Stay Woke

Marxism theories on society are often interpreted as too extreme and irrational, especially in this country where capitalism is deemed to be good. Although capitalism can be viewed positively, it has a lot of negative effects on our society. A capitalist society can serve as a good for exchanges and money production, even for employment but it is dangerous to society. Capitalism as a social structure creates greed, alienation, and false consciousness.

                In the American society, what we consume often indicates our social status and importance in society. We live in a society where we strive to have materialist things like the newest phones, clothing, and the biggest, nicest house, things that we can hold and show off. We live in a society that doesn’t value relationships like they value money. It is a cycle that leads to alienation in the work place.  

                Alienation and false consciousness correlate with one another because the failures at work cause one to self-blame. Instead of understanding the issues within society as a whole, capitalism has caused society to self-blame and strive for power when we are powerless. When institutions control the workers through labor, the workers are relying on someone to help them prosper in life. False consciousness explains social problems as our own faults, rather than flaws of society. This false consciousness deepens society’s lack of awareness, from everything between the histories of our country to social issues. This lack of awareness that we cling to, causes lack of accountability.

                When we as a society, self-blame, instead of look back into the history of this country and capitalism and they let big businesses control us. Because we are not self-aware, the control at the top can stay in control. They have no accountability because the little people have no idea how capitalism functions. Capitalism allows money to be the center of our society. Capitalism has allowed modern slave labor become normalized. Capitalism has allowed goods and services to be detrimental to our metal and physical health. It is unfortunate that no matter how much we are against capitalism, we cannot escape it.

                Although many people do not agree with Marx, revolution is becoming the only way to get the attention of the states. Recently we can see in many cases, including Mexico (x) and China(x), rioting has been the voice of the oppressed. As much as people want to disagree with his theories of revolution, this is how the people are reacting and taking a stand. People are becoming aware of what their states have caused, including violence and poverty. This accountability forced some countries to react and remember that their government is for the people. The accountability within the borders of the state has been opened up to international communities. For example, the UN is calling for action in Mexico because of the government funded violence. 

               Accountability, through revolution, has been the only outlet that has let the people express themselves and force change. In order to change the dangers capitalism has imposed on us, we have to wake up.