Karl Marx Project

[rspassey]

Well I now have a partner project for my modern history class and we have to campaing following the ideas of a certain revoltionary thinker or a person who had strong political ideas.
We got Karl Marx, and we need to pretend to be him and write a speech to the class (yes another speech - if you read my other thread on english speech) and we cant come up with a good politcal slogan that is catchy and will make people want to vote for us.

Got any good ideas for a campaign slogan for Karl Marx and communism?

thanks,
ryan124712

[David M]

Yes...

"Everybody should be equally poor" (except for the highest ranking party members)

"You pretend to work...We pretend to pay you"

"Stifle innovation...vote for us!"

"Don't be a capitalist pig....vote Marxist!"

"Hate religion? See government as the ultimate authority?...vote for Karl!"

"Let us run your life for you...you obviously can't think for yourself."


I hope your teacher is not a Marxist :)

[Jaggannath]

"You pretend to work...We pretend to pay you"

I thought this was capitalism... ah well :D

[rspassey]

Nice, I think we might pick one of those to use.
thanks

[David M]

I have just one more...

"Tired of having more than one candidate to vote for?...Vote Marxist Party"

[thefultonhow]

Frankly, if you're supposed to be "campaigning" Marx's ideas, wouldn't you not want to put a negative spin on them? Regardless of your political views, the point of this project seems to be to portray the thinker's ideas in a positive or at least neutral light.

My ideas:

"From each according to his means; to each according to his needs."
"The meek shall inherit the earth." (Explanation: Marx thought that the proletariat -- the poor and working-class people -- would overthrow the industrialists who ran everything under capitalism.)

If you do some reasearch into Marx's ideas, especially those behind The Communist Manifesto and Das Capital, I'm sure you'll find more ideas for slogans.

[doctorgonzo]

Read The Communist Manifesto. It is a short and quick read (that was the point of it).

Unless your teacher gives good grades for sarcasm instead of real knowledge on the subject, the other slogans aren't going to work. The purpose of the project is probably to get you to understand and explain the philosophy, not to explain what contemporary Americans think of it.

[David M]

This could turn political if not already. But I think its justified in this case in order to help Ryan with hs project. Agreed Panama? :D

Read The Communist Manifesto. It is a short and quick read (that was the point of it).

Unless your teacher gives good grades for sarcasm instead of real knowledge on the subject, the other slogans aren't going to work. The purpose of the project is probably to get you to understand and explain the philosophy, not to explain what contemporary Americans think of it.

It's not just Americans, its pretty much the whole world except a small percentage of people who still think there is a way of making it work.

My wife originlly came from Romania and she says it was living hell living under Socialism/Communism/Marxism...and I believe her.

Ryan, if you want to interview my wife, i'm sure she would be glad to tell you what it was like. She has first hand knowledge and pleanty of horror stories.

[Panama Red]

This could turn political if not already. But I think its justified in this case in order to help you with your project. Agreed Panama? :)

Hehe! Hal's in charge of Gen Discussion. I'll just stand back a little and watch. Don't want anything on my new shoes. :D

[doctorgonzo]

It's not just Americans, its pretty much the whole world except a small percentage of people who still think there is a way of making it work.

I don't disagree with you at all in this respect. However, your slogans, while funny, aren't exactly accurate depictions of the economic theories put forward by Marx. I'm just sayin'... :D

[David M]

I understand Gonzo. I have read the theories many times. My sarcasm was directed at the realities and not the theories of Marxism.

Ryan...for your project you may consider comparing and contrasting the theories of Marxism with the realities of Marxism. You will need to document the realities though which should be easy by doing Google searches. Cuba, China, third world autocratic countries run by dictators might all be be good examples. There are many more examples.

Wikipedia as I mentioned has a great description: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karl_Marx
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socialism#Branches_of_socialism

[faulkner132]

Marxism != Communism

The ideas of Communism evolved from Marxism but it is not Marxism. In Communism a select few control the means of production, however in Marxism the mass controls the means of production by what society deems necessary... too ideal for its own good.

[rspassey]

Wow, thanks so much you guys. My partner and I are getting together to write up the campaign speech, make our posters, and campaign material tomorrow. Your ideas were great, and I did look into getting a copy of his book, unfortunetly, I wont be able to find an english copy where I live.

David, I really apreciate the offer of interviewing your wife, and I am virtually avaliable anytime that is convient for you and her. Perhaps if I got your wifes email, my partner and I could ask her a few questions. I am really interested in hearing what she has to say about living under a comunist government.

Thanks again

[Jaggannath]

Marxism != Communism

The ideas of Communism evolved from Marxism but it is not Marxism. In Communism a select few control the means of production, however in Marxism the mass controls the means of production by what society deems necessary... too ideal for its own good.

Exactly what I was about to point out.... Marxism is saying that everyone gets to decide how everything operates, which though nice is impractical due to the fact not everyone knows everything, and there's not enough time to organise it as such. Communism was an attempt to make Marxism operable by making this decisions process the choice of a body of people. However, as so often happens, you get the dictatorship.

[David M]

Ryan,
Your welcome. My wife said she is willing to do a phone interview and I sent you a PM regarding this.

According to Wikipedia, Marxism is a branch of socialism and there are many types of socialism.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socialism

[rspassey]

Thanks for that link and the others, I have book marked them and began to go through and pick out pertinent information.