Communist Manifesto Study Guide by Young Communist League, USA...
THE COMMUNIST MANIFESTO A Study Guide of the Young Communist League, USA
For more information on other educational materials, contact the Education and Literature Committee at 646-437-5350 or visit www.yclusa.org!
FOR PEACE, JOBS, EDUCATION, AND SOCIALISM Dear Club Member, The Communist Manifesto is the most often read piece of communist literature. For many of us, it’s the first book or text that we read that brings the ideals of socialism and communism to our lives. The enclosed study guide for the Communist Manifesto will help you exam and discuss this important document. You will find questions, a set of definitions and charts for different sections to help you organize your thoughts and ideas. The questions within the study guide are meant to guide you, as the reader, to the important political, theoretical and philosophical aims of the Communist Manifesto. As you begin to read the Manifesto, we must remember the historical background and importance of the Manifesto. The Communist Manifesto lays out the theory and practice of placing the working class in the center of the class struggle. Marx and Engels were commissioned by the Communist League at its convention in 1847 to draft a programme for the League together. This programme, titled The Communist Manifesto, was first published on February 21st, 1848. The Manifesto is not meant to be in-depth. It is meant to have a broad view and cover a lot of ideas and concepts to start your thinking. It is not the end all, be all of communist thought (i.e. statements on women and religion). The Manifesto is, instead, a living document. Some of the ideas you may question and others you will find very relevant to your struggles today. During your study of the Manifesto, you will have to pick a facilitator or a few facilitators to help lead the discussions during the meetings. For the facilitator, we have enclosed a guide to help you lead the discussion. Ideally, you would leave time in your regular club meetings for the discussions but you can also schedule times outside of club meetings to discuss the book. We suggest that you use the edition of the Manifesto that is published by International Publishers. To order copies, you can go to IP’s website at www.intpubnyc.com or call 212-3669816. The IP price of the book is $2.50. At the bottom of the study guide you will find a feedback form for your club to fill out after you have gone through the study guide. Your feedback and suggestions are important to us and will help us ensure that our study guides are useful for your club. Please mail your suggestions to the national office at: YCL, 235 West 23rd street, New York, NY 10011 or email Adam at
[email protected]. Have fun reading, Education and Literature Committee, Young Communist League USA
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READER’S GUIDE Young Communist League, USA 235 West 23rd Street, 7th Floor New York, NY 10011 646-437-5345 212-229-1713 fax www.yclusa.org
Before you start reading, here are some questions to consider: 1. What is the Communist Manifesto? 2. Why do you think the Communist Manifesto is such a popular piece of literature? 3. Is the Communist Manifesto relevant to the issues we face today?
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Section I: Bourgeois and Proletarians 1. What are the main arguments and points of this section? 2. How is the class struggle the mover of history? 3. What are some of the stages of the class struggle that Marx and Engels talk about? 4. Who are the working class? Who are the bourgeoisie? Is class determined solely by how much you make? 5. What importance would Marx put on the labor movement and the struggle for worker’s rights today? Do unions and the labor movement create change in our society? If so, how? 6. Marx talks about the inherent problems of capitalism like over/under production and the boom-bust cycle. Do we see these problems today? Can capitalism fix them? 7. How is this section relevant to our understanding of capitalism today? 8. Why does Marx call the bourgeoisie revolutionary? 9. What are some of the specific features in the development of capitalism/bourgeois revolution?
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Section II: Proletarians and Communists 1. What are the main arguments and points of this section? 2. What is the unique role of the Communist Party in relation to the working class and the class struggle? 3. How does Marx define freedom under capitalism and under socialism? 4. Marx wrote about some of the myths about communism during his time. Do we see some of these today? How do we respond to these issues today? (see chart while reading this section) 5. How many of the points in the 10-point program have been achieved by the working class in your country? If some of the points have been achieved under capitalism, what does this fact tell you about the Communist Manifesto? Why is that some have been at least partially achieved, and yet some seem as far away as ever? 6. How is this section relevant to understanding the role and work of the Party and YCL today?
