Modern cities of today are regarded to have resulted from class struggle. The term class struggle refers to the active appearance of class friction viewed at a socialistic perspective. Class membership is determined by the connection with the means of production. The idea of class struggle originated from the Utopian socialists and the theories of Saint Simon. The idea was given much weight by the French historians, but Marx differed with their idea and regarded class struggle as the central detail of social advancement. The history of all the previously existed human society is a product of class struggle. Development of capitalism resulted in the acute form of class struggle with the emergence of two classes which are proletariat and the bourgeoisie.
There were also other classes which shared the characteristics of the two main classes (Ellison, para. 3)
The struggle was between the two major classes that is the proletariat or workers who were involved in selling their labor in order to earn a living. This class had no other means of survival apart from the wages they got from their labor. The bourgeoisie who are also referred to as the capitalist were getting their income from the excess value they got from the laborers who were working for them. This means that their income were from exploitation of their laborers who were the proletariat (Lee, para. 4).
The Roman Republic is considered as one of the cities which developed as a result of class struggle. The different classes of the society were not in a position to provide a solution to the stalemate that the Roman society was faced with (Woods, para. 6). The republic was at the verge of falling since its social foundation was lost. The fall of Roman Republic was evident from persistent political crises, party conflict, revolutions and counterrevolutions. Both the peasants and the senators were both in debt. The emergence of money economy resulted in breakdown of the old social linkages as well as the political power that depended on them (Lawson, para. 4).
ince the ancient system ceased to exist and there was no replacement for it, the people in Rome started organizing for riots and upheavals that made it possible for people to abolish the existence of political power.
The Roman laborers were unproductive and independent class. Even the capitalists and the aristocrats could not provide a solution to the existing stalemate and this led to the long and shameful misery of the Roman republic that led to Caesarism and the Roman Empire. The class struggle in Rome at this time resulted in one party taking over from the other even with no solution to the existing problem. The released slaves were forced into voting so as to enable their masters to become street leaders. Politicians also appeared on the streets and a big number of freed slaves gathered to force the senate to pass some particular laws. The political struggle went out of hand and this resulted in to the army involvement in politics (Tucker, para. 2).
Class struggle has also been experienced in New China between the urban and the rural people and the government controlled capitalists. The local government officials are trying to grab rural lands and evicting the owners through threats and violence.
The displaced people end up in the cities where they are forced into battles with employers and local authority for good pays and basic rights (Ellison, para. 5). This results in frequent demonstrations experienced in China cities. The rural area around Da Ba village located in Chongqing province is a steep and green area but is crowded with several small, coal fired factories and power plants. The area is very suitable for agriculture but because of its proximity to Chongqing capital, it is filled with small power plants, mines, queries and the cement factories that supply the capital. Da Ba is a typical village with a small centre crowded with storied buildings along the dusty streets. The farmers in this village are involved in struggle with people who want to grab their land in the name of development and increasing their profitability. The people started having trouble in 2005 when the village party secretary revealed to several farmers that they will be forced to sell their land to a privately owned mining company. The farmers refused to accept their terms arguing that the price they offered was quite low (Lee, para. 5).
There was a resulting struggle and the police was then involved to intimidate the farmers. Farmers stood their ground and this resulted into many leaders being jailed and battered. Police went to the extent of raiding homes belonging to the farmers and beating the suspected leaders. The farmers were later barred from working on their lands and thus denied from their livelihoods. In the long run, about 200 farmers gave their land while some sued the local government. Such cases are reported to be common in China since there is increasing rural and urban protests also termed as burgeoning class struggle. With the economy evolving from Maoist socialism to quasi Maoist capitalism, farmers have been exposed to frequent struggle for their lands like the one experienced in Da Ba because of increased appetite for land and natural resources like coal. The major land grabbers are local authority officials (Woods, para. 7).
