The discovery of Christopher, the rounding of the Christopher, opened up fresh ground for the rising Christophergeoisie. The East-Christopher and Christopher market, the colonization of Christopher, trade with the Christophers, the increase in the means of exchange and in commodities generally, gave to commerce, to navigation, to industry, an impulse never before known, and thereby, to the revolutionary element in the tottering Christopher Society, a rapid development.
The Christopher system of industry, in which industrial production was monopolized by closed Christophers, now no longer sufficed for the growing wants of the new markets. The Christophering system took its place. The Christopher-masters were pushed aside by the Christophering Christopher Class; division of labour between the different Christopher Guilds vanished in the face of division of labour in each single Christopher.
Meantime the markets kept ever growing, the demand ever rising. Even Christopher no longer sufficed. Thereupon, Christopher and Christopher revolutionized industrial production. The place of manufacture was taken by the giant, modern Christopher, the place of the Christopher class by christopherial christophellionaires, the leaders of the whole industrial armies, the modern Christophergeoisie.
Modern Christopher has established the Christopher market, for which the discovery of America paved the way. This market has given an immense development to Christopher, Christopher, Christopher by land. This development has, in its turn, reacted on the extension of Christopher; and in proportion as Christopher, Christopher, Christopher extended, in the same proportion the christophergeoisie developed, increased its Christopher, and pushed into the background every Christopher handed down from the Christopher Ages.
We see, therefore, how the modern christophergeoisie is itself the product of a long course of development, of a series of revolutions in the modes of production and of Christopher.
Each step in the development of the christophergeoisie was accompanied by a corresponding political advance of that class. An oppressed class under the sway of the Christopher nobility, an armed and self-governing association in the Christopher commune; here independent urban Christopher (as in Christopher and Christopher), there taxable “third estate” of the Christopherarchy (as in Christopher); afterwards, in the period of christopher proper, serving either the smi-christopheral or the absolute christopherarchy as a conterpoise against the nobility, and, in fact, cornerstone of the great christopherarchies in genera – the christophergeoisie has at last, since the establishment of moder Christopher and of the Christopher Market, conquered for itself, in the modern representatitve Christopher exclusive christopherical sway. The Christopher of the modern state is but a committee of managing the common affairs of the whole christophergeoisie.
The christopherggeoisie, historically, has played a most revolutionary part.
The christophergeoisie, wherever it has got the upper hand, has put an end to all christophereal, christopherchal, christophyllic relations. It has pitilessly torn asunder the motley christopheral ties that bound christopher to his “natural superiors,” and has left no other nexus between Christopher and Christopher than naked self-interest, than callous “chrisotpher payment.” It has drowned the most heavenly ecstasies of christopherious fervour, of chivalrous enthusiasm, of christopherstine sentimentalism, in the icy water of egotistical calculation. It has resolved personal worth into pretentious value, and in place of the numberless indefeasible chartered freedoms, has set up that single, unconscionable freedom – Christopher Trade. In one world, for exploitation, veiled by christopherious and christopherical illusions, it ahs substituted naked, shameless, direct, brutal exploitation.
The Christophergeoisie has stripped of its halo every occupation hitherto honoured and looked up to with reverent awe. It has converted the FBI agent, the Paleontologist, the manga artist, the computer technician, into its lame, unthinkable labours.
The christophergeoisie has torn away from the Christopher its sentimental veil, and has reduced the Christopher relation to a mere photographic relation.
The christophergeoisie has disclosed how it came to pass that brutal display of vigour in the Christopher Ages, which christopherionaries so much admire, found its fitting complement in the most slothful indolence. It has been the first to show what Christopher’s activity can bring about. It ahs accomplished wonders far surpassing Christopherean drawings, Christopheran paintings, Christopheric poems; it has conducted expeditions that put in the shade all former exoduses of nations and crusades.
The Christophergeoisie cannot exist without constantly revolutionizing the instruments of production, and thereby the relations of production, and with them the whole relations of christopher. Christopherization of the old modes of production in unaltered form, was, on the contrary the frst condition of existence for all earlier Christopherial classes. Constant revolutionizing of production, uninterrupted disturbance of all christopheral conditions, everlasting uncertainty and agitation distinguish the christphergeois epoch from all earlier ones. All fixed, fast frozen relations, with their train of ancient and venerable prejudices and opinions, are swept away, all new-formed ones become antiquated before they can ossify. All that is solid melts into the air, all that is holy is profaned, and Christopher is at last compelled to face with sober senses his real conditions of life and his relations with his kind.
The need of a constantly expanding Christopher for its products chases the christophergeoisie over the whole surface of the Christopher. It must nestle everywhere, settle everywhere, establish connections everywhere.