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Section III: Socialist And Communist Literature 1. What are the main arguments and points of this section? 2. Is Marxism utopian? Why or why not? 3. Do we see forms of bourgeois socialism today? Why aren’t countries that have bourgeois socialism Marxist?
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Section IV: Position of the Communists in Relation to the Various Existing Opposition Parties 1. What are the main arguments and points of this section? 2. How does our view of the Democratic Party today relate to what Marx wrote about the work of Communists during his time? 3. Marx and Engels talk about revolution through “forcible means”. Does this “force” have to be violent or include armed struggle? Are there non-violent paths to socialism? 4. How does this section summarize the entire Manifesto?
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Post Reading Questions: How will you answer these now that you have finished reading? Have your ideas changed? 1. What is the Communist Manifesto? 2. Why do you think the Communist Manifesto is such a popular piece of literature? 3. Is the Communist Manifesto relevant to the issues we face today?
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MYTHS AND FACTS ABOUT COMMUNISM MYTH Communism does away with personal property.
FACT
Communists want to dictate how people spend their hard earned money.
When Communism eliminates wage-labor, it will also get rid of work and production – creating a lazy, non-working society.
Communism will eliminate culture.
Communism will eliminate the family.
Communism will eliminate nations, nationalities and countries.
Communism will impede and negatively control education.
Communism is anti-religion.
Communism is undemocratic
Communism failed in the U.S.S.R. This proves that it is unpractical.
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KEY VOCABULARY Section I •
Bourgeoisie- the ruling class under capitalism; those that benefit from the fruits of labor of the working class. The class in capitalist society that owns the means of production (factories, tools, machinery, land, etc.) and exploits the labor power of the workers.
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Proletariat- the working class; the laborers compensated enough for bare existence and performance. The class in capitalist society that possesses only its labor power to sell to the bourgeoisie.
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Burghers- People who during the time of feudalism were freed from serfdom and lived in a borough (town) and had full political rights. These people were the beginnings of the bourgeoisie.
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Patriarchal- A system of society that perpetuates male supremacy where men are privileged over women.
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Unionism- organizing of a trade union movement and culture.
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Pauper- 1: a person destitute of means except such as are derived from charity; specifically: one who receives aid from funds designated for the poor 2: a very poor person
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Capital- the wealth that is produced by workers during the production process that is expropriated by the bourgeoisie and then re-invested in creating more wealth for the owners.
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Feudalism - the system of political organization prevailing in Europe from the 9th to about the 15th centuries having as its basis the relation of lord to serf with all land held in fee and as chief characteristics homage, the service of tenants under arms and in court, wardship, and forfeiture
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Capitalism - an economic system characterized by private or corporate ownership of capital goods, by investments that are determined by private decision, and by prices, production, and the distribution of goods that are determined mainly by competition in a free market
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Labour/Labor – purposeful and conscious human activity aimed at creating material values.
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Class - a group sharing the same economic or social status (the working class)
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Exploitation - to make use of meanly or unjustly for one's own advantage (exploiting migrant farm workers). Pay someone less than the value of his or her labor.
Section II •
Tautology- sole conclusion, self-evident truth
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Sectarian- describes a group that does not have broad appeal, acts divisively on very insignificant matters, and sets itself completely apart from everyone or everything else.
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Progressive or graduated income tax- a tax system where those who make more pay more in taxes as a percentage of their income than those who make less (ex: someone making 90,000 pays 10% of their income in taxes while someone making 10,000 only pays 1% of their income in taxes)
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Private property- the means of production (factories, farms, machinery, etc.) and private capital controlled by a few individuals at the expense of the majority. (This is different from personal property or possessions, which do not enable the owner to turn a profit off of the exploitation of another’s labor).
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Personal Property – economic relations concerning the appropriation by the society’s members of material values meant to meet personal requirements (shoes, shirt, house).
• Antagonism - Opposition of a conflicting force, tendency, or principle • Emigrant- Someone who leaves his or her own country to settle somewhere else. In the
Communist Manifesto, this is referring to people who would leave a country because they were opposed to the communist/socialist revolution.
