The Relevance of the Communist Manifesto

1. The Relevance of Marx's Communist Manifesto in Today's Global Capitalism

"Is not the description of the social impact of the bourgeoisie that we find in The Manifesto more actual than ever?"

Global capitalism's impact. Marx's description of capitalism's revolutionary impact on society remains strikingly relevant today. The constant revolutionizing of production, uninterrupted disturbance of social relations, and everlasting uncertainty he described are now amplified on a global scale.

Cultural and economic transformation. Globalization has intensified the processes Marx identified:

• National industries are increasingly displaced by global supply chains
• Local cultural traditions are eroded by a homogenizing global culture
• The demand for constant expansion drives capitalism to "nestle everywhere, settle everywhere, establish connections everywhere"

2. Spectral Dimensions of Capitalism: From Commodity Fetishism to Virtual Money

"A commodity appears at first sight an extremely obvious, trivial thing. But its analysis brings out that it is a very strange thing, abounding in metaphysical subtleties and theological niceties."

Commodity fetishism evolved. Marx's concept of commodity fetishism has taken on new dimensions in the era of digital capitalism. The "metaphysical subtleties" he identified have become even more pronounced as value becomes increasingly detached from material production.

Virtualization of money. The dematerialization of money into electronic forms represents the ultimate stage of money fetishism:

• Virtual currency lacks physical embodiment yet exerts real power
• Debts persist as "indestructible spectral presence" in digital spaces
• This virtualization paradoxically strengthens the grip of financial obligations

3. The Return of Personal Domination in Modern Capitalism

"Hence, the particular power relation involved in credit operations has a personal dimension of dependency (credit–debt) that is differentiated from abstract domination."

Resurgence of direct control. Despite capitalism's impersonal market mechanisms, new forms of personal domination are emerging, particularly through debt relationships and precarious labor arrangements.

Modern slavery and exploitation. Examples of renewed personal domination include:

• Migrant workers in Gulf states deprived of basic rights
• Sweatshop workers in tightly controlled factory compounds
• Forced labor in resource extraction industries
• Debt bondage through predatory lending practices

4. The Paradox of Unfreedom Disguised as Freedom in Late Capitalism

"Constantly bombarded by imposed 'free choices', forced to make decisions that we are, for the most part, not even properly qualified for (or do not possess enough information about), we increasingly experience our freedom as what it effectively is: a burden that deprives us of the true choice of change."

Freedom as a burden. Late capitalism presents an abundance of choices that often mask a deeper unfreedom. The ideology of individual choice and personal responsibility obscures systemic constraints and inequalities.

Examples of illusory freedom:

• Healthcare "choice" that replaces universal coverage
• Educational "opportunities" that saddle students with debt
• Flexible work arrangements that eliminate job security
• Self-entrepreneurship that shifts risks onto individuals

5. The Limits of Value Production and the Rise of Fictitious Capital

"The problem with fictitious capital is not that it is outside valorization but that it remains parasitic on the fiction of a valorization to come."

Financialization's dominance. The increasing role of financial speculation and credit in the economy points to the limits of value production based on labor. Fictitious capital operates on the promise of future value that may never materialize.

Consequences of financialization:

• Growing disconnect between financial markets and real economy
• Increased economic instability and crisis tendencies
• Pressure on social reproduction as future labor is commodified
• Expansion of debt as a means of sustaining consumption

6. The Failure of Traditional Marxist Revolutionary Expectations

"The problem of western Marxism (and even of Marxism tout court) was the absence of the revolutionary subject: how is it that the working class did not complete the passage from being 'in itself' to being 'for itself' and did not constitute itself as a revolutionary agent?"

Unfulfilled predictions. The expected simplification of society into two antagonistic classes and the emergence of a revolutionary proletarian majority did not materialize as Marx anticipated.

Historical adaptations:

• Communist movements relied on minority vanguards
• Revolutions occurred in moments of crisis, often piggybacking on other issues
• Various attempts to find alternative revolutionary subjects (peasants, students, marginalized groups)
• Recognition that revolutions happen in "interstices" rather than as inevitable historical outcomes

7. Rethinking Communist Strategy in the 21st Century

"Is it possible to define a politics that is what I would call post-ideological?"

Beyond traditional ideology. The challenge for contemporary radical politics is to move beyond the framework of traditional Marxist expectations while maintaining a critique of capitalism and a vision for alternatives.

New strategic considerations:

• Recognizing the multifaceted nature of social antagonisms
• Exploring the potential of "collaborative commons" and new forms of social cooperation
• Addressing the ideological power of cynical resignation and TINA ("there is no alternative") thinking
• Developing strategies that can operate within and against the dynamics of global capitalism
• Rethinking the nature of revolutionary change in a complex, interconnected world

Last updated: July 18, 2024