Greetings Comerade American!
Been re-reading the Communist Manifesto lately to remind myself of its contents. Originally it was for a research paper, but that is long past.
I came to the end of a chapter and realized (again) just how much closer we (America) are to Marx's vision than the USSR ever was.
Marx lays out 10 tennants for implementing communism in advanced countries.
"1.)Abolition of property in land and application of all rents of land to public purposes." = Property Tax, Eminent domain.
"2. A heavy Progressive or graduated income tax." = april 15th
"3. Abolition of all right of inheritance." = Estate Tax/Death Tax, Gift Tax. The rates aren't at 100% yet, but they are halfway there (literally)
"4. Confiscation of the property of all emigrants and rebels." = Patriot act section 806
"5. Centralisation of credit in the hands of the state, by means of a national bank with state capital and an exclusive monopoly." = Federal Reserve, IRS, and while credit isn't fully in the hands of the state, the credit card companies are far from free with what they can do.
"6. Centralisation of the means of communication and transport in the hands of the state." = FCC, Dept. of Transportation
"7. Extension of factories and instruments of production owned by the state; bringing into cultivation of waste lands, and the improvement of the soil generally in accordance with a common plan." = EPA, Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service etc
"8. Equal obligation of all to work. Establishment of industrial armies, especially for agriculture." = We haven't fully implemented this step, largely because our industrial armies are mechanical, only requiring a few humans to operate and maintain them, and keep the production levels high. This allows more workers to persue more gainfull activities for the state. However there is an "equal obligation of all to work". Its often refered to as consumerism. ;)
"9. Combination of agriculture with manufacturing industries; gradual abolition of all the distinction between town and country by a more equable distribution of the population over the country." = We have somewhat rejected this idea. Spread out populations are harder to keep under control. Concentration of individuals allows for mass indoctrination and easy elimination if control is ever lost.
"10. Free education for all children in public schools. Abolition of children's factory labour in its present form. Combination of education with industrial production, etc." = Dept. of Education, and Subsidized vocational schools.
It's amusing to me just how we have managed to create this functional and productive facist/communist state, all the while rallying against facism and communism. Making the world safe for democracy, by spreading our own version of communism. Its hilarious. Sometimes I swear there is someone planning all this. The increasing medocrity of public officials, especially the presidential candidates, in an effort to cause the public to become disheartened with their voting rights, all the while making the governmental process so backward and complicated that the average voter can't take the time to understand all its workings, much less participate, so that slowly the entire populace simply wants the government to keep running so long as their lives aren't affected much by its machinery. The conversion of Americans from bold free men to complacent slaves. It's utterly brilliant yet tragic in its outcome, proving that even the nobleist endevours in government will fail due to human nature.
I came to the end of a chapter and realized (again) just how much closer we (America) are to Marx's vision than the USSR ever was.
Marx lays out 10 tennants for implementing communism in advanced countries.
"1.)Abolition of property in land and application of all rents of land to public purposes." = Property Tax, Eminent domain.
"2. A heavy Progressive or graduated income tax." = april 15th
"3. Abolition of all right of inheritance." = Estate Tax/Death Tax, Gift Tax. The rates aren't at 100% yet, but they are halfway there (literally)
"4. Confiscation of the property of all emigrants and rebels." = Patriot act section 806
"5. Centralisation of credit in the hands of the state, by means of a national bank with state capital and an exclusive monopoly." = Federal Reserve, IRS, and while credit isn't fully in the hands of the state, the credit card companies are far from free with what they can do.
"6. Centralisation of the means of communication and transport in the hands of the state." = FCC, Dept. of Transportation
"7. Extension of factories and instruments of production owned by the state; bringing into cultivation of waste lands, and the improvement of the soil generally in accordance with a common plan." = EPA, Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service etc
"8. Equal obligation of all to work. Establishment of industrial armies, especially for agriculture." = We haven't fully implemented this step, largely because our industrial armies are mechanical, only requiring a few humans to operate and maintain them, and keep the production levels high. This allows more workers to persue more gainfull activities for the state. However there is an "equal obligation of all to work". Its often refered to as consumerism. ;)
"9. Combination of agriculture with manufacturing industries; gradual abolition of all the distinction between town and country by a more equable distribution of the population over the country." = We have somewhat rejected this idea. Spread out populations are harder to keep under control. Concentration of individuals allows for mass indoctrination and easy elimination if control is ever lost.
"10. Free education for all children in public schools. Abolition of children's factory labour in its present form. Combination of education with industrial production, etc." = Dept. of Education, and Subsidized vocational schools.
It's amusing to me just how we have managed to create this functional and productive facist/communist state, all the while rallying against facism and communism. Making the world safe for democracy, by spreading our own version of communism. Its hilarious. Sometimes I swear there is someone planning all this. The increasing medocrity of public officials, especially the presidential candidates, in an effort to cause the public to become disheartened with their voting rights, all the while making the governmental process so backward and complicated that the average voter can't take the time to understand all its workings, much less participate, so that slowly the entire populace simply wants the government to keep running so long as their lives aren't affected much by its machinery. The conversion of Americans from bold free men to complacent slaves. It's utterly brilliant yet tragic in its outcome, proving that even the nobleist endevours in government will fail due to human nature.
posted by -V at 3:10 PM
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