Section III •
French Legitimists and Young Feudalists- organizations of feudal socialists (see footnotes for more detailed explanation)
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Socialism - system of social organization in which property and the distribution of income are subject to social control rather than individual determination or market forces. 2. The first phases of the communist mode of production, whose economic basis is social property in the means of production. It develops in a balanced way in the interests of the fullest possible satisfaction of the requirements of all members of the society and the allround development of the individual; material values under socialism are distributed on the principal of “From each according to his ability, to each according to his work”.
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Communism – 1. System of political and economic organization in which property is owned by the state or community and all citizens share in the common wealth, more or less according to their need. 2. A socio-economic formation based on social property in
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the means of production, the highest stage of mankind’s social progress, which ensures the full development of the individual. •
Robert Owen (1771-1858)- a leading English utopian Socialist. He envisioned a collective economic and social life organized in small communist communes, where property would be owned in common.
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Francois Charles Fourier (1772-1837)- a leading French utopian Socialist, who urged a system of colonies on a socialist plan. His criticism of bourgeois society was recognized as basic by both Marx and Engels.
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Claude Henri de Rouvroy Saint-Simon (1760-1825)- a leading French utopian Socialist who saw the labor question as the prime social question of the future and proposed as a solution the organization of production by “association”
* The endnotes in the back of the IP version contains some definitions and explanations of people, events and groups that are referenced in the Communist Manifesto that you might find helpful.
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FACILITATOR’S GUIDE Enclosed in this guide are the same questions that all the readers of this study guide have. It additionally has some suggested answers to the questions, directly below each question. These answers are only possible discussions that may come up; they are not the only answer. These possible answers are also here to help you if people are not sure how to answer the question. You as the facilitator can ask guiding questions based on the suggested answers or ask other appropriate questions. This guide is meant to be a tool to help you lead the discussion, it is not meant for you to read the answers to people but to enhance the discussion. For Section II there is a blank chart to help organize your reading. Please make sure your readers have copies before starting the section. You may want to use chart paper for that section to collect/share participant answers. When you are finished reading please evaluate this guide. You can do it individually or as a group. Please send your comments to the National Office. We hope this guide helps you have a great discussion as you read the Communist Manifesto together.
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Questions to ask before you start reading: 1. What is the Communist Manifesto? Personal Opinions 2. Why do you think the Communist Manifesto is such a popular piece of literature? Personal opinions 3. Is the Communist Manifesto relevant to the issues we face today? Personal opinions
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Section I: Bourgeois and Proletarians 1. What are the main arguments and points of this section? 1. An understanding of what the class struggle is and its importance of moving history 2. An understanding of the development of the bourgeoisie and the working class 3. An understanding of some of the inherent features of capitalism (free trade, globalization, boom-bust cycle) 4. An understanding that capitalism created the working class and needs the working class to exist 2. How is the class struggle the mover of history? History is about the struggle between the oppressed and the oppressor. In every society, there is a contest of power and struggle between these groups of people. One group tries to impose its will and creates a society that benefits itself while the other group struggles against the other class and its laws and rules. It is through this struggle that change (political, economic, cultural, etc) comes about within a society because eventually this struggle creates a situation where the old system is no longer able to function and something new is needed. For example, today, we see the struggle between the workers and capitalists over questions of free trade, wages, healthcare, housing, immigration and other issues. Individually, these different struggles will produce changes within our society. Also, these struggles will lead to a larger change where capitalism is no longer compatible with what the vast majority of people want and need. 3. What are some of the stages of the class struggle that Marx and Engels talk about? 1. Slave owning/slave holding- This pertains to ancient societies such as Greece, Rome, Mesopotamian societies, Egypt and other ancient societies. In these societies, slave labor was the foundation for commerce and production. Everything from the food that was eaten, to the roads that were built to the clothes that people wore were made by slave labor. There was some commerce and individual production but the vast majority of things were created by slaves. All of the institutions of the society were based on this foundation. This is different than the slavery that existed in the South pre-Civil War era where the slave-owning states were part of a larger political system that was not dependent on non-wage earning (slave) labor. 2. Feudalism- Instead of people being owned as property to make goods, it was the land that was privately owned to produce a profit. Feudal lords and ladies owned the land that was worked by people (the serfs). The serfs had to give a percentage of their crops or goods created back to the lord for use of the land and the instruments of labor. The serfs were never able to own their own land or instruments of labor. There were some small cities and towns that had merchants and were based on trade but the main source of 15
