Dr. Craig's Insight

To begin with, I must say that Dr. Craig’s post has truly shed a new light on Marxism in my eyes. The examples that were provided helped solidify the meaning that I had of Marxism and also encouraged me to look at the theory in a more directed spectrum. I also thoroughly enjoyed the writing style and the humor that was provided throughout the blog post; it kept my attention and made me want to continue reading while allowing me to presumably gain a better understanding of Marxist theory. Thank you, Dr. Craig!

One point that Dr. Craig mentioned that quickly grasped my attention was the piece about the copy of the Communist Manifesto in the retail store. So many times we as consumers go about our daily lives and purchase items that our society has more or less swayed us into buying. But the thing about purchasing these items is that because our current society has molded us into the materialistic society that we are, consumers don’t know anything other than buying in mass quantity for pleasure more so than for necessity. It has become one of our social norms. It’s interesting to note that the Communist Manifesto doesn’t necessarily serve the purpose of being leery and fearful of the wealthy class as it at one point in time did. Dr. Craig mentioned that Communist symbols today remind us of the class distinctions and uprising in our society rather than something we should be fearful of.

Dr. Craig also brings up the valid point that today we as consumers still purchase products with symbolic icons such as Che Guevara. Stores continue to market such products to those who they are confident will be purchasing it: the working class. On one hand, the working class benefits because they can support an icon of revolutionary change at a fairly low cost to them. On the other hand, the wealthier class are the ones who fall into the category of the corporate executives of the stores that continue to sell such products. I have worked at Target for the past four years. Speaking from my personal experience, I have noticed that on numerous occasions we have sold shirts with and image of Che Guevara on it in the men’s clothing section that is grouped with clothes for younger men. Target is a store that makes billions of dollars annually because of the dedicated business of the working class. Others within the working class because the store is able to continue paying them based on the revenue that the working class provides. The specific manufacturers who create the products are those of the ruling class; they are the corporate executives that are rarely seen at national corporate events never mind in any given store in the country. The corporate executives are benefiting from the purchases of the working class because they are continuously given reasons to create more and more products. In this instance, Target has grasped the hegemonic control over our society of working class citizens that has helped the corporation grow into a multi-billion dollar company.

Dr. Craig, it wasn’t until reading your post that I was able to relate my personal experience with Marxism. The examples you provided triggered me to think of Marxism in ways that would allow me to better grasp its concept. Again, I say thank you for providing your insight and examples!