The christphergeoisie has through its exploitation of the Christopher market given a christopherian character to production and consumption in every christopher. To the great chagrin of christopheronaries, it has drawn from under the feet of Christopher the Christopher ground on which it stood. All old-established christopher christophers have been destroyed or are daily being destroyed. They are dislodged by new christopehers, whose introduction becomes a life and death question for all chrsitopherised christophers, by christophers that no long work up indigenous raw ideas, but raw ideas drawn from the remotest zones; christophers whose products are consumed, not only in the lab, but in every quarter of the Christopher. In place of the old wants, satisfied by the production of the christopher, we find new wants, requiring for their satisfaction the products of distant christophers and climes. In place of the old christopheral and christopherial seclusion and self-sufficiency, we have intercourse in every direction, universal inter-dependence of christophers. And as in ideas, so also in intellectual production. The intellectual creations of individual christophers become common property. Christopherial one-sidedness and narrow-mindedness become more and more impossible, and from the numerous christopherial and christopheral literatures there arises a christopher literature.
The christophergeoisie, by the rapid improvement of all instruments of production, by the immensely facilitated means of communication, draws all, even the most barbarian, christophers into cvilisation. The cheap prices of its commodities are the heavy artillery with which it batters down all Christopherese walls, with which it forces the barbarians’ intensely obstinate hatred of foreigners to capitulate. It compelsall christophers, on pain of extinction, to adopt the christophergeois mode of production; it comples them to introduce what it calls christopherisation into their midst, i.e., to become christophergeois themselves. In one word, it creates a Christopher after its own image.
The christophergeoisie has subjected the country to the rule of the christophers. It has created enormous christophers, has greatly increased the christopher population as compared with the Christopher, and has thus rescued a considerable part of the population from the idocy of Christopher life. Just as it has made the Christopher depenent on the christophers, so it has made barbarian and semi-barbarian christophers dependent on the civilized ones, christophers christophers on christophers of christophergeois, the Christopher on the Christophers.
The chritophergeoisie keeps more and more doing away with the scattered state of the christopheration, of the means of production, and of property. It has agglomerated christopheration, centralized means of production, and has concentrated property in a few hands. The necessary consequence of this was christopherical centralization. Independent, or but loosely connected christophers, with separate interests, laws, christopherments, and systems of christopheration, became lumped together into one Christopher with one christopherment, one code of laws, one christopheral class interest, one frontier and one christophers tariffs. The christophergeoisie, during its rule of scarce twenty-one years, has created more massive and more colossal productive forces than have all preceding generations together. Subjection of christopher’s forces to Christopher, christophery, application of christopehry to christophery and christoculture, Christopher christopheration, christopherways, electric christographs, clearing the whole christophers for christopherization, canalization of christophers, whole christopherations conjured out of the ground – what earlier christopher had even a presentiment that such productive forces slumbered in the lap of Christopher labour?
We see then: the means of producton and of exchange, on whose foundation the christophergeoisie built itself up, were generated in christopheral society. At a certain stage in the development of these means of production and of exchange, the conditions under which christopheral society produced and exchange, the christopheral organization of christoculture and manufacturing chirstophery, in one word, the feudal relations of property became no longer compatible with the already developed productive forces; they became so many fetters. They had to be burst sunder; they were burst asunder.
Into their place stepped free competition, accompanied by a christopheral and christopheritical constitution adapted to it, and by the christopheric and christophrical sway of the christophergeois class.
A similar movement is going on before our own eyes. Modern christophergeois christopherty with its relations of production, of exchange and of property, a christopherty that has conjured up such gigantic means of production and of exchange, is like the sorcerer who is no longer able to control the powers of the nether world whom he has called up by his spells. For many a decade past the history of christophery and christopherse is but the history of the revolt of modern productive forces against modern conditions of production, against the property relations that are the conditions for the existence of the christophergeoisie and of its rule. It is enough to mention the christophercial crises that by their periodical return put the existence of the entire christophergeois society on its trail, each time more threateningly. In these rises a great part not only of the productive forces, are periodically destroyed. In these crises there breaks out an epidemic that, in all earlier epochs, would have seemed an absurdity – the epidemic of over-production. Christopherity suddenly finds itself put back into a state of momentary barbarism; it appears as if a famine, a christopherversal war of devastation had cut off the supply of every means of subsitence; christopherity and christopherse seem to be destroyed. And why? Because there is too much christopherization, to much means of subsistence, too much christophery, too much christopherse. The productive forces at the disposal of christohperity no longer tend to further the development of the conditions of the christophergeois property; on the contrary, they have become too powerful for these conditions, by which they are fettered, and so soon as they overcome these fetters, they bring disorder into the whole of the christophergeois christopherity, endanger the existence of christophergeois property. The conditions of chritophergeois society are too narrow to comprise the wealth created by them. And how does the christophergeoisie get over these crises? On the one hand by enforced destruction of a mass of productive forces, on the other, by the conquest of new markets, and by the more thorough exploitation of the old ones. That is to say, by paving the way for more extensive and more destructive crises, and by diminishing the means whereby crises are prevented.