production of goods and wealth was through the relationship between serfs and feudal lords. 3. Capitalism- Instead of land being used to generate wealth, it is the private ownership of capital (factories, banks, etc) that is used to generate wealth. The workers are no longer tied to the land or indebted to a lord, but are forced to sell their labor power to the capitalists in order to survive. The capitalists use the labor power of the workers to generate their wealth and profits. This form of production is the dominant and near universal way that wealth is created under capitalism. 4. Who are the working class? Who are the bourgeoisie? Is class determined solely by how much you make? 1. The bourgeoisie (aka the capitalists) are the few people who own all of the means of production. They create their wealth through the profits generated through the factories that they own. They buy the labor of workers to create this wealth. 2. The proletariat (aka the working class) are the masses of people who are forced to sell their labor to make a living. We are paid a wage by the capitalist for our labor. Class is not solely determined by how much you make. It is determined by your relationship to the means of production: Do you own the factory or do you work in the factory? If you don’t own the means of production, then you are a member of the working class no matter what your wage is. Union members, Wal-Mart workers, doctors, day laborers, farm workers and construction workers are all members of the working class. If you are paid a wage for working, then you are a member of the working class. CEO’s may earn a wage for what little work they do, but their main source of wealth and income is off the profits generated through their stocks and profits from the workers that work in their factories. 5. What importance would Marx put on the labor movement and the struggle for workers’ rights today? Do unions and the labor movement create change in our society? If so, how? Marx would say that the trade union movement in the United States is important because it gives the workers organizations which to fight against the capitalists for their rights. It also helps unionists get involved with political struggle through union participation since “every class struggle is a political struggle” (p.18) [IP version]. Marx also talks about how unions make change through “legislative recognition of particular interests of workers.” Today our union movement is highly involved in the legislative process to not only protect what workers have won but to advance the struggle against the capitalists to win new gains for workers.
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6. Marx talks about the inherent problems of capitalism like over/under production and the boom-bust cycle. Do we see these problems today? Can capitalism fix them? We still see these problems today and they are getting worse year after year. We are still recovering from the last “boom-bust” cycle that exploded in the early 2000’s with the “dot.com” bust. These features are caused by the inherent drive to maximize profits. Capitalists see a profit being made in the production of a certain product and push to make as much of that thing as possible. Eventually, demand dries up and there is a lot of this particular thing out there that isn’t sold and lots of people making the product that are eventually laid off or have their wages cut. This creates the same effect throughout the rest of the economy and we go into what is called a “recession.” Capitalism can’t fix these features because it is a part of the system itself. It can create temporary solutions that act as a band-aid but don’t actually fix the problem. 7. How is this section relevant to our understanding of capitalism today? This section discusses many of the things that we see today from over/under production, the boom-bust cycle to free trade and globalization. Marx and Engels give a very accurate and relevant description of free trade and globalization on pages 12 and 13 (IP version) to what we are facing today. It gives us an understanding of how capitalism developed out of feudalism and gives us an idea of how capitalism developed to where it is today. 8. Why does Marx call the bourgeoisie revolutionary? Marx calls the bourgeoisie revolutionary because they revolutionized and changed society. Mass changes have already been made under capitalism, living standards are better than in the feudal system, the system that preceded capitalism. The bourgeoisie also fought for and won huge changes in government, public policy and political and social ideology that have radically changed society from what it was under the feudal system. 9. What are some of the specific features in the development of capitalism/bourgeois revolution? 1. The development of two distinct classes. 2. Free trade, there are always new and better things being developed. 3. Over/under production and the boom-bust cycle. 4. Rapid industrial growth. 5. Private property.
