Essay 4

This time I chose a topic that I actually enjoyed discussing. I think my feelings on this subject come out very clear in my writing.

Edward Ellsworth

Professor Longoria

WRC 1023

12 November 2008

The Question of Socialism

On October 30, 2008, in a desperate attempt to motivate voters to cast their ballot for McCain, conservative Ross Mackenzie attacked the Democratic Socialists of America as being “quasi-Communist” (Mackenzie, par.3). Right away Mackenzie was attacked by socialist Frank Llewellyn for not having his facts straight. Llewellyn argues that socialism and communism do not equate to the same thing. It is quite possible that Llewellyn may have smoked dope in his younger years, because how else could he come up with idea that socialist and communist ideologies differ. Despite all of the rhetoric socialism is really no different than communism.

A brief look at the Communist Manifesto can give some deep insights into the philosophies and intentions of the Communist Party. Marx lays out his intentions by saying,"The immediate aim of the communists is the same as that of all other [working class] proletarian parties: formation of the proletariat into a class, overthrow of [upper class of capitalist society] bourgeois rule, conquest of political power by the proletariat"(23). In other words communism aims to destroy distinctions between classes. They accomplish their goals by empowering the working class to overthrow the upper class. They also go on to propose that "what is distinctively communist is not the abolition of property in general but the abolition of bourgeois property"(24). Abolishing private property is seen as the great equalizing force in the communist movement. Communists give supreme power to the government in order to regulate their single class system.

Socialist leaders have always argued the case of the working class. In fact, many unions have been started by socialist leaders. Eduard Bernstein, who helped define Democratic Socialism said, "The trade unions are the democratic element in industry. Their tendency is to destroy the absolutism of capital, and to procure for the worker a direct influence in the management of an industry" (267). The socialist groups rely on the working class for support. If the poor working class could be united under one socialist banner, their numbers alone would assure victory. The socialists encountered a major problem when they attempted to unite poor members of the working class. That obstacle was the middle class.

Middle class society softens the argument that upper class societies are oppressive. Bernstein notes that "...the support of neighboring middle class parties has again and again been forgotten..."(277). In order to overcome the middle class, socialists attack the moral structure and social norms that make up middle class society. Their argument contends that they are not bringing the upper classes down, but that they are bringing the lower classes up. In reality, for the classes to be equal both would have to move. The socialists want to establish a government regulated middle class.

Socialists, just like the Communists, fight the ideology of private property. They applaud taxation of the wealthy but feel that it does not go nearly far enough in equalizing wages. Likewise they rejoice in the taxation of real property. This remains one of the main milestones in achieving class equality. Bernstein goes on to say, "The conquest of political power by the working classes, the expropriation of capitalists, are no ends in themselves but only for the accomplishment of certain aims and endeavors. As such they are demands in the programme of social democracy and are not attacked by me" (266). Modern Democratic Socialism does not denounce the ideologies of Marx; rather it seeks to expound upon them.

The proponents of socialism have been very deceitful. Considering their history it is not hard to see why they chose to act that way. In Robert Conquest's book, Where Marx Went Wrong, he reveals the fact that "socialism is a doctrine that existed before Marx...Many writers, from the time of Sir Thomas More, 1478-1535, and even earlier, have advocated societies in which there should be neither rich nor poor. The first man to whom the word socialist was applied was Robert Owen, 1771-1837" (34). Socialism was born from the ideology of the French Revolution. The violence in the French Revolution causes skepticism towards its ideals. Socialism went on to give birth to Communism, Fascism, National Socialism or Nazism, and Anarchy.

As the United States watched Russia fall to a hard socialist regime Americans became increasingly suspicious of communist activities in their own country. This led to the first red scare. Then the fall of China and the atomic bomb lead to the second red scare and the McCarthy era. Is it any wonder that Democratic Socialists want to disassociate themselves from these other parties? However, they can not because the fundamental socialistic principles are the same for every party. Karl Marx describes the relationship by saying that, "they attack all the fundamental principles of existing society" (35). Indeed all socialist parties look to a Utopian society where classes cease to exist and every man is made equal by the superior laws of socialist architects. It sounds wonderful, except that they always leave out the part where the poor proletarian must completely surrender his will to the will of the party.

In Llewllyn's article he says, "Democratic socialists believe in democratizing control over corporate behavior by giving workers and consumers a democratic voice in how these powerful firms are governed"(Llewllyn, par. 6). Everything he says here is absolutely true, but he fails to enlighten the public as to how far this 'Democratic' process is meant to extend. For the answer to that question a close look at the Communist party might bring forth some interesting revelations. After all, communism and socialism are essentially the same.

Works Cited

Conquest, Robert. Where Marx Went Wrong. London:Chaucer. 1970

Llewellyn, Frank, "Socialism Is Not Communism."Opinion. Inrich.com. 07 Nov. 2008. 07 Nov 2008 http://www.inrich.com/cva/ric/opinion.apx.-content-articlesRTD-2008-1 1-07-0024.html

Mackenzie, Ross. "Straight Talk: McCain, Obama, and the 'Change We Neeed"Townhall.com.30 Oct. 2008. 7 Nov. 2008 http://townhall.com/columnists/RossMackenzie/2008/10/30/%20straight_talk_mccain,_obama,_and_the_change_we_need.

Marx, Karl, Engles, Friedrich and Cowling, Mark, ed. The Communist Manifesto. New York:Edinburgh, 1998

Salvvadori, Massimo, ed. Modern Socialism. New York:Harper. 1968

Bernstein, Eduard. "Eduard Bernstein no Revisionism." Salvadori261-279