The Communist Manifesto - For those who say America isn't a communist country

I’ve seen many people on this site say that America isn’t a communist country, that Obama isn’t a communist, that libertarians or conservatives don’t understand communism. So, I propose to here lay out the case that (a) America has progressed significantly down the road to communism and (b) that Obama is a communist. All quotes are from Marx’s The Communist Manifesto, found here: [link to www.anu.edu.au]

Preamble

“The proletariat will use its political supremacy to wrest, by degree, all capital from the bourgeoisie, to centralize all instruments of production in the hands of the state, i.e., of the proletariat organized as the ruling class; and to increase the total productive forces as rapidly as possible.

Of course, in the beginning, this cannot be effected except by means of despotic inroads on the rights of property, and on the conditions of bourgeois production; by means of measures, therefore, which appear economically insufficient and untenable, but which, in the course of the movement, outstrip themselves, necessitate further inroads upon the old social order, and are unavoidable as a means of entirely revolutionizing the mode of production.”

Let me reword this: The working class will seize control of government through the democratic process, and will then use its power to seize all capital (wealth) from the middle class and the rich (together making up the “bourgeoisie”), to give the state complete control over the economy, and to increase production as quickly as possible. In the beginning, this must occur by means of violations of property rights. These violations will appear stupid from an economic point of view, but are necessary to completely recreate the economy and the nation.

Generally, have these things happened in America? I argue “yes”: the workers, through the Democrat Party, have seized government and made tens of millions dependent on them. – Government is used to seize the wealth of the middle class and the rich, and to transfer that wealth to the workers. – The State does have complete control over the economy, managing it through a number of departments centralized in the Federal Reserve’s control of the financial system. – These measures have been brought about through violations of property rights, most obviously through a vast array of taxes.

The Ten Planks of the Communist Party

“Nevertheless, in most advanced countries, the following will be pretty generally applicable.

Marx thinks that the specific steps necessary to bring about communism will vary from country to country. But these 10 steps are applicable in every country.

1. Abolition of property in land and application of all rents of land to public purposes.

This has been partially accomplished. Consider that all land property may be seized by eminent domain – no land is sacrosanct in the United States. Further, in large areas of the country, land ownership and use must respect zoning laws. In some States, privately owned land cannot be used as the owner wants, but must meet certain restrictions placed on owners by the State. For example, we all remember the famous case a few years ago of Oregon refusing to allow land owners to collect rain water on their own land. As to rents on land, although not all rent is applied to public purposes, much of it is through property tax and the like.

2. A heavy progressive or graduated income tax.

Obviously, this has been accomplished.

3. Abolition of all rights of inheritance.

Though inheritance is still permitted in the United States, many States have death taxes.

4. Confiscation of the property of all emigrants and rebels.

Although those leaving the United States do not lose their property, the Federal Government can tax them while they work in foreign countries. And obviously, anyone rebelling against the government faces the confiscation of all their property. Note that “rebels” can be interpreted broadly to include anyone suspected of federal or state crimes, as we have all seen in the case of NDAA and the new DHS measures.

5. Centralization of credit in the banks of the state, by means of a national bank with state capital and an exclusive monopoly.

This has been accomplished through the Federal Reserve System.

6. Centralization of the means of communication and transport in the hands of the state.

This has been accomplished in two ways. First, federal, state, and local governments directly control the majority of transportation systems in the country. Secondly, private transportation, primarily cars, are heavily regulated and licensed. As to communication, though most communication is privately owned, it is heavily regulated and licensed by the government. Finally, all communication is monitored by the government, either directly (NSA, CIA, FBI, etc.) or indirectly (Google, Microsoft, etc.).

7. Extension of factories and instruments of production owned by the state; the bringing into cultivation of waste lands, and the improvement of the soil generally in accordance with a common plan.

Factories and instruments of production, generally, are known as capital. The degree of state ownership of capital is vast. For example, all currency is printed and owned by the government. Bonds are central to the financial system, and are owned by government (bonds can be cancelled at any time). This principle can be extended, for example, by taking into account the Federal Reserves policy of purchasing assets – indeed, the Fed now owns billions if not trillions of dollars of market assets. Other government agencies engage in a similar policy – Fannie and Freddie, for instance, buy all US mortgages.

As to waste lands and soil, the government has contributed to their cultivation generally. Their sponsoring of the spread of railroads, for instance, was primarily driven by the desire to cultivate and regulate the Western Frontier.

8. Equal obligation of all to work. Establishment of industrial armies, especially for agriculture.

This has been partially accomplished. Regarding agriculture, the entire industry has been centralized through the vast federal agriculture takeover of the second half of the twentieth century (e.g. farming subsidies etc.).

9. Combination of agriculture with manufacturing industries; gradual abolition of all the distinction between town and country by a more equable distribution of the populace over the country.

This was one of Marx’s most utopian ideals, and has not been applied very generally in the US. However, the desire to spread the Eastern Seaboard population towards the West by means of transcontinental railroads in the late-19th century is one example of an attempt to bring this about.

10. Free education for all children in public schools. Abolition of children's factory labor in its present form. Combination of education with industrial production, etc.”

This has essentially been achieved. In particular, note how all education is now driven towards the creation of a subservient worker class for the sake of production, rather than an independent and intelligent middle class as was the aim of America’s private education system and liberal arts college system.

Afterword

In sum, then, Marx wrote The Communist Manifesto as a blueprint for the communist takeover of countries. His ten-step program has largely been completed in the United States: Property has been subjugated to government. – An income tax has been created. – Inheritance rights are regulated. – All property is subject to confiscation. – Credit, transportation, and communication have been centralized. – Capital, land, and agriculture have been subordinated to government. – The population has been spread throughout the US to varying degrees. – Education has been centralized and rendered “free.”

In every sense, then, the communist blueprint has successfully been applied in the United States. Obama and the Democrats are in agreement with all but the ninth plank of the Communist Party (and even then, who’s to say they don’t intend it?).

The communists have been successful in the United States. We should realize this, and act appropriately.