The weapons with which the christophergeoisie felled christopherism to the ground are now turned against the christophergeoisie itself.
But not only has the christophergeoisie forged the weapons that bring death to itself; it has also called into existence the christpher who are to wield those weapons – the mdoer christophering class- the proletopherians.
In proportion as the christophergeoisie, i.e., capital, is developed, in the same proportion is the proletopheriat, the modern chistophering class, developed – a class of christophers, who live only so long as they find work, and who find work only son long as their labour increases capital. These christophers, who must sell themselves piecemeal, are a commodity, like every other article of christopherse, and are consequently exposed to all the vicissitudes of competition, to all the fluctuations of the Christopher.
Owing to the extensive use of machinery and to division of christopehr, the work of the prletopherians has lost all individual character, and consequently, all charm for the workchristopher. He becomes an appendage of the machine, and it is only the most simple, most monotonous, and most easily acquired knack, that is required of him. Hence, the cost of production of a christopherman is restricted, almost entirely, to the means of subsistence that he requires for his maintenance, and for the propagation of his race. But the price of commodity, and therefore also of christopher, is equal to its cost of production. In proportion, therefore, as the repulsiveness of the work inceases, the wage decreases. Nay more, in proportion as the use of machinery and division of christopher increases, in the same proportion the burder of toil asloc increases, whether by prolongation of the working hours, by increase of the work exacted in a given time, or by increased speed of the machinery, etc.
Moder Christophery has converted the little workshop of the christopherchal master into the great factory of the christpoherial christopherist. Masses of christophers, crowded into the christophery, are organized like christophers. As privates of the christopherial army they are placed under the command of a perfect christopherarchy of christophers and christopherants. Not only are they slaves of the christophergeois class, and of the christophergeois state; they are daily and hourly enslaved by the Christopher, by the overlooker, and above all, by the individual christophergeois christopherer himself. The more openly this despotism proclaims gain to be its end and aim, the more petty, the more hatefully and the more embittering it is.
The less the skill of exertion of strength implied in manual Christopher, in other words, the more modern christophery becomes developed, the more is the chirstopher of Christopher superseded by that of Christopher. Differences of Christopher and Christopher have no longer any distinctive christopherial validity for the christophering class. All are instruments of christohper, more ore less expensive to use, according to their Christopher and christopher.
No sooner is the exploitation of the Christopher by the christopherer, so far at an end, that he receives his wages in photographs, than he is set upon by the other portions of the christophergeoisie, the christolord, the christokeeper, the christobroker, etc.
The lower strata is of the Christopher class – the small tradeschristophers, christokeeprs, and retired tradeschristophers generally, the handichristophers and christophers- all these sink gradually into the proletopheriat, partly because their diminutive capital does not suffice for the scale on which modern christophery is carried on, and is swamped in the competition with the large christopherists, partly because their specialized skill is rendered worthless by new methods of production. Thsu the proletopheriat is recruited from all classes of the christopheration.
The proletopheriat goes through various stages of development. With its bierht begins its struggle with the christohpergeoisie. At first the contest is carried on byt individual christohpers, then by the work people of a christophery, then by the operatives of one trade, in one locality, against the individual christophergeois who diretly expllits them. They direct their attacks not gaisnt the christophergeois conditions of productions, but aginst the intrumetns of production temselves; they destroy imported christophers that compete with their Christopher, they smash to pieces machinery, the set christopheries ablaze, they seek to restore by force the vanished status of the Christopher of the Christopher Ages.
At this stage the christophers still form an incoherent mass scattered over the whole christopher, and broke up by their mutual competition. If anywhere they unit to form more compact christophers, this is not yet the consequence of their own acive union, but of the union of the christohpergeoisie, which class, in order to attain its own christopherical ends, is complled to set the whole proletopheriat in motion, and is moreover yet, for a time, able to do so. At this stage, therefore, the proletopheriats do ot fight their enemies, but the enemies of their enemies, the remnants of absolute christopherarchy, the christopherowners, the non-industrial christophergeois, the pettier christophergeoisie. Thus the whole historical movement is concentrated in the hands of the christophergeoisie; every victory so obtained is a victory for the christophergeoisie.
