Need Help understanding Manifesto

[mentalbunny]

I was reading my Communist Manifesto, since it's been ages since I last did (and then I only read about a third of it) and I found a bit that I needed help with:


To be a capitalist is to have not only a purely personal, but a social status in production. Capital in a collective product, and only by the united action of many members, nay, in the last reosrt, only by the united action of all memebers of society, can it be set in motion.

Capital is therefore not only personal; it is a social power.

When, therefore, capital is converted into common property, into the properly of all members of society, personal property in not thereby changed. It loses its class character.

Please can you explain what it means by social status and power. Basically can you try rewriting it so I might understand, because at the moment, I don't have a clue on this bit.

Thanks in advance.

[Pete]

The Manifesto feels so archaic to read, honestly, I find it a pain when I try to re read it.

To be a capitalist is to have not only a purely personal, but a social status in production. Capital in a collective product, and only by the united action of many members, nay, in the last reosrt, only by the united action of all memebers of society, can it be set in motion.

Wealth is sign of social status to capitalists, as the can show themselves as socially superior since they own the means of production and can do what they want with it. In a collectized workplace, like a factory, the wealth must be used on something which the consensus agrees with, no one can claim social superiority for making the final decision.

Capital is therefore not only personal; it is a social power.

Wealth, then, isn't just power over my one's self, but power over other people as well.

When, therefore, capital is converted into common property, into the properly of all members of society, personal property in not thereby changed. It loses its class character.

When wealth becomes collectivized, personal property is not physically changed. Instead it no longer holds and social status, having three cars does not make you superior to someone without any cars basically.


That is a personal translation.

Pete

[mentalbunny]

Thanks, very heplful.

Anyone else got anything to add?

[guerrillaradio]

Originally posted by [email protected] 1 2004, 05:16 PM
Anyone else got anything to add?
Go anarchist.

[The Feral Underclass]

To be a capitalist is to have not only a purely personal, but a social status in production. Capital in a collective product, and only by the united action of many members, nay, in the last reosrt, only by the united action of all memebers of society, can it be set in motion.

Pretty much what Pete said. Capitalists control the means of production. They decide how it is run and how the workers act within it.


Capital is therefore not only personal; it is a social power.

Therefore capital is not just having personal property ie in having a car it is a social power meaning it can be used by indeviduals to shape and organize society. Having this social power gives them the ability to exploit.


When, therefore, capital is converted into common property, into the properly of all members of society, personal property in not thereby changed. It loses its class character.

When the workers, being a majority, control the means of production, property does not become something which indeviduals can use to be powerful. It becomes something that everyone can enjoy and use without being exploited.