Utopian Ideals Masked by Communism

            Though out the 21st-century mankind has evolved socially and technological at greater speeds than any time in the history of civilization.  With the world constantly changing with new ideas and inventions has led to better quality of life for all.  Providing greater security for the future generation in the form of a higher life expectancy, increased food production, less starvation, curing of diseases by means of increase medical advancements and so much more.  What has allowed mankind to excel and flourish is the competitive nature of economic free trade and social standings caused by the adoption of Capitalism.  Thou, Capitalism is not perfect it allows individual freedoms, the limited government promotes prosperity and must be preserved for future generations. Some have argued that the answer to the problems cause by a Capitalism can be solved with Communism, yet fail to acknowledge that this form of government also has its own set of challenges.             Capitalism replaces Feudalism as it decayed in Western Europe in 1500 after the Renaissance.  This was caused by the epidemic of Black Death and the military power of kings shifting from nobility to professional armies. The feudalism’s system of government lingered on in Eastern Europe till 1861 when Russia abolished serfdom. This leads to increased individual freedoms for most people as stated in the book Marx: A Very Short Introduction:Pre-capitalist systems it was obvious that most people did not control their own destiny — under feudalism, for instance, serfs had to work for their lords. Capitalism seems different because people are in theory free to work for themselves or for others as they choose.” (Singer)This change in social and economic order brought on many more changes within Europe.  It brought new markets with growing demand for goods, that challenged the feudal systems form of industry where industrial production was monopolized by closed guilds. These guilds were replaced by the manufacturing middle class as new markets kept growing with an increased demand for goods. With increased capital from new markets lead to an environment with greater commerce, navigation, and communication.  These ideology changes also brought about towns and individual land ownership. Thus, creating a utopia compared to the way of life that federalism instilled in earlier centuries.             With the spreading of capitalism around the world, brought a new way of life to the masses but it did not come without its own problems of economic and social issues, by causing its own form of dystopia.  Countries started to be ruled by towns and it created huge cities leaving rural areas underdeveloped.  Yet outside the borders of the nation states, it needs a never-ending market of new goods and materials. Thus, leading to border disputes over natural resources between nations.  As stated in the Manifesto of the Communist Party;“The need of a constantly expanding market for its products chases the bourgeoisie over the whole surface of the globe. It must nestle everywhere, settle everywhere, establish connections everywhere.” (Marx and Engels 4)This lead to colonization of the world by the Europeans that massacred hundreds of thousands of innocent peoples in the name of Imperialism.  While they calm to bring civilization to the world many nations force religious beliefs on indigenous peoples.  Thus, distorting many cultures in the process of expansionism that was viewed as inferior to Europe nations.             With the onset of the Industrial Revolution capitalism became the means for the developed world.  Capitalism’s control over western economies leads new industries that replaced skilled craftsmen and artisan with machines that could out produces hand labor. This was address in the Manifesto Of The Communist Party by stating;"Modern industry has converted the little workshop of the patriarchal master into the great factory of the industrial capitalist. Masses of laborers, crowded into the factory, are organized like soldiers. As privates of the industrial army, they are placed under the command of a perfect hierarchy of officers and sergeants. Not only are they slaves of the bourgeois class, and of the bourgeois State, they are daily and hourly enslaved by the machine, by the overseer, and, above all, by the individual bourgeois manufacturer himself." (Marx and Engels 8)This modern form of capitalism leads to great differences between classes within society.  With many of the wealthy aristocrats controlling government, resources, and land compared to the common peoples. This lead to deteriorating living condition and workplace environment that was comparable to the condition experienced by surfs during federalism and thus exposing the dystopian side of capitalism.             With the rise of growing classes division bought on by modern industrial capitalism, people began to look for a solution to the problems the ideology created within the society.  Thus, came a solution of Communism with the potential to change the world in the hopes of improving society and living conditions for all.   The idea of Communism was to abolish private property, do away with currency, overthrow bourgeois supremacy and political power.  This was to happen by the working-class parties revolting against the status quo of capitalism.  The philosopher Karl Marx called for action at the end of the Manifesto of the Communist Party by instating these final words; "The Communists disdain to conceal their views and aims. They openly declare that their ends can be attained only by the forcible overthrow of all existing social conditions. Let the ruling classes tremble at a Communistic revolution. The proletarians have nothing to lose but their chains. They have a world to win. Workingmen of all countries unite!" (Marx and Engels 44)This would lead to the dictatorship of the proletariat between the fall of capitalism and the rise of communism.  It would be a democratic state using the basis of universal suffrage.   This democratic authority would set the foundation for the future communist society by taking private property and converting it to public land.  It would establish centralize control of banking, communication, and transport industries.  Also, eliminate inherited wealth and set up free public education. By doing these things the dictatorship of the proletariat would establish a utopia by taking control of the basic needs of everyone.  It would allow for increased leisure while improving the living conditions for the masses.  No one would go without and long-term security would be established by controlled economies that meet the demands of the society without overproduction or waste.  This ideal utopia would truly come to pass when the dictatorship of the proletariat would disassemble and become part of the utopian society, doing away with the last form of oppression by eliminating all states and government.            With such promises communism offered for the future of mankind, it was not surprising that many countries adopted this form of government in the 21st century. Communism was responsible for some of the greatest ideological movements in the history of civilization. Yet, failed to bring about the promises utopia that was envisioned but instead lead to great suffering and pain for the masses.  It stagnated economies from a lack of innovation, creativity, advancement, and progress, that capitalism fueled with economic free trade and competition.  It devalued individual contribution to the economy making everyone equal, unlike capitalism that rewards individual on contributing power, skill sets, and work ethic. This lead to massive shortages of goods and even starvation, unlike free markets under capitalism, that had an abundance of goods and food. Thus, causing some of the 21st centuries greatest humanitarian crises with untold suffering by the masses. True capitalism and free trade require voluntary transactions, while communism requires compliance and coerce. This lead to the dictatorship of proletariat becoming totalitarianism and brought with it corruption.  While most forms of government have corruption, democratic capitalism has checked and balances by limited government, individual freedom and competition in a free capitalist economy, unlike communism that did not embrace such proactive measures.   Thus, leading to thousands of deaths in the name of communism as the totalitarian government grew to take over every part of an individual’s life by forcing compliance.  Communism in real-world scenarios lead to the opposite of Marx ideal of a utopian world and instead created hell on earth. Capitalism is not perfect, but it is better than the alternatives of feudalism and communism. It has checks and balances that limit the power of government by preserving individual’s property and freedoms.  It promotes prosperity by encouraging free trade and competitive economy that drive the development of innovation. Thus, enabling mankind to achieve great advancements that improve the lives of the masses and there for a capitalist economy should be preserved at all cost.

Works CitedMarx, Karl, and Frederick Engels. Manifesto Of The Communist Party. New York: New York Labor News, 1908. E-Book.
Singer, Peter. Marx: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford University Press, 2001. Print.