Karl Marx
By: Brandon Choi
Biography
I was born in Prussia (part of modern day Germany) May 5th 1818. I was an average student back when I was still in middle school and high school. I first attended the University of Bonn and in my two years there I was arrested numerous times for being drunk and disturbing the peace. My father, being the successful lawyer he is, insisted that I take school more seriously and that I enroll in the more serious Berlin University. It was there that I studied law and philosophy and began associating myself with The Young Hegelians a radical group of students that criticized the religious and political establishments of the day.
Instead of becoming a professor, I became a journalist so that I can be vocal about my radical ideas. In 1842 I became the editor of a liberal newspaper in Cologne and one year later the government ordered the newspapers suppression. I moved to Paris shortly after. After writing for another radical newspaper, I was expelled and moved to Belgium.
It was at Brussels where i was introduced to Communism. I founded a Communist Correspondence Committee to try and attempt to bring socialists together around Europe. In London, I was asked to write the manifesto of the communist party. After I wrote this, I was expelled from Brussels and moved to London.
Instead of becoming a professor, I became a journalist so that I can be vocal about my radical ideas. In 1842 I became the editor of a liberal newspaper in Cologne and one year later the government ordered the newspapers suppression. I moved to Paris shortly after. After writing for another radical newspaper, I was expelled and moved to Belgium.
It was at Brussels where i was introduced to Communism. I founded a Communist Correspondence Committee to try and attempt to bring socialists together around Europe. In London, I was asked to write the manifesto of the communist party. After I wrote this, I was expelled from Brussels and moved to London.
My Economic Views
One of my main theories is that all historical change is due to the struggling classes of the bourgeoisie or the "haves" and the proletariat or the "have nots".
The Bourgeoisie are the main power in a Capitalist state. They have all the political and economic power. They own all the resources and so are considered to be the "haves"
The Proletariat are the lower class people. They have no political and economic power. They do the manual labor that is required by the Bourgeoisie.
I believe that in a capitalist system, the proletariat are exploited by the bourgeoisie. The bourgeoisie uses the poor proletariat to produce goods and only pay them a proportion of the amount the good is actually sold for. A proletariat may produce enough goods or services to feed his family in two hours but must keep working for the full day due to the promises made in contracts. The surplus hours worked by the proletariat represent the surplus goods or services he produced. The bourgeoisie did not help in any way and yet pocket the surplus profit that is made and therefore become richer and richer. This ultimately leads to a two class system with a sparse amount of rich capitalists and a humongous number of poor manual laborers. I believe that the proletariat will soon have enough of the exploitation and overthrow the capitalist bourgeoisie. The end result will be a communist society in which all the resources of production is shared between the classless society.
The Bourgeoisie are the main power in a Capitalist state. They have all the political and economic power. They own all the resources and so are considered to be the "haves"
The Proletariat are the lower class people. They have no political and economic power. They do the manual labor that is required by the Bourgeoisie.
I believe that in a capitalist system, the proletariat are exploited by the bourgeoisie. The bourgeoisie uses the poor proletariat to produce goods and only pay them a proportion of the amount the good is actually sold for. A proletariat may produce enough goods or services to feed his family in two hours but must keep working for the full day due to the promises made in contracts. The surplus hours worked by the proletariat represent the surplus goods or services he produced. The bourgeoisie did not help in any way and yet pocket the surplus profit that is made and therefore become richer and richer. This ultimately leads to a two class system with a sparse amount of rich capitalists and a humongous number of poor manual laborers. I believe that the proletariat will soon have enough of the exploitation and overthrow the capitalist bourgeoisie. The end result will be a communist society in which all the resources of production is shared between the classless society.
In More Depth
My ideal economic system is very different from the current capitalist one in many nations.
First of all, every good or service holds value. If every good and service holds value, then they all must have one common property. This one common property is that they are produced by human labor. Therefore, the value of a good or service is determined by how much human labor was required to produce the good or service. This is also known as "Labor Theory of Value".
In my idea economic system, goods and services must be exchanged with goods or services with the same value. Exchanges of equal value for equal value. In capitalist nations, these exchanges of equal value for equal value is disturbed by the capitalist idea of profit incentive. This means that the bourgeoisie strive to exchange goods and services of lesser value for goods and services of greater value therefore making a profit and increasing the gap between the poor and the rich. The profit that the rich makes is basically the surplus hours of human labor spent.
