The Communist Manifesto, written by Karl Marx and Frederick Engels in 1848, discussed the outcomes of the Industrial Revolution and Capitalism. Marx and Engel wrote that there has always been the oppressor and the oppressed; this time, it is a new class, the Bourgeois and the Proletarians. They will always find themselves in conflict with one another until there is a revolution to overthrow the oppressors (Marx & Engels, 1848). This manifesto was criticized by many sociologists for years. However, after almost 150 years, the predictions of this manifesto started actualizing. In his article, Yanis Varoufakis outlines those predictions, and this essay will discuss a few of them.
According to the manifesto, the Industrial Revolution would distance people from each other, and in the long run, it would ruin relationships. This has transpired in our age as technological advancements have confined us to our rooms, and people have a problem maintaining relationships. The Bourgeois in modern society are the politicians, celebrities, bankers, etc., as they have accumulated more wealth than they need. The Proletarians are the rest of the world that are struggling to live and provide better lives. Just like the manifesto predicted, everyone is now becoming aware of this financial imbalance and is slowly standing against the Bourgeois of the present times. The rich are also becoming aware of the damage they have done to the economy and are now struggling with mental health issues. Every other day, we read articles about celebrities and other people of high social standing struggling to cope with anxiety. With the age of the internet, we are becoming aware of inequality and oppression faced by others. This awareness helps people take action and stand against injustice. In recent years, many movements, such as gay rights, the feminist movement, and Black Lives Matter, have been carried out against oppression, actualizing many predictions of the manifesto (Varoufakis, 2018).
References
Marx, K., & Engels, F. (1848). The Communist Manifesto. Pluto Press. https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt183p7wb
Varoufakis, Y. (2018, April 20). Yanis Varoufakis: Marx predicted our present crisis – and points the way out. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/news/2018/apr/20/yanis-varoufakis-marx-crisis-communist-manifesto
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