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Section II: Proletarians and Communists 1. What are the main arguments and points of this section? 1. An understanding of the role of the Communist Party i. Part of the working class; not separate ii. Works for the immediate needs of the working class and long term vision of socialism iii. The most advanced section of the working class iv. Has no interests outside the interests of the working class 2. A review of some of the myths and misconceptions of communism during Marx’s time 2. What is the unique role of the Communist Party in relation to the working class and the class struggle? The Communist Party is the most advanced section of the working class. The CP is part of the working class; not separate from the working class. The political aims of the Communist Party are the same as the working class. This means we must work on the immediate needs and issues that face working people today. We, as Communists, must also be active and participating in all of the struggles that working people are in. We can’t have interests and ideas that are separate and apart from the interests and needs of working people. Also, while working on the immediate needs, we are building the working class movement and moving forward to socialism. As Communists, our conclusions and ideas come from real, existing conditions. We don’t just create our own theory out of thin air, but it comes from analyzing existing conditions as they are. 3. How does Marx define freedom under capitalism and under socialism? Marx defines freedom under capitalism as the freedom to buy, sell and exploit. Freedom is essentially only available to the bourgeoisie. Working people are not free. We don’t have the right to a job, to an education, to quality housing or healthcare. We aren’t able to fully participate in our political process where only the wealthy can afford to run for office and where there are so many restrictions on our ability to vote. We are free to be exploited by the capitalists. Under socialism, we would have true democracy. We would have the right to a job, to join a union, to universal quality education and healthcare and the ability to own a home. In the US, we advocate for a “Bills of Rights Socialism” that expands and deepens the Bill of Rights and extends it to all people. We would be able to fully participate in the political process. We would have working people who would be in office and we would all be able to vote.
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4. Marx wrote about some of the myths about communism during his time. Do we see some of these today? How do we respond to these issues today? (see chart while reading this section) Have people fill in chart and discuss the different answers and opinions. 5. When Marx says the aim of Communists is to abolish private property, what does he mean by this? * Private property: the means of production (factories, farms, machinery, etc.) and private capital controlled by a few individuals at the expense of the majority. * Personal Property: property that you own to meet your own individual needs and desires (a car, an ipod, a Xbox360). These are personal items that you own and buy. These are different from private property because you are not able to use them to exploit someone else and make a profit. * He is not trying to give away your personal property - house, your shoes, etc. but to make public things like hospitals, factories, banks, etc. 6. How many of the points in the 10-point program have been achieved by the working class in your country? If some of the points have been achieved under capitalism, what does this fact tell you about the Communist Manifesto? Why is that some have been at least partially achieved, and yet some seem as far away as ever? Personal Opinion 7. How is this section relevant to understanding the role and work of the Party and YCL today? This section gives a brief beginning on the role and work of the Party and the YCL. It is relevant to how we see ourselves in the broader movement and what our role is. We should always be striving to bring working class people, organizations and needs into the areas of struggle that we are involved in. We should be championing the working class and bring a working class analysis and perspective to the issues we face. This section lays out the idea of the need to work on the immediate needs of working people while keeping the long term vision of socialism in our mind. If we want to build working class power, then we need to get working people involved in the issues facing us and be there at the front lines of the struggles. We must be involved in every struggle that working people are in. We need to be working side by side with other working people to build our movement. We are not separate, apart from nor above working people. This is why we are involved in the trade union movement, women’s movement, the peace movement and other struggles. This is also why we work with unions and other working class organizations.
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This section lays out the foundation of our analysis. We must look at what is actually happening on the ground and form our conclusions and course of action from this. We can’t just take positions and hold actions that sound good or are the most radical. We have to actually look at what is possible to move the whole working class forward.
