Here is a link to a free version of Marx's Manifesto:
www.gutenberg.org...
Notice what directly precedes the list:
The proletariat will use its political supremacy to wrest, by degrees, all capital from the bourgeoisie, to centralise all instruments of production
in the hands of the State, i.e., of the proletariat organised as the ruling class;
Does anyone here genuinely think that the proletariat (those who contribute little more to society other than working for a wage and having children
for the next generation of wage labourers) is a ruling class in America, and that its systematically enacting the provisions of the list ???
The Ten Planks
Abolition of private property and the application of all rents of land to public purposes.
Private property clearly still exists in America. Even teh founders recognized that sometimes the government can take property for the common weal, so
long as sensible compensation is given. Unless you want to argue that Washington was a communist, I don't think we can say that America no longer
has private property.
A heavy progressive or graduated income tax.
Taxes in America are perfectly legal, agian, as recognized by the Founders. American taxes are a tiny percentage compared to what they would be under
an actual Commnist system, let alone a european socialist system.
Abolition of all rights of inheritance.
The page alleges that the Estate Tax abolishes inhertience, which is plainly not true.
Confiscation of the property of all emigrants and rebels.
The page tries to claim that the IRS is doing this, but that is not what the above is even talking about, its saying that you get ride of foreigners
and anyone opposing the movement by confiscating their property.
Centralization of credit in the hands of the state, by means of a national bank with State capital and an exclusive monopoly.
ANd then the page sites the Federal Reserve System. Somehow, I think that the Bankers and Capitalists would disagree that America is a communist
nation on that matter.
Centralization of the means of communications and transportation in the hands of the State.
Marx was talking about having state newspapers, not the FCC, nor the Interstate Commerce Act, which has nefarious 'communist' ideas such as
www.u-s-history.com...
Shipping rates had to be "reasonable and just"
Rates had to be published
Secret rebates were outlawed
Price discrimination against small markets was made illegal.
Extension of factories and instruments of production owned by the state, the bringing into cultivation of waste lands, and the improvement of
the soil generally in accordance with a common plan.
Its patently clear that teh Federal Government isn't rehabilitating wastelands and farms in accord with a common plan to give them to the working
people.
Equal liability of all to labor. Establishment of industrial armies, especially for agriculture.
And then they say that Minimum Wage makes us communist. Nonesense. Or that because families are often now 'two income', we're somehow communist,
when if we were communist, there wouldn't be any income at all. Or that because we 'let' women and blacks get jobs, we're communist. Pure
trash.
Combination of agriculture with manufacturing industries, gradual abolition of the distinction between town and country, by a more equitable
distribution of population over the country
It should be patently obvious to anyone know that rural alabama is pretty darned different from the island of Manhattan.
Free education for all children in public schools. Abolition of children's factory labor in its present form. Combination of education with
industrial production
I don't care if that is communist, its damned sensible to have free public schools for all kids, rather than just allowing the rich or one ethnic
group to send their kids to schools.
[edit on 2-3-2007 by Nygdan]
Big Smiles!!! 
