Enemy Forces

According to Karl Marx, one of the greatest modern thinkers, Bourgeoisie and Proletariat are two major enemy forces which have greatly influenced the history of mankind. Marx believed in the overthrow of capitalists by workers whom he referred to as the proletariat. Such forces represented a major class conflict as the Bourgeoisie, or capitalists, are driven into building a disproportional wealth at the cost of exploiting cheap labor and subjecting the workers to such extreme conditions that they resembled slavery.

Marx believed that the only way for equilibrium between these two forces would be through a revolution. The Bourgeoisie were mainly represented by a group of people that owned the means for production including; factories, machines, land and capital. They basically held the power and dictated the rules of society at according to their will and their needs. The proletariat on the other hand was the exploited worker who struggled through harsh conditions in order to survive. Marx believed that at some point the workers would get themselves organized and stand up against the oppressors in a bloody revolution. The consequence of such an uprising would be a classless society free of exploitation and people’s talents would be utilized and compensated fairly. They also would receive services and goods according to their needs.

Such concepts were mainly advocated by Anarchists and Communists and can be seen through developments made during the Industrial revolution which took place between the 1800s and 1900s. This revolution started in England and spread throughout other western nations, including the United States. Obviously, during that time, many new opportunities spread throughout society and capital started to flow down to the continuously growing middle class. However, the capitalists had a much better prospect of doubling their investment at a faster rate while most of those who worked in industrial process, in urban areas, struggled very hard to make a living. During that time there was a huge gap between capitalists and the workers who were treated inhumanly. They worked many hours in the factory production lines for considerably low pay and little or no benefits. They also struggled in rural areas. The capitalists would quickly build their empire and distance themselves from the working class who lived almost like slaves.

Many things have changed throughout the history of mankind; however, regardless of government systems, there has always been inequality and a certain level of dissatisfaction for the people of society. Economic inequality has always existed and will likely never be rectified. The reason for that is because people are different. Some people have resources and others do not. Some develop an intellectual ability and are actively engaged in a process of growth. Others may not have such ability or the will to compete. Under such circumstances it becomes extremely hard for the latter to ascend on the social ladder. Despite this, people in this society have unique opportunities today to develop themselves and reach their highest aspirations provided they have the willingness to cope with adverse circumstances. In this country, people are encouraged to grow and prosper and the middle class is quite robust. This is no comparison with the newly born capitalism of the early years of the industrial revolution. We live a much better life today as society has grown dramatically; however, class conflict is always going to be present no matter how developed a society is.

Karl Marx stated that class conflict is the key to human history. He arrived at that conclusion after doing a study on society throughout history during the industrial revolution. When Marx made such observations, capitalism was only in its beginning and he was moved by the way workers were so mistreated by employers and how they lived in such precarious conditions. People’s wages were barely enough to eat and life expectancy was about thirty to thirty five years. Society has changed dramatically since then and now we live in a different capitalism age. As part of a developed nation we are privileged in many respects but the conflicts are always going to be there. As society has continuously changed and become more dependent on technology over the years, people’s expectations and needs have also changed overtime. Labor has become more specialized and capital has been distributed throughout the whole society. In a highly competitive environment there is constant struggle for the survival of the fittest.

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Class Conflict and How to Fish

The gap between the rich and the poor in Brazil, one of the most promising of emerging economies today, is so vast that the population representing the middle class becomes an insignificant statistic. For the most part the individual is either filthy rich and controls much of society or he is dirt poor and lives in conformity with the established system.

Among the “have nots” there are different kinds. One could be simply poor and trade his services for a certain level of comfort. Those who earn minimum wages struggle to meet basic needs and on the very bottom of the ladder are those who are extremely poor. Those usually do not make any wage and live in extreme misery and abandonment.

Growing up in a big city like Sao Paulo, it was not uncommon to be in close contact with people in such circumstances. They lived completely disengaged from society and roamed all over the place, especially in downtown areas. It was literally impossible not to notice them. The shocking reality is that most of those people were children of both sexes.

Some of them were begging others trying to sell all kinds of stuff to drivers at the traffic lights as their vehicles came to a full stop. Not surprisingly a few of them were just preying on people and waiting for an opportunity to steal their belongings. That was a very sad and scary picture. What led them to end up living on the streets like that is one thing that I could not help thinking about.

