Manifestoooooooo

Pro’s and Con’s …

PRO’S:

1.       I thought that Mark and Engels idea on industrialization was definitely constructive because the Bourgeoisie is constantly expanding. Since they are always looking to take over a new group of people, they needed to make sure that the markets and societies that they were usurping were up to date and ready to go as a way to thrive.

2.       They bring up the fact that communists put the needs of the proletarians before everything else in many situations. I thought that this was again a positive aspect because the working class is being offered a substantial role in society in which they will be given a say in how things are being run.

3.       Mark and Engels also bring up the idea that people should not live in the past, instead, they should focus on the future. A communist society would definitely be a choice when thought of in the manner because they would be focusing on how to fix, innovate, and mitigate situations that would be beneficial for the future, rather than dwelling on negative things that might have occurred in the past.

4.       I also thought that their idea of the graduated income tax was a good idea because, in realty, is it fair to tax a farmer who makes far less than some wealthy landowner who wouldn’t have to pay as much, if any? Not really. I think that this idea is good because it makes the entire system of taxation a whole lot fairer by taxing people based on how much they make.

CON’S

1.       Mark and Engels said that they want to eliminate the property of the bourgeois which will most likely result in nothing but a giant outburst and probably rebellion. This group is one of the most powerful in the area who are clearly going to have means to rebel with, and provoking them is only giving them the incentive to use these means, which could lead to chaos and destruction.

2.       The ten demands written are very biased towards the working class, and subsequently, completely bash and do nothing in the favor of the upper class. Obviously, this was not a smart decision by Mark and Engels because these aren’t going to pass since they are going to get zero approval by anyone in the Bourgoisie since these 10 demands are depriving the upper class of all the advantages they initially had. This is going to trigger a rebellion and chaos, also.

3.       Also, children are put at a disadvantage from this passage because they are being told that they will not be able to choose what they want to do in life when they become older and are looking for careers. It is unfair to expect all children to grow up under the direction of whatever the state assigns them to becoming. This is depriving so many of our youth from being able to explore their interests and following their hearts!

4.       "The abolition of bourgeois individuality, bourgeois independence, and bourgeois freedom is undoubtedly aimed at." This quote that I found also clearly shows how their hatred toward the bourgeois, but more importantly, is showing that these people who are trying to fix things, are only going to end up causing more problems. Their hatred is getting in the way of the big picture: if they want to take away these people’s independence, what kind of a government are they planning on creating? Because clearly, it is not an equal or fair, and in fact, is not going to be successful because in order for a government to work, everyone has to be content with it. At the rate that these people are going, that’s definitely not happening any time soon.

Heroes

                In all four of these paintings, there were many similarities that I noticed after examining them thoroughly. In the first painting, George Washington comes off as a cordial, welcoming individual since his arm is fanned out and the colors around him with the books make him seem scholarly and knowledgeable. In the other paintings, Touissaint appears to be on some sort of mission, Marat is lying dead in a bath tub after a stab wound, and Bolivar is pretentiously posing. In all four paintings, some more than others however, we see a similarity in how the heroes are portrayed as strong, intelligent, determined, and revered individuals who clearly had a lot of power and control. Also, we see the recurring theme of three of the leaders with some sort of weapon, like a sword, in the hands, which makes the leader appear far more intimidating and authoritative since they clearly have a weapon which could easily harm people who stand in their way. Marat, the only one without the weapon, is holding onto his pen and paper which offers a strong message about the dedicated and devoted individual he was when it came to playing a critical role in the revolution. All of these similarities are what cause these heroes to be depicted as essential parts to the revolution and make them seem as though they were all qualified for their positions.

                The artists definitely drew these leaders the way that they did because they wanted them to seem heroic and almost like ideal individuals who played a major part in shaping the world during the revolution. It makes these leaders seem like the perfect, well-rounded people who were desperately needed during this uneasy time. George Washington seems scholarly, friendly, and confident all at the same time in his picture, while Marat is depicted as a tragic hero who faced death but didn’t leave without making a statement. His pen and paper remained in his hand along with a smug look on his face, showing his dedication and devotion to trying to exploit those who did not coincide with the terms of the revolution. Bolivar and Touissaint are both portrayed as people who clearly have control over the land and are very intelligent when it comes to obtaining power and wealth in the most efficient ways. These paintings influence future generations to try and live up to the high standards set by these outstanding leaders from the past.

                Revolutions need heroic figures because in order to completely change a society for a specific matter, people like these leaders are necessary who aren’t afraid to stand up for what they believe in, rebel, take action, and take risks. Heroes are needed because they act like the voice of the people who are too intimidated to actually take action and try to make a change. The only way to change a way of life, is by having certain people dedicate their lives to trying and mitigate the situation by coming up with new and innovative solutions. Their actions are heroic about them because the decisions that people like them make end up influencing and affecting the lives of all the people around them. These are the people who obtain respect and power in society and therefore, these are the people others look up to for advice and direction. Their actions are crucial because when they are able to accomplish something helpful to the situation, their heroism prevails. The artists really capture the persons of these individuals as well, like their morals and personalities, while also depicting how scholarly and strong they are at the same time.