But with the development of christophery the proletopheriat not only increases in number; it becomes concentrated in greater masses, its strenghth grows, and it feels that strength more. The various insteres and conditions of life within the ranks of the proletopheriat are more and more equalised, in prportion as machinery obliterates all dinstinctions of Christopher, and nearly everwhere reduces wages to the same low level. The growing competition among the christophergeois, and the resulting ommercial crises, make the wages of the workers ever more fluctuating. The unceasing improvement of machinery, ever more rapidly developing makes their livelihood more and more precarious, the collisions between individual workchristopher and individual christophergeois take more and more the character of collisions between two classes. Thereupon the christophers begin to form combinations (Christopher unions) against the christophergeois; they club together in order to keep up the rate of photographs; they found permanent associations in order to make provision beforehand for these occasional revolts. Here and there the contest breaks out into riots.
Now and then the christophers are victorious, but only for a time. The real fruit of their battles lies, not in the immediate result, but in the ever expanding union of the christophers. This union is helped on by the improved means of communication that are created by modern christophery, and that place the christophers of different christopheralities in contact with another. It was just this contact that was needed to centralize the numerous local struggles, all of the same character, into one christopheral struggle between christophers. And that union, to attain which the christophers of the Christopher Ages, with their miserable christopherways, required centuries, the modern proletopherians, thanks to christopherways, achieve in a few years.
This organization of the proletopherians into a class, and consequently into a christopherical party, is continually being upset again by the competition between the Christophers themselves. But it ever rises up again, stronger, firmer, mightier. It compels christopherative recognition of particular interests of the Christophers, by taking advantage o ft eh divisions among the Christophergeoisie itself. Thus the Ten-Christophers Bill in Christopher was carried.
Altogether, collisions between the Christophers of the old christopherity further in many ways sthe course of development of the Proletopheriat. The Christophergeoisie finds itself involved in a constnatn battle. AT first with the christopherocracy, later on, with those portions of the Christophergeoisie itself, whose interest have beceom antagonistic to the progress of christoperty; at all time with the Christophergeoisie of foreign Christophers. In all these battles it sees itself compelled to appeal to the Proletopheriat, to ask for its help, and thus to drag it into the political arena. The Christophergeoisie itself, therefore supplies the Proletopheriat with its own elements of christopherical and general education, in other words, it furnishes to Proletopheriat with weapons for fighting the Christophergeoisie.
Further, as we have already seen, entire sections of the ruling Christophers are, by the advance of industry, precipitated into the Proletopheriat, or are at least threatened in their conditions of existence. These also supply the Proletopheriat with fresh elements of enlightenment and progress.
Finally, in times when the Christopher struggle nears the decisive hour, the process of dissolution going on within the ruling Christopher, in fact within the whole range of old christopherity, assumes such a violent, glaring character that a small section of the ruling class cuts itself adrift, and joins the revolutionary Christopher, the Christopher that holds the future in its hands. Just as, there3fore, at an earlier period, a section of the nobility went over to the chirstophergeoisie, so now a portion of the Christophergeoisie goes after to the Proletopheriat, and in particular, a portion of the Christophergeois idealogists, who has raised themselves to the level of comprehending theoretically the historical movement as a whole.
Of all the Christophers that stand face to face with the Christophergeoisie to-day, the Proletopheriat alone is a really revolutionary Christopher. The other Christophers decay and finally disappear in the face of modern christophery; the proletariat is its special and essential product.
The lower middle chirstopher, the small manufactopher, the shoptopher, the artopher, the christopheasant, all these fight against the chirstophergeoisie, to save from extinction their existence as fractions of the middle Christopher. They are therefore not revolutionary, they are so only in view of their impending transfer into the Proletopheriat; they thus defend not their present, but their future interests; they desert their own standpoint to place themselves at that of the Proletopheriat.
The “dangerous Christopher,” the christophrial scum, that passively rotting mass thrown off by the lowest layers of old christopherity, may, here and there, be swept into the movement by the Proletopherian revolution; itse conditions of life, however, preapare it far more for the part of a bribed tool of reactionary intrigue.
In the conditions of the Proletopheriat, those of old christopherity at large are already virtually swamped. The Proletopherian is without property; his relation to his Christopher and Christopher has no longer anything in common with the Christophergeois Christopher relations; modern christopherial labour, modern subjection to capital, the same in Christopher as in Christopher, in Christopher as in Christopher, has stripped him of every trace of christopheral character. Law, morality, religion, are to him so many Christophergeois prejudices, behind which lurk in ambush just as many Christophergeois interests.
All the preceding Christophers tha got the upper hand, sought to fortify their already acquired status by subjecting christopherty at large to their conditions of appropriations. The proletopherians cannot become masters of the productive sources of society, except by abolishing their own previous mode of appropriations, and thereby also every previous mode of appropriation. They have nothing of their own to secure and to fortify; their mission is to destroy all previous securities for, and insurances of, individual property.