First of all, every good or service holds value. If every good and service holds value, then they all must have one common property. This one common property is that they are produced by human labor. Therefore, the value of a good or service is determined by how much human labor was required to produce the good or service. This is also known as "Labor Theory of Value".
In my idea economic system, goods and services must be exchanged with goods or services with the same value. Exchanges of equal value for equal value. In capitalist nations, these exchanges of equal value for equal value is disturbed by the capitalist idea of profit incentive. This means that the bourgeoisie strive to exchange goods and services of lesser value for goods and services of greater value therefore making a profit and increasing the gap between the poor and the rich. The profit that the rich makes is basically the surplus hours of human labor spent.
Communism for the People by Me
Step 1: A revolution must take place and completely abolish the old system and government.
Step 2: An elite leader or leaders must take control of the proletariat. He must take full control of everything including education, religion and employment.
Step 3: "Achievement of Utopia". Everyone shares their wealth and prosperity. There is no class system and so therefore there is only one class.
10 Essential Tenants of Communism
-Central banking system
-Government controlled education
-Government controlled labor
-Government ownership of transportation and communication vehicles
-Government ownership of agricultural means and factories
-Total abolition of private property
-Property rights confiscation
-Heavy income taxy on everyone
-Elimination of rights of inheritance
-Regional planning
The Government has complete control over all 4 factors of production and all resources and so no one can make more money than another.
Step 2: An elite leader or leaders must take control of the proletariat. He must take full control of everything including education, religion and employment.
Step 3: "Achievement of Utopia". Everyone shares their wealth and prosperity. There is no class system and so therefore there is only one class.
10 Essential Tenants of Communism
-Central banking system
-Government controlled education
-Government controlled labor
-Government ownership of transportation and communication vehicles
-Government ownership of agricultural means and factories
-Total abolition of private property
-Property rights confiscation
-Heavy income taxy on everyone
-Elimination of rights of inheritance
-Regional planning
The Government has complete control over all 4 factors of production and all resources and so no one can make more money than another.
Major Works and Publications
-The Communist Manifesto
-Das Kapital (The Capital)
-Theories of Surplus Value
-Wage Labor and Capital
-Das Kapital (The Capital)
-Theories of Surplus Value
-Wage Labor and Capital
Comments
Dear Mr. Marx, You say that, "The bourgeoisie did not help in any way and yet pocket the surplus profit that is made:" but don't the bourgeoisie risk their capital by building firms or risking investment that they may gain from but may also lose if the venture is not successful? Should they not receive a reward for the risk? - Milton Friedman
Dear Mr. Friedman, well dear sir. They do indeed risk their capital by building firms. However, where does the investment come from? It comes from the bourgeoisie's initial wealth. Where does that wealth come from? It comes from exploiting the proletariat. The only thought in the bourgeoisie's mind when risking their capital is exploiting the proletariat. If and when the bourgeoisie is successful, they will exploit even more proletariat.
Also, the communist system ensures that the government can take care of all this risk taking. The government can take these risks instead of the bourgeoisie and then the proletariat will not be exploited. The government will be in charge of employment and so everyone will be treated fairly.
Karl Marx
Dear Mr. Marx, You say that the leader take full control of everything including education, religion and employment but if they are controlled, there will be no innovation, no creative idea and no basic human rights and freedom and therefore the economic development will get into a slump. Do you still think you should control a country like that ?
- Joseph Schumpeter
Dear Mr. Friedman, well dear sir. They do indeed risk their capital by building firms. However, where does the investment come from? It comes from the bourgeoisie's initial wealth. Where does that wealth come from? It comes from exploiting the proletariat. The only thought in the bourgeoisie's mind when risking their capital is exploiting the proletariat. If and when the bourgeoisie is successful, they will exploit even more proletariat.
Also, the communist system ensures that the government can take care of all this risk taking. The government can take these risks instead of the bourgeoisie and then the proletariat will not be exploited. The government will be in charge of employment and so everyone will be treated fairly.
Karl Marx
Dear Mr. Marx, You say that the leader take full control of everything including education, religion and employment but if they are controlled, there will be no innovation, no creative idea and no basic human rights and freedom and therefore the economic development will get into a slump. Do you still think you should control a country like that ?
- Joseph Schumpeter