In the last 150 years, I‟m sure The CM has been picked over several times, and most of the criticisms I‟ve made have probable been levelled many times. I‟m actually surprised that now, in later life, I‟m finding so many criticisms myself, as I was a fan of Marx when I read him in school. I was an atheist then, whereas I now believe in God, if that makes any difference.
There are still further things I‟d like to pick on however. Does it really make sense to abolish all nations in favour of one global nation? What about sport, where competition is essential (although saying that, my sister-in-law recently tried to get me into a “communal” board game involving each player working together towards a collective goal, and there was definitely potential). What about the simple naming of areas – would each section have to be named “Section NW102” or something equally formal – surely Norway is prettier? (And one additional point – Marx mentions confiscating the property of all “emigrants and rebels” – how can there be emigrants if there is only 1 global nation? And rebels? Well, perhaps he did foresee some people objecting to the new system).
There are two things that have surprised me about the first 10 years of this century. The first is the continuation of guitar-based bands (and even the rise of folk, ffs!) – I thought it was going to be all synths and techno (space rock?), and along with that, the favouring of a “traditional” look in pubs (although I did read somewhere that at the start of a new century, there is often a switch to nostalgia in culture).
The other thing that took me completely by surprise was the increase in racism. Back at the turn of the millennium, it seemed like everyone was living as one. Maybe it was the drugs, but everyone seemed to be getting on fine, and I never thought racism would ever become accepted again like it is now. Maybe it didn‟t help when Britain went to war again. Six years ago, when still not (just about) everyone was online, and a while before facebook of course, I reported to my boss at the call centre I worked at, in a kind of hushed tone, that someone before me had been checking out the BNP website. Even people when smoking outside would sometimes mention the BNP and I just could not believe what I was hearing.
These days, the BNP is rife, and accepted, and no longer seem as abhorrent, which personally, I think is a disgrace. But is does just go to show that people involved in a class struggle are as likely to turn to the far-right as to the left, so unifying a class as one is always going to take a lot of work. I just hope that recent events around the world turn more people to the left (It is also worth mentioning that even Marx himself apparently saw a difference between people of developed nations and “barbarians” (that‟s the translation anyway) who he hoped could be converted to communism. Again, we‟re talking about a 19th century writer, but still, if he was unable to recognise a united human race, then this was going to be an obstacle for him).
My very final query is – what happens after the revolution? What happens if things don‟t go the way Marx might have foreseen or hoped? George Orwell of course famously depicts the way any power that overthrows another can quickly become like those they opposed (New Labour anyone?). I‟ve often thought Labour are better as an opposition party, but does it make sense to always be in opposition? It‟s a bit like saying Cardiff should remain in the Championship rather than gain promotion to the Premiership (2nd in the league, with 4 games to go as I write). Is life really all about struggle? Even the most down-and-out has got to have fun sometimes!
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