Almost three decades have passed since I left Brazil and the situation has not gotten any better. I see it on the news sometimes. Yes, it is true that Brazil has become an attractive market for foreign investment and the country is much better off today economically compared to decades ago; however, that status does not impress me. The country’s wealth is still retained by a very select group of people and the poverty rate is astonishing.

That trend translates into more people roaming the city streets, begging or hassling drivers at stop lights or waiting for an opportunity to steal someone’s watch or a pair of sneakers. That sounds awful and it kind of hurt my pride but it is a fact and it happens more often than one can imagine.

During my younger years I do not remember things being so bad. I had never heard of people scavenging dumpsters looking for leftover foods. Maybe there was but because the media was not as efficient back then those things were not as visible to the public eye as it is today.

Recently I saw a scene on the news in which a few people defended their space in a landfill as if they were in a goldmine. They looked for anything that may be converted to money, such as, scrap of metal, soda cans, corrugated boxes, and anything which appeared to be useful to them.

In other scene, individuals were scavenging the garbage in search of food. To get to the point, it is obvious that these people either did not have choices in life or did not have the strength to fight for something better. While lack of opportunities leads some people to do unimaginable acts such as this to survive, others simply follow a path of illegality in order to get the things they want.

People are generally considered a given society’s best asset, provided they are educated and have good support from the system. However, how can society expect anything good from an individual who has a bad start in life? It is possible that such an individual will lead an antagonistic life and pose a serious threat to the community. The probability that an individual with such a profile will turn to crime is actually quite high. One way or another he will eventually become a charge to the state.

Who is to blame? According to Karl Marx the roots of human misery lay in class conflict. And class conflict is the very essence of society. Throughout the course of history we have learned that smarter people manage to establish themselves in life and build economic mobility for themselves and their generation much easier than a person who has fewer resources. We all know that historically, inequality is what makes society what it is. This will never change.

However, an ignorant individual with no family struture roaming around the city will serve no purpose to society either. On the contrary, it creates an environment of instability because when people have nothing to lose they will endanger the lives of themselves and others and create an environment of fear. They will turn to deviance in the blink of an eye and will not hesitate to take someone’s life for very little.

With regard to the situation of children being exploited and marginalized, especially in cities such as Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and others, there is not much that can be done on the part of federal government to minimize the problem. It is primarily an issue which needs to be dealt by local authorities and affected communities.

Society should mobilize itself and become more proactive in educating and supporting individuals to exercise their rights of citizenship. The state should be more forceful and educate people to have a better planing when the subject is bringing children to this world. There is a chance such measures might minimize the problem of children roaming on the streets and end up being a public charge.

Education is one factor which will motivate and help people to have a sense of purpose in life. While it helps boots one’s morals it also pushes individuals to become part of solution and not the problem. Eventually they will be engaged in society’s growth process and not simply be considered as a bad statistic.

Another factor to consider is that the elite do not run the country by themselves. They dominate because they own the capital and industrial processes. However, they are very much dependent on the support of people of technical expertise who meet a certain level education and professional training in order for them to generate revenues and grow their capital.

People with no family structure, lack education and do not have any kind of guidance in a competitive society like the one we live in, are counterproductive and more likely to become dependent on others and on the system. The odds that individuals with such profile will be involved in wrongdoing and become a charge to the state are much greater.

I tend to believe that individuals who are engaged in a path which gives them hope they will become motivated enough to keep doing whatever they need to do to improve their quality of life. If they feel they have a shot there is a stronger possibility they will embrace the cause and be less tempted to turn to deviance.

The price of ignorance is very high indeed and society suffers when large portions of its population live in poverty and illiteracy. Teaching the least privileged “how to fish” and letting them hold a place in society may be a positive alternative in which it would be beneficial to everyone.

Maybe as a result crime statistics would be reduced. Maybe there would be fewer children living on the streets. Maybe there would be no reason for extreme measures of repression. Who knows one day children may even be treated more like children and not viewed as potential offenders of the elite’s established order.

Work Cited:
Henslin, James M., Sociology “A Down-to-Earth Approach” - Thinking Critically – Open Season: Children as Prey

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