Capitalism and Communism

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INTRODUCTION
Communism and Capitalism are two different concepts used in describing the changes that occur in the process of civilization and development. Both concepts try to explain why there exists a transition in the society in terms of wealth and class. Throughout history, there has been a conspicuous difference in class among different societies. This has led to competition amongst the rich and the poor in the society. This competition is as a result of the poor trying to attain some wealth while the rich people find more and more wealth. It is a battle between the two different social classes in search for an equilibrium or equality in the society (Matias 23). This has resulted into a formation of two different groups: the Proletariats-who are the poor, labor providers and the lower class in the society and the Bourgeois, who own the means of production, are the rich and the wealthy and also those who are at the top socially and politically. Conceptually, different theorists have hypothesized different concepts in regard to both communism and capitalism. They have used subsequently varying ideological concepts to strengthen their arguments.
Capitalism refers to a system of a society whereby there are no governmental controls over means of production, the final products, or even the pricing of these products. Individuals or investors otherwise known as the Bourgeois own the means of production while the Proletariats provide the means of production such as labor (Jacobs 12). Such an economy is characterized by stiff competitions among the Bourgeois who are only a few individuals with production powers in the economy. The Bourgeois are best known for exploiting the Proletarians by paying them low wages. Capitalism is what leads to an economy of ‘Haves and the don’t haves’ as Karl Marx calls them (Brus & Laski 14).
Communism refers to a society whereby all political and economic powers are combined or are owned equally. It is that kind of society whereby means of production and wealth are shared equally. In a society, no one owns the means to production and the end product is shared equally without considerations to the amount of labor input or the hours of labor (Brus & Laski 14). Capitalism on the other hand is defined as a social system whereby there is open competition on the ownership of the means of production, everything including wealth, income, labor and wages is privately owned and the government has little or no control over this. Private investors own their own firms and they dictate the wages of the laborers. Resources and wealth in such an economy are dictated by the forces of demand and supply whereby the prices of the commodities and their profit determine the wages and hence the wealth of the individuals (Brus & Laski 17). Contrary to communist’s perspective on equality, capitalists view the role of the government as merely to regulate and govern the economy of the state. A capitalist economy leads to what Karl Marx calls an economy of haves and don’t haves (Brus & Laski 16).
According to Marx, A German Philosopher, labor led to more emphasis on pricing rather than the end product. Private ownership of means of production has led to divisions in the society whereby one class provides labor, and at cheap costs, while the other uses that labor in production of quality end products which are more competitive in the market (Brus & Laski 21). The profit derived from the end product is however not divided equally. The owners of the means of production otherwise known as the private investors get the biggest shares of the profits while the laborers are cheaply paid. This has led to a societal class of what Marx calls a society of ‘haves and the have not’s. The Haves or the owners of the means of production have powers over the have not’s who only provide means of production that is the labor (Jacobs 34)
According to Marx, the value added by the have not’s to the investors is later translated to the profits of the haves and hence they become more rich. Marx is of the view that the full value of labor is not normally paid. In such an economy, the poor remains to be poor while the rich and the wealthy continue to get richer (Brus & Laski 54). The providers of the means of production, also called the Proletar...