Class struggle was also experienced in Mexico. World economy had been created because of capitalism. This resulted in plunging undeveloped countries, colonies, and semi colonial countries into the world of capitalism taking the class struggle to the most interior parts of the world (Ellison, para. 7). Yankees and the English imperialist penetration of Mexico led to the start of industrial towns. It began with extractive industries which were later followed by railroads which later spread over to local areas. Imperialist encroachment resulted into deformation of manufacturing industries. Bourgeois democratic revolution was started in the year 1910 under the protection of Yankee imperialists with the aim of changing a section of millions of peasants who were so devoted to their farming activities into laborers in their industries. They also needed to create a class of landowners, whom they would depend on, therefore copying agrarian revolution which acted as a way of reducing the peasants interest in their land (Lawson, para. 7).
By the year 1910, a very small percentage of rural population possessed 80 of the land. The percentage of the people owning land later reduced tremendously with about one fourth of the one percent of the agrarian landowners owning about 65 of the land while 65 of the rural population left without land at all. At this time, the country had various classes of people which were, large absentee landowners who owned the highest percentage of the countrys land, rich peasants and landlords, middle peasants, small landowners, poor peasants and day laborers. Day laborers formed the majority of the proletariat who were later involved in class struggle in Mexico (Tucker, para. 4)
There was massive industrial development with the capital invested by industries increasing from 979.5 million to 1,822.8 pesos within a period of about five years. The value of production is also recorded to have increased by about 90. Despite the increase in capital investment and value of production, sum total of wages achieved only 14.76 increment. At the same time imports and exports was also recorded to have increased by about 156. National bourgeoisie resulted into a conflict with imperialism leading to the creation of a revolutionary and anti imperialist and coming together of proletariat. Proletariat acted as a force and opposing group supporting national bourgeoisie (Ellison, para. 9) Theory of economic democracy also emerged due to the class conflict which was proved by increased investments, value of production and imports and exports. There was also marked change in workers work conditions which became better gradually (Lee, para. 7).
It is true that majority of the modern cities resulted from class struggle. Examples of such cities are Mexico, New China, San Francisco and Roman Republic among others. Like in New China in the village of Da Ba, the struggle was between the farmers and the local authority officials who were putting pressure on the locals to sell their lands to private developers. Because of this, a town was created with various industries and most farmers lost their land which was also the source of livelihood. In Mexico, the scenario was the same with few people owning vast land rendering majority land less. The people rendered land less was then forced to provide cheap labor therefore facilitating industrial growth.
There were also other classes which shared the characteristics of the two main classes (Ellison, para. 3)
The struggle was between the two major classes that is the proletariat or workers who were involved in selling their labor in order to earn a living. This class had no other means of survival apart from the wages they got from their labor. The bourgeoisie who are also referred to as the capitalist were getting their income from the excess value they got from the laborers who were working for them. This means that their income were from exploitation of their laborers who were the proletariat (Lee, para. 4).
The Roman Republic is considered as one of the cities which developed as a result of class struggle. The different classes of the society were not in a position to provide a solution to the stalemate that the Roman society was faced with (Woods, para. 6). The republic was at the verge of falling since its social foundation was lost. The fall of Roman Republic was evident from persistent political crises, party conflict, revolutions and counterrevolutions. Both the peasants and the senators were both in debt. The emergence of money economy resulted in breakdown of the old social linkages as well as the political power that depended on them (Lawson, para. 4).
ince the ancient system ceased to exist and there was no replacement for it, the people in Rome started organizing for riots and upheavals that made it possible for people to abolish the existence of political power.
The Roman laborers were unproductive and independent class. Even the capitalists and the aristocrats could not provide a solution to the existing stalemate and this led to the long and shameful misery of the Roman republic that led to Caesarism and the Roman Empire. The class struggle in Rome at this time resulted in one party taking over from the other even with no solution to the existing problem. The released slaves were forced into voting so as to enable their masters to become street leaders. Politicians also appeared on the streets and a big number of freed slaves gathered to force the senate to pass some particular laws. The political struggle went out of hand and this resulted in to the army involvement in politics (Tucker, para. 2).
Class struggle has also been experienced in New China between the urban and the rural people and the government controlled capitalists. The local government officials are trying to grab rural lands and evicting the owners through threats and violence.
