He Likes it, he likes it not..

     The list of dislikes outweighs the admirations of capitalism in Karl Marx’s view.  Prior to the development of capitalism, feudalism was the driving force of the economy.  Feudalism had resonated since the Middle Ages.  It was biased and rooted in extreme inequalities for reasons simply as heritage and wealth.  It was equivalent to a caste system.  It took a lot of revolutions and ground breaking philosophies to eliminate feudalism.  The industrial revolution ushered in the downfall of feudalism. With the industrial revolution came the rise of the bourgeoisie.  This helped break the “caste system” and ushered its constituents into two main classes: the bourgeoisie and the proletariat.  The new economic system was now based on competition for resources and survival of the fittest businessman.   This theory of “equality of opportunity” was viewed favorably in Marx’s’ eyes. 

       Turning toward the dislikes, the list seems to be longer.  Marx believed that in order to maintain capitalism, a consistently innovative society was essential.  This required the continuous expansion of technology, which in time would put the mass amounts of the working class (proletariat) out of jobs.  It also greatly cuts back on the wages of the citizens who are still working. 

     Another factor to Marx’s dismay was that of globalization.  This also provided another window of intense competition.  Globalization allowed every nation to work together and oppress the proletariat as a whole.  (This is similar to out sourcing today.)  This inspired the proletariat to compete with one another for the wages.  Marx did not like this because he felt that the proletariat should be fighting the bourgeoisie. 

     Finally, Marx was disappointed that capitalism ruined the most sacred institution: the nuclear family.  During the industrial revolution, children as young as four were being put to work in coal mines and the like.  Children were most often seen in coal mines because they could fit in the small sections of the mines.  Families were being torn apart.  The movie Germinal clearly exemplifies this point.  The family featured in the movie was constantly at work; they never had time to grow as a family.  Marx would frown upon this because families, in general, are a place for people to turn to in times of need; families also shape who one is as a person.