K. Marx would be rolling in his grave right now if he knew about the potential for what could happen with current Occupy Wall Street movement. Before you read any further try to put aside all preprogrammed biases you might have regarding anything Russian or connected in any way to the negativity attached to words like Socialism, Communist, or Manifesto. If one could put aside all prejudice temporarily for one moment and just read the document one might be surprised at just how visionary Karl Marx was for his time, and even now. Marx’s discourses are about the inequality of power between the working class and the controlling class of society.
The Occupy Movement heralds many of Marx’s predictions and feelings about the state of inequality between what he called those who controlled the vast majority of wealth and means, and those without, who are forced to sell their labor to the upper class in order to survive.
During the early part of the Industrial Revolution Russian philosopher and sociologist, Karl Marx published the Communist Manifesto, a public declaration of intent and opinion based on the premise that inevitable and continual conflict is caused by inequality resulting from social class differences. Marx argued that the Industrial Revolution created an unchecked form of capitalism which separated people into two distinct classes of society which he called the Proletariat and the Bourgeoisie (Robbins, Chatterjee, & Canda, 2008). Marx held that class antagonism and competition over resources have always been a central feature of society (Robbins, Chatterjee, & Canda, 2008).
Marx’s description of the Proletariat and Bourgeoisie is still applicable and can be used to explain today’s current situation with the corruption on Wall Street and inherent within our Capitalist system of economy. Capitalist society, according to Marx, is marked by distinctive features that are specific to industrial economies. In the Marxist view, whoever has the gold makes the rules. Social class is determined by ones access to means and the tools of production (Robbins, Chatterjee, & Canda, 2008, pg. 67). The world according to a Marxist viewpoint sees most of societies’ wealth concentrated in the hands of the relatively few (the 1% of the global population that owns 99% of everything), and the others (the 99%) are forced to sell their labor and are, in essence, enslaved to the 1% in order to survive. According to Marx, the current Capitalist society in which we live creates a system of exploitation that perpetuates itself. As exploitation of the worker grows, more people are forced closer to the poverty line. Marx argued that the exploitation of workers not only served to make the rich richer, and the poor poorer, but also lead to a growing sense of alienation, a process by which people become estranged, demeaned, and depersonalized (Robbins, Chatterjee, & Canda, 2008, pg. 67). Marx believed that the competition and exploitation inherent in the Capitalist system cause people to become disconnected from their productive activity, from the products they produce, from other workers, and from their own human potential (Perdue, 1986; Ritzer, 1988; Rius, 1976, as cited in Robbins, Chatterjee, & Canda, 2008, p. 67). I would have to say that I honestly agree with many of Marx’s views on society. I find it fascinating that these words ring true to me more than 130 years later.
In the Communist manifesto (1848/1955) Marx and Engels advocated that “workers of the world unite” in their struggle against the ruling class. They believed people must become politicized in an organized struggle against the ruling class. Marx might be turning in his grave right now if he realized that much of what he predicted has come true and is playing itself out now on the streets of America at and in many places around the globe with the Occupy Movement. The working class is beginning to wake up and become aware of the vast imbalance of power.
Conflict theory assumes that the only constant is change. Conflict theory helps to explain and understand conflict and inequality between persons, ideas, groups, social classes, communities, and larger social structures (Robbins, Chatterjee, & Canda, 2008, p. 63). Conflict theory is useful in helping to understand oppression and human vulnerability. According to contemporary conflict theorists, conflict, in contrast to earlier functionalist systems theories, conflict is seen as a way of life and is viewed as a natural process in society (Robbins, Chatterjee, & Canda, 2008).
Abraham (1988) identified two types of conflict: endogenous and exogenous conflict. Endogenous conflict occurs within a system or a society, and exogenous conflict occurs between systems or from the external environment. Examples of current exogenous conflicts in America include our current involvement in the conflicts in Afghanistan and Pakistan and wars against drug trafficking and illegal immigration.
The Occupy Wall Street movement is an example of an endogenous conflict that is happening within the economical and social strata of America. Supporters of the Occupy movement are congregating to stand in solidarity with one another against what they believe is a massive imbalance of power based on distribution of wealth. Endogenous conflicts involve change, values, distribution of desired resources, and authority (Robbins, Chatterjee, & Canda, 2008). Many of the protestors at varying Occupy Wall Street locations around world have faced conflict from police authority, and other citizens who do not share their worldviews.
The slogan that caught fire with the Occupy Movement is that “We are the 99%,” meaning that the vast majority of Americans do not have anywhere near an equal distribution of wealth compared to the 1% of the population who controls everything. Protestors at the Occupy Movement in San Diego report that they are protesting the financial corruption and corporate greed of 1% of the population that negatively affects all aspects of social life – our nation's politics, our economy, the media, education, and the environment (Occupy San Diego Press, 2011).
