Is the class warfare that Karl Marx talks
about today’s Middle Class verses the Wealthy? This certainly is debatable. Marx
discusses this relationship between the Proletarian, who is of the class of
workers who earn a living by selling and exchanging their labor power. The
Bourgeoisie are those who own the means of production and are in a relationship
with the Proletarian. This is what creates a socialist/capitalist economy. A
capitalist economy is a market economy with individual ownership of the means of
production. It is also a system of wage labor and commodity production. This Marxist methodology can be put
forth in explaining today’s society. The agenda that Barack Obama has for this
country is not an attempt to make a socialistic economy, but a way of equaling
the playing field between the middle class and the wealthy.
Barack Obama has an agenda to equalize the middle class. In doing so a
Marxist society is put forth. The wealthy being what Marx calls the Bourgeoisie
and the middle class being the Proletarian. Since, the wealthy or what Barack
Obama describes as“wealthy” are the individuals who own the means of production
which is the material resources that can be used to produce commodities and the
middle class being the labors. This relationship is exploiting and alienating as
Marx’s discusses throughout his work. The rich exploit the poor and the middle
class by not paying them a fair wage for their labor. This alienation that the
middle class experience is in four forms. 1.) They are alienated from the
process of work 2.) They are alienated from product of work 3.) They are
alienated from others 4.) They are alienated from their selves.
This process strips them from their being and they are unable to make
productive work due to this exploitation and alienation. The pictures (above)
describe this experience these individuals who are the working class feel in
America today. The cartoon describes Obama’s class warfare as a socialistic
move. That is he is raising the tax for the rich. This is controversial. In
doing this he gives the wealthy no incentive to make more money. According to
Marx, the wealthy will not try and increase their exchange value under the
threat of being taxed excessively.
In a Marxist society individuals’ time and effort have value, and the
incremental income is not worth the value of their time. Much of the wealthy
have what Marx would call “false consciousness,”which is the inability to see
where one’s class interests lie and not able to develop a class consciousness.
In Obama’s America, these people are the individuals who are considered wealthy
(pay taxes at the top of the bracket) yet believe they don’t make enough money
to be taxed so high. The only difference between Marx’s world and modern Western
society is that of labels: Working
Class vs. Proletariat, the Wealthy vs. the Bourgeoisie. Competition is needed to
maximize an individual’s ability to do productive work. Yet, unlike in today’s
society, it doesn’t need to be at the cost of another class of people.
The solutions to making a level playing ground are complex. Marxists
believe that all people were inherently good and wanted a fair market economy
and that simply is not true for today. Barack Obama has a good vision in mind.
No matter what side you are on. Obama is attempting to make America economically
fair and that should be rewarded in some respect.
about today’s Middle Class verses the Wealthy? This certainly is debatable. Marx
discusses this relationship between the Proletarian, who is of the class of
workers who earn a living by selling and exchanging their labor power. The
Bourgeoisie are those who own the means of production and are in a relationship
with the Proletarian. This is what creates a socialist/capitalist economy. A
capitalist economy is a market economy with individual ownership of the means of
production. It is also a system of wage labor and commodity production. This Marxist methodology can be put
forth in explaining today’s society. The agenda that Barack Obama has for this
country is not an attempt to make a socialistic economy, but a way of equaling
the playing field between the middle class and the wealthy.
Barack Obama has an agenda to equalize the middle class. In doing so a
Marxist society is put forth. The wealthy being what Marx calls the Bourgeoisie
and the middle class being the Proletarian. Since, the wealthy or what Barack
Obama describes as“wealthy” are the individuals who own the means of production
which is the material resources that can be used to produce commodities and the
middle class being the labors. This relationship is exploiting and alienating as
Marx’s discusses throughout his work. The rich exploit the poor and the middle
class by not paying them a fair wage for their labor. This alienation that the
middle class experience is in four forms. 1.) They are alienated from the
process of work 2.) They are alienated from product of work 3.) They are
alienated from others 4.) They are alienated from their selves.
This process strips them from their being and they are unable to make
productive work due to this exploitation and alienation. The pictures (above)
describe this experience these individuals who are the working class feel in
America today. The cartoon describes Obama’s class warfare as a socialistic
move. That is he is raising the tax for the rich. This is controversial. In
doing this he gives the wealthy no incentive to make more money. According to
Marx, the wealthy will not try and increase their exchange value under the
threat of being taxed excessively.
In a Marxist society individuals’ time and effort have value, and the
incremental income is not worth the value of their time. Much of the wealthy
have what Marx would call “false consciousness,”which is the inability to see
where one’s class interests lie and not able to develop a class consciousness.
In Obama’s America, these people are the individuals who are considered wealthy
(pay taxes at the top of the bracket) yet believe they don’t make enough money
to be taxed so high. The only difference between Marx’s world and modern Western
society is that of labels: Working
Class vs. Proletariat, the Wealthy vs. the Bourgeoisie. Competition is needed to
maximize an individual’s ability to do productive work. Yet, unlike in today’s
society, it doesn’t need to be at the cost of another class of people.
The solutions to making a level playing ground are complex. Marxists
believe that all people were inherently good and wanted a fair market economy
and that simply is not true for today. Barack Obama has a good vision in mind.
No matter what side you are on. Obama is attempting to make America economically
fair and that should be rewarded in some respect.