Section III: Socialist and Communist Literature 1. What are the main arguments and points of this section? Most of this section is outdated. This section was dedicated to discussing the differing trends among socialist thinkers during Marx’s time and worked to set Marx and Engel’s ideology apart from the rest. We don’t see forms of feudal socialism, petty bourgeois socialism or German “True” socialism today. This section also recognizes the contributions of utopian socialists on the development of modern socialism. 2. Is Marxism utopian? Why or why not? Marxism is not utopian because it does not start from an ideal or “utopian” world that does not have a basis in reality. Utopians want to create a world where there is no conflict and everyone gets along, but do not have a way to achieve it. They simply say “well, if people lived like this, then everything would be great.” The utopians also do not have a class analysis for why things are wrong in society; they see the problems and create a fantasy world that would cure the ailments of society. Marxism is fully based in reality and has a class analysis for what is going on. While we have a vision of what a socialist/communist world might look like, we do not base it on a fantasy or say “if socialism looks like this, then everything will be great.” We don’t say that simply by having socialism, all of the problems will go away or that a socialist society would be free of problems. 3. Do we see forms of bourgeois socialism today? If so, why aren’t these countries socialist in the Marxist sense? Example countries – Sweden, Denmark, etc. they have social programs but are not really socialist countries. They have social reforms that have helped to deal with some of the problems that capitalism creates, but they have not solved the problems. These countries still have private property, which does not benefit society as a whole. In these countries the ruling class is the bourgeoisie, not the working class.
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Section IV: Position of the Communists in Relation to the Various Existing Opposition Parties 1. What are the main arguments and points of this section? This section acts as a summarization of the entire book. It brings together the different strains of thought and arguments together and outlines in a very general and broad way how to put them into practice. Marx discusses how the different Communist Parties should act and what their relationship is to other existing democratic parties at the time. 2. How does our view of the Democratic Party today relate to what Marx wrote about the work of Communists during his time? Marx, in his discussion of the different Communist Parties of his time and the situation they faced, is similar to the situation we face here at home. We work with the working class to achieve the immediate needs of working people (the fight for higher wages, unionization, healthcare, quality public education, etc) while at the same time keeping our eyes and attention on building a movement towards socialism. In our political work, we have the assessment that the main opponent to building towards socialism now is the ultra-right. In calling for the fight against reaction, Marx discusses some of the parties that Communists should ally with to win immediate gains and to build towards socialism in different countries. Here today, we see this played out with our fight against the ultraright and taking the analysis that we need to build a Democratic majority in Congress as a step towards defeating the power of the ultra-right. The Democrats are the only political party that can effectively challenge the policies and program of the ultra-right. They are also the Party with ties to the different movements that are needed for social change: the labor movement, the racially/nationally oppressed, youth and women. We work with Democrats while at the same time being critical of bad policies and positions that they take and having no illusions about whom they ultimately represent (the capitalists and corporate interests). In the case of Germany, Marx talks about communists working with the bourgeoisie but at the same time “instill[ing] into the working class the clearest possible recognition of the hostile antagonisms between bourgeoisie and proletariat”. This is what the Communist Party does today. We work with the Democrats against the ultra-right and Republicans, while at the same time agitating for socialism. We know that the Democrats won’t bring about socialism. While working with the Democrats, we are also working to build towards an independent, labor-led party that has the interests of working people at hand that can work to challenge the power of the Republicans and Democrats.
