One thing I don't get about the communist manifest

[FidelCastro]

Perhaps I am wrong or misguided but the book throughout talks about getting rid of the middle class, taking their money and dividing, where to spend it, how to spend it. All they talk about is what to do with the middle class's money. If a utopian communist society existed, there would be no money and that is pretty much the main goal of every communist. The book only talks about money but when we achieve the society of no money, what does the book say to do next? There is nothing in there really about immigrants or sexuality. I find that sort of wierd.

[danny android]

Das Kapital is a larger work of marx which describes some of what you are talking about. Also immigrants and sexuality weren't really big issues at the time so they weren't discussed. Not to mention it is a very small book, so Marx couldn't include a whole lot in it.

[FidelCastro]

thats true what i was trying to point out was the irony of a book talks about hating capitalism but only talks about money.

[danny android]

I don't really see the irony in that. I socialist nation has money, which is what Marx is mainly talking about in the manifesto.

[violencia.Proletariat]

the manifesto doesnt really talk about "communism" what you are talking about is socialism. it was written, aside from the class analysis, for the specific material conditions at the time. therfore they points of "what to do" dont really apply today.

[NovelGentry]

I'd like to know what kind of shrooms you were on when you were reading the Manifesto. I rarely recall the term money being used, let alone repeatedly with reference to dividing the middle class. Could you quote the part you're having trouble with?

[Sir Aunty Christ]

The manifesto was written quite early on in Marx's career. It's more of an analysis if capitalism and the phases of history. This is why you perceive it as talking about money - because communism hasn't happened yet. In fact, 1848 was still quite early in the capitalist phase. Germany still hadn't even fully emerged from feudalism yet.

The reason why Marx didn't what a communist society would be like is that he wasn't a "utopian" socialist. In fact, he criticised utopian socialists for not having a scientific basis - they didn't understand how history worked. They just had ideas which they implemented without any thought as to whether this was "the right time." This isn't to say that Marx disagreed with their aims. He did agree, but Marx's theory was based on materialism whereas utopian social was more akin to idealism.

If you're interested in what Marx had to say about post-capitalist society, I suggest reading The Civil War in France (http://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1871/civil-war-france/index.htm) which is his analysis of the Paris Commune and/or Critique of the Gotha Programme (http://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1875/gotha/index.htm) where he touches on the subject of justice and criticises reformism.

[FidelCastro]

Ahh I see, thanks for the info