I decided to go down to Occupy Wall Street and check things out for myself. I didn’t see what I expected. I guess I expected to see people down there set up in tents, holding signs, brewing coffee and tea like I’d seen in news clips from OWS in NY. In addition to thinking there would be more people down there, I expected there to be a little more diversity between peoples of different socioeconomic statuses, but in my opinion most of the folks down there representing the movement on this particular day were probably the .001 or .0001% of the 1%. Many of these people were homeless and have been homeless for some time before the crash of the economy began. I spoke many different people down there and most of them were down on their luck for a variety of different reasons. Angel was one of the first people I spoke with. Angel is a 28yr old Native American man. He was friendly and immediately welcomed me to the movement as soon as I got down there. He’ll admit to anyone, he’s made some bad choices. He has recently served an 8 1/2yr prison sentence for manslaughter. He got out on October 18th of this year and went straight to the Occupy movement. In part because he wants to stand up for his right to assemble and to protest what he feels is “wrong” with society.
Angel was nice enough to tell me a bit about himself and what was going on with the movement; How long he’d been down there, etc. He introduced me to some of the other people who’d spent weeks in camp. He told me about the occasional brushings with the police and about others who’d been arrested for something or another. Angel and some of his friends were arrested just weeks ago in a Occupy crackdown. They each spent 72hours in a holding cell, but that didn’t deter them from coming back to occupy SD once again and practice their right to peaceful assembly. In addition to introducing me to other fellow Occupiers he showed me some of his artwork and poetry, and told me some truly tragic stories about his life story.
In his story he’d mentioned he’d spent time in prison. I was curious what for so I asked him. He told me that he was arrested for felony DUI and had served time for manslaughter and sentenced to 81/2 years of prison. He told me that he would have been in longer but the man died after he made his plea bargain, therefore he could not be tried twice for the same crime under Double Jeopardy laws. Angel told me that he’d been out drinking after being emotionally unable to deal with the loss of his fiancé and unborn child. He told me the story about how he’d been engaged once, and then his girlfriend got pregnant. He told me that he didn’t want to get married until she had the baby so he’d know it was his. Before she could have her child, she overdosed on oxycodone’s killing herself and the unborn baby. Angel didn’t know how to react or cope, so he went out drinking. He does not remember what happened after that except for when he woke up in the hospital with the police around him.
He told me of another case he served time for in which he’d killed a known child molester. Not that I think that that makes alright, but I think that many people wish they could react in a similar manner if they thought they could get away with it. Most people don’t act on these extreme aggressive drives though.
Still I could see what paths and circumstances had ultimately brought Angel to his place in life. Life is hard on the street. I gained a new appreciation for my kush existence after spending a couple of hours down at Occupy SD. I left OSD wanting to bring them all blankets and food. To thank Angel for his time and for the poem he’d recited and written down for me I bought him and his GF lunch and got the “community” some jars of peanut butter and jelly. People living in the Occupy camp seemed to share things like bread, and PB&J and basic survival commodities.
Angel was an intelligent young man, extremely creative, with a sharp wit and mind. Life’s dealt his some misfortune by way of factors outside of his control. I hope that he can do alright for himself and is able to become the tattoo artist that he’d dreamed of. He’s quite talented judging by the looks of his drawings. They were amazing.
I mentioned that Angel recited and then wrote me a poem. He told me that I could share it. He wrote it in very neat, articulate handwriting. The name of his poem is “Native Pride Forever.”
I’m a full-blooded Native
From the Morning Star Nation
Both a Cheyenne and a Lakota
From my badass Reservation
Proud of my heritage
I only represent “NATIVE PRIDE”
With Respect and Honor to my people
And all the tribes nationwide
Like a Cheyenne Dog Soldier
I hold my head up high
Never fearing my own death because
“It’s a good day to die.”
I come from a Warrior Nation
Generations of a strong-heart clan,
I don’t want to be a gangster
Cheyenne and Lakota is what I am.
The Seven Council Fires
With warriors like Crazy Horse and Gall,
We’ve battled with the U.S. Army
And at Little Bighorn we killed them all.
I remember my People’s tragedies
Of Sand Creek and Wounded Knee
Americans killed and mutilated helpless ones
It’s part of my heritage and history
I’m a Native FIRST—American Second
And I don’t care what others say
I don’t celebrate the Fourth of July
And intend to keep it that way.
Maka Tanhan Wicasa Wan
And to Sehan and Earth I’ll return
If my fate is to die in battle;
Then dying well is my only concern.
I’ve spent time in a prison cell
For breaking the law back when,
But the Veho have so many laws
That I’ll probably break them again
And all the countries and nations
Throughout the Western hemisphere
Are all countries created by immigrants,
But now it’s the immigrants they fear.
With love to my family and people
And to the tribes of all the lands
In a good voice to Grandfather Creator:
“Have pity on all of our Bands”
To all of my relations everywhere
The Four Directions and Father Sky
To the memory of all of our warrior dead:
NATIVE PRIDE until I die!
-Angel, 2011
I’m thankful for what I learned by going down to Occupy-SD. I’m a little shocked by how much some of Marx’s theories resonated with me, although I disagree with violent uprising to overthrow the system.
I got to see a small slice of what life was like on the street for the people I met and I feel privileged to have been able to hear their stories. Apparently right after I left, Ray Lutz, a former Congressional candidate was arrested for having a table set up trying to get people to register to vote. I wish I’d stayed just a little while longer. I had my camera and everything and missed this awesome opportunity for a picture of history!
The link for the story on Lutz is here: http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/Politician-Arrested-for-Setting-up-Voter-Registration-Table-134774423.html
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