The displaced people end up in the cities where they are forced into battles with employers and local authority for good pays and basic rights (Ellison, para. 5). This results in frequent demonstrations experienced in China cities. The rural area around Da Ba village located in Chongqing province is a steep and green area but is crowded with several small, coal fired factories and power plants. The area is very suitable for agriculture but because of its proximity to Chongqing capital, it is filled with small power plants, mines, queries and the cement factories that supply the capital. Da Ba is a typical village with a small centre crowded with storied buildings along the dusty streets. The farmers in this village are involved in struggle with people who want to grab their land in the name of development and increasing their profitability. The people started having trouble in 2005 when the village party secretary revealed to several farmers that they will be forced to sell their land to a privately owned mining company. The farmers refused to accept their terms arguing that the price they offered was quite low (Lee, para. 5).
There was a resulting struggle and the police was then involved to intimidate the farmers. Farmers stood their ground and this resulted into many leaders being jailed and battered. Police went to the extent of raiding homes belonging to the farmers and beating the suspected leaders. The farmers were later barred from working on their lands and thus denied from their livelihoods. In the long run, about 200 farmers gave their land while some sued the local government. Such cases are reported to be common in China since there is increasing rural and urban protests also termed as burgeoning class struggle. With the economy evolving from Maoist socialism to quasi Maoist capitalism, farmers have been exposed to frequent struggle for their lands like the one experienced in Da Ba because of increased appetite for land and natural resources like coal. The major land grabbers are local authority officials (Woods, para. 7).
Class struggle was also experienced in Mexico. World economy had been created because of capitalism. This resulted in plunging undeveloped countries, colonies, and semi colonial countries into the world of capitalism taking the class struggle to the most interior parts of the world (Ellison, para. 7). Yankees and the English imperialist penetration of Mexico led to the start of industrial towns. It began with extractive industries which were later followed by railroads which later spread over to local areas. Imperialist encroachment resulted into deformation of manufacturing industries. Bourgeois democratic revolution was started in the year 1910 under the protection of Yankee imperialists with the aim of changing a section of millions of peasants who were so devoted to their farming activities into laborers in their industries. They also needed to create a class of landowners, whom they would depend on, therefore copying agrarian revolution which acted as a way of reducing the peasants interest in their land (Lawson, para. 7).
By the year 1910, a very small percentage of rural population possessed 80 of the land. The percentage of the people owning land later reduced tremendously with about one fourth of the one percent of the agrarian landowners owning about 65 of the land while 65 of the rural population left without land at all. At this time, the country had various classes of people which were, large absentee landowners who owned the highest percentage of the countrys land, rich peasants and landlords, middle peasants, small landowners, poor peasants and day laborers. Day laborers formed the majority of the proletariat who were later involved in class struggle in Mexico (Tucker, para. 4)
There was massive industrial development with the capital invested by industries increasing from 979.5 million to 1,822.8 pesos within a period of about five years. The value of production is also recorded to have increased by about 90. Despite the increase in capital investment and value of production, sum total of wages achieved only 14.76 increment. At the same time imports and exports was also recorded to have increased by about 156. National bourgeoisie resulted into a conflict with imperialism leading to the creation of a revolutionary and anti imperialist and coming together of proletariat. Proletariat acted as a force and opposing group supporting national bourgeoisie (Ellison, para. 9) Theory of economic democracy also emerged due to the class conflict which was proved by increased investments, value of production and imports and exports. There was also marked change in workers work conditions which became better gradually (Lee, para. 7).
It is true that majority of the modern cities resulted from class struggle. Examples of such cities are Mexico, New China, San Francisco and Roman Republic among others. Like in New China in the village of Da Ba, the struggle was between the farmers and the local authority officials who were putting pressure on the locals to sell their lands to private developers. Because of this, a town was created with various industries and most farmers lost their land which was also the source of livelihood. In Mexico, the scenario was the same with few people owning vast land rendering majority land less. The people rendered land less was then forced to provide cheap labor therefore facilitating industrial growth.
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