The Communist Manifesto
The Communist Manifesto is Marx's masterpiece. While Das Kapital is a mostly a boring read best kept in book shelves & pointed at as evidence for communism, the Manifesto is an interesting & fun read. It is an elegant declaration of intentions, & its radical demands (free love (directly translated as communal wives), abolition of wage labor & private property) still shocks readers to this day. This was largely Marx's intent; to shock readers with radical demands. Then he goes on to taunt them with the inevitability of communism. He describes in a way comprehensible to the average reader, why capitalism's internal contradictions will lead to its downfall. This is the true genius of the Manifesto; that it can shock & convince at the same time. Marx makes a compelling case for his arguments even as he dazzles the reader with his communist views.
The Manifesto has been one of the most historically important books of all time, both the CCCP & Red China claiming it as major influence. In some ways it is rather surprising that it was even allowed to be published in Stalinist-nationalist Russia, where its demands go so against the state dogma. It is almost as if many who claimed to follow its principles merely skimmed through it.
Mao for example, instituted free love for himself but no one else. Stalin seemed to ignore the Manifesto entirely, except perhaps the part where Marx advocates progressive taxation. Stalin, Brezhnev & Gorbachev were all more nationalistic than communistic. The Communist Manifesto says "Workers of the World, Unite", not "Workers of Russia, Unite to form 'Socialism in one Country'".
The Manifesto has been one of the most historically important books of all time, both the CCCP & Red China claiming it as major influence. In some ways it is rather surprising that it was even allowed to be published in Stalinist-nationalist Russia, where its demands go so against the state dogma. It is almost as if many who claimed to follow its principles merely skimmed through it.
Mao for example, instituted free love for himself but no one else. Stalin seemed to ignore the Manifesto entirely, except perhaps the part where Marx advocates progressive taxation. Stalin, Brezhnev & Gorbachev were all more nationalistic than communistic. The Communist Manifesto says "Workers of the World, Unite", not "Workers of Russia, Unite to form 'Socialism in one Country'".