would be around without capitalistic motivations.