Totalitarianism

As bad as I can imagine Totalitarianism to be, from what little I previously know about it, would suggest that everyone's common sense would agree that it is a bad thing. Yet it also seems to me that Russia is heading down that path again willingly. The book describes the Totalitarian movement as getting its power from the masses, which Russia has. Putin is pulling strings behind the scenes leading Russia down, what we would consider, a dark path. But the masses of Russia are OK with it, they know the hardship from the past decades and Putin has offered them relief so they are taking it. If history repeats itself Putin might very well lead like Stalin and the Russian people would go along with it. In fact Russians now see Stalin as a hero for the country despite all the horrible things he has done. Putin is breaking down the classes, like the book talks about, and the masses are responding by allowing him to keep expanding his power. Granted unlike Totalitarian leaders Putin cannot be readily replaced without his system and support falling apart, but his support is so great among the Russian people that his plans and ideals for the country are what is really bonding them all together. I just keep thinking of the Winter Olympics here. The Russians did pretty bad in all the areas they were expected to excel at so Putin fired the team management and coaches. With the next Winter Olympics being held in Russia Putin was worried about losing national pride in the team, which in turn means national loyalty. Totalitarian society is willingly accepted by those that live under those ideals whether we think they are right or wrong.

Marx on materializim

The idea of the worker as a commodity has never crossed my mind before. Marx makes the argument that people work to produce goods in order to get money. In effect they are selling themselves as labor and thus turning them into commodities. I have never thought of it like this but it is absolutely true. In a country where most of our industry has turned to service related industries people do have to sell themselves. People do it every day. While Marx was thinking more along the lines of hard labor workers, today's society still does the same thing. Every day when a business man puts on his suit it is because he has to sell himself to his employer or client. Sales people have to gain personal trust by selling their image and experience. Even looking at resumes as an example, they are basically just menus for employers to pick the best entree. It is this ideology, that people need to sell themselves to make the most money, that is perpetuating the problem of alienation among society.

Marx and develpoment

The bourgeoisie run the world. Marx spends the entire first chapter explaining how the rich are the reason for everything that happens because the rich control everything. He argues that our system is so unbalanced because the rich always have to change and adapt industry for their own self-interest. He seems to imply that this is a bad thing. I would disagree. While the bourgeoisie often exploit lower classes for labor, they are the ones who are pushing for development. I understand they are doing it for selfish reasons, Marx says that eventually the proletariat will overtake the bourgeoisie and they have to adapt for survival, but they are still the ones who are advancing society. Without some amount of greed among people there would be no incentive to work hard, develop new technologies, or make advancements in agriculture and medicine. Even when the proletariat take over for the bourgeoisie in order to stay on top and get ahead advancements have to be made. I think it is true that people are material based. All standards of life are measured on how much one owns. Marx says this is a bad thing and that class needs to be eliminated in order for people to live peacefully and happily. I disagree. I think a person is only as happy as they make themselves. People have a right to seek wealth, property, and family. Communism takes away this right. If people are limited in the amount of these things that they can have what incentive is there for them to work hard. And if people are not working hard everything else in society suffers.
In some respects I agree with Marx. The super rich should not have all the power and the poor should not be taken advantage of the way they are. I just think there are other ways of governing people so that everyone has a fair chance at the same liberties.