The Marxist Ideal Cannot Work Essay -- essays research papers

The Marxist ideal, a highly appealing, almost Utopian society, is impossible to achieve due to the fact that it demands that the human mind be almost without flaws. It asks of society and its members to be absolutely without ranks, without greed or leadership. This has been clearly impossible for society. Each step to achieving a communist establishment has been, continues to be, and will be, in actuality, a step towards the totalitarian societies of past and current so-called communist countries. Communism became popular solely in under-developed countries, contrary to Marx's beliefs as to what should happen, and its rise in these countries was the beginning of its fall. Marx believed that the only way to overthrow capitalism was to create a revolution of the proletariat and in essence this revolution carries the cause even farther away from true communism. Equality is the next issue that Marx tackled, and in the communist ideal, it is absolutely crucial. In the real world of distorted ideologies, it hovers in the background. The ultimate in communist ideologies, however, is that eventually there will be no need for government. This essay will illustrate how, as communist societies in the real world progress, nothing could be further from the truth. Currently, communism, as exercised in the few Communist countries left in the world, is far from the Marxist ideal. From its beginnings to the present day and into the future, communism has become distorted into something that would be Marx's worst nightmare. Due to "quirks" in the human mind that just can't seem to be worked out, the Marxist ideal simply cannot work. Marx's prediction was that communism would prevail in the highly industrialized countries of Western Europe. Instead, it took place in Russia, a country troubled by its corrupt head of state. By definition a Communist revolt demanded an industrialized country as its focus, where a militant and organized proletariat had had a chance to develop. The revolution of 1917, however, exploded in Czarist Russia, one of the most backward countries in Europe.i Russia in the early 20th century was mainly agricultural, rather than industrial, but through their exasperation and strong leadership, the Communists prevailed. The head of stat... ...the ideal. However, Marx underestimated the way in which the human mind works. Without a doubt, the flaws in the minds of the leaders of the communist states that have existed, and continue to exist, have ensured that this ideal will never be realized. From the very beginnings of a communist state's existence, to the revolution that brings it about, to the equality that it lacks, and the impossibility of the ultimate ideal, Marx's vision is being distorted the whole way through the process. In theory, communism is a good idea. However, it fails to anticipate the flaws of the human mind. It is a good idea that doesn't work out well in practice. i Ellis, Harry B. (1972). Ideals and Ideologies: Communism, Socialism, and Capitalism. Nelson, Foster and Scott Ltd. Pg. 31 ii Marx, Karl and Engels, Friedrich. (1964). The Communist Manifesto. Monthly Review Press. Pg. 25. iii Ellis, Harry B. (1972). Ideals and Ideologies: Communism, Socialism, and Capitalism. Nelson, Foster and Scott Ltd. Pg. 31 iv Ellis, Harry B. (1972). Ideals and Ideologies: Communism, Socialism, and Capitalism. Nelson, Foster and Scott Ltd. Pg. 36