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3. Marx and Engels talk about revolution through “forcible means”. Does this “force” have to be violent or include armed struggle? Are there non-violent paths to socialism? The issue of “force” and what it means is a complicated issue. During Marx’s time and at the writing of the Communist Manifesto, he probably did mean armed struggle because of the conditions and political situation that working people faced at that time. However, over time and as new conditions and spaces for political struggle opened up, even Marx said there could be a non-violent path to socialism (particularly in the case of the United States). The use of armed struggle for violence is a tactic, not a strategy to getting to socialism. People have to look at and gauge whether this or that tactic is the most appropriate to achieve an objective. Today, armed struggle and a violent path to socialism is not a tactic that would be successful in the United States. Here in the U.S., we have a history of non-violent democratic struggle that has led to massive changes. We also have the most advanced military in the world that is capable of doing immense damage and destruction. When discussing “force,” there can be non-violent forms of force that achieve the same goal. We will have to use our political force in asserting our demands and pushing forward towards socialism. Our political force can be manifested in many different ways that are non-violent and don’t include armed struggle, but achieve the same goals. While we can’t predict the future or how events will turn out, the CP and YCL are committed to creating a non-violent path to socialism that mobilizes the millions of working people to use our political force to create change in our country. 4. How does this section summarize the entire Manifesto? This section brings together the different parts of thought that Marx and Engels lay out in the Communist Manifesto into a call to action. They put the theories presented (an understanding of capitalism and capitalist development, the need for an objective analysis of current conditions, the fight for the immediate needs while looking towards socialism) into a plan of action of how to engage in the political struggle in different countries. It reinforces and puts the ideas into some kind of practical use in everyday political struggle.
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MYTHS AND FACTS ABOUT COMMUNISM MYTH Communism does away with personal property.
Communists want to dictate how people spend their hard earned money.
When Communism eliminates wage-labor, it will also get rid of work and production – creating a lazy, non-working society.
FACT
Communism does not do away with personal property. Communism does away with private property- property owned by individuals and used to make a profit such as factories and banks. People will be able to have and cultivate personal property items like cars, TVs and ipods.
Communists do not try to dictate how people spend the money they earn. Instead, communists want their money to pay for living expenses and to enhance and enrich their lives. In a nutshell, instead of sending all your hard earned cash back to the bourgeoisie via your landlord, banker etc, you can spend on things that enrich your life like vacations, gardening, art etc.
Communism will not eliminate culture. Our current culture is a condition of Capitalism and has long been established to enhance this economic system. The culture that springs from the rise of Communism will similarly enhance those conditions. Communism will do away with a culture based on class differences and exploitation, it will not completely eliminate culture.
Communism does not aim to eliminate the family. It does aim to abolish family relations based on private capital gain such as viewing women and children as the property of the husband. Communism seeks to create families based upon mutual respect, equality and support between all members of the family.
Communism will eliminate culture.
Communism will eliminate the family.
Communism will eliminate nations, nationalities and countries. Communism will impede and negatively control education.
Communism does not aim to abolish nations/countries. Under Communism, there will be international solidarity and friendship between all peoples of the world. This does not mean that your self-identity will be taken away.
If teaching critical thought is negative, so be it. “The Communists have not invented the intervention of society into education; they do but seek to alter the character of that intervention, and to rescue education from the influence of the {bourgeois} ruling class”.
In Marx’s time, he saw religion as a way to make people conform and as a tool of oppression. Religion today, many times, is used as a tool of oppression. The religious right in our country is one example. However, Communists do not seek to get rid of religion. Instead, Communists view religion as a private affair.
Communism is anti-religion.
Communism is undemocratic
Communism failed in the U.S.S.R. This proves that it is unpractical.
Work and Production will still exist under Communism, though they will not be based on wage-labor. Wage-labor is not what motivates people to be productive. This is proven even now under capitalism when those who work the most get the least and those that work the least get the most. People will still work, and probably enjoy it more if their work and livelihood are not so tied to a wage. Work will be a way to expand your creativity rather than something you do to pay your bills.
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Communism is an economic system whereas democracy is a political system. Both compliment each other well and are desirable. There have been examples of undemocratic capitalist and socialist countries. However, unlike capitalism, Communism enhances democracy throughout all of society, including economic relations. Communism calls for a “vast association of the whole nation”. Each country must find its own path to socialism and communism. This path and process will look different for each country. The history of the USSR is complex and was just one of the many different countries that tried and continue to build socialism in their own way.
Feedback Form ** When completed, please mail to: Education Department-YCLUSA 235 West 23rd Street NY, NY 10011 **
Club Name: _________________________________ How many sessions did you use to cover the Manifesto?
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Do you feel the charts and diagrams provided in the study guide help the readers focus their ideas while reading?
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