preview

Communism And The Communist Manifesto

Good Essays

A perfect world would consist of equal members all having food and shelter, devoid of bigotry, sexism, and any other form of oppression. Communism is one proposed solution to these problems. Communism intends for the poor to rise from their squalor and reach financial and social status equal to that of the middle-class landowners, but requires that all means of production be controlled by the state. In other words, no one can own his or her own business or produce his or her own goods because the state owns everything. Though proven to be catastrophic for humanity, the ideas appealed to the working class and influenced a revolution against their oppressors. The conditions that led to revolution have many similarities towards the condition …show more content…

Engels describes the workers as “[mere toiling machines” (Engels 52) stripped of humanity and considered only as a tool. Factory workers then and now complete monotonous tasks as part of an assembly line day after day, essential to society but personally demeaning. Small businesses today struggle to maintain themselves against big businesses in the market. In order for small businesses to make a profit, they usually cannot compete with the low prices of major corporations. The small business then fails and work is needed to be found elsewhere. As machines began replacing human power thus increasing productivity significantly, population was also significantly increasing as more and more immigrants were attracted by the promise of work. The sudden surge in population resulted in overcrowded cities and the formation of slum areas. Jerry-built houses, houses hastily and irrationally built with minimal cost, for the proletariat were hardly habitable as disease and pollution ran rampant. Though not as severe, the living conditions of today’s larger cities can reach severe levels of dilapidation within its slums. Violence and crime are rampant in these parts and is in desperate need for reform. Unhappiness arises and is exactly what the Communist movement was fuelled by. It is not out of the question for a small revolution to form if living condition of slums reach a critical point of decay. Engels explains how “the powerful few, the capitalists, [seized]

Get Access