I am a Junior in high school now. Reading a few blog posts may reveal that I have a few beliefs I hold very dear. As with all beliefs, they have changed and will change. The inspiration for me to investigate these beliefs came to me from reading a radical book that altered the course of history completely.

The Communist Manifesto, authored by Karl Marx and co-authored by Friedrich Engles, is a relatively short work outlining the core tenets of Marxism and the inevitable future of the workers' revolution. Spanning about 52 pages (not including introduction and supplementary works), this book holds a strong message.

The first chapter is appropriately named "Bourgeoise and Proletarians". A dichotomy is already set. Evil versus good. Dark versus light. Immorality versus morality. Perhaps one of the oldest stories in humanity. The Manifesto basically outlines the problem of capitalism and its predecessor feudalism. These two forces have created a wall of separation between these two classes. Those who possess wealth, and those who work for those who possess wealth.

According to the Manifesto, the capitalist landowners have been in a struggle with the proletariat. The bourgeoise constantly manipulate the system of capitalism to keep the proletariat from advancing while lining their own pockets. The book's last paragraph is perhaps the most moving:

"The Communists disdain to conceal their views and aims. They openly declare that their ends can be attained only by the forcible overthrow of all existing social conditions. Let the ruling classes tremble at a Communistic revolution. The proletarians have nothing to lose but their chains. They have a world to win. WORKING MEN OF ALL COUNTRIES, UNITE!"

This political view influenced how I saw humanity. I saw that humans openly exploit other humans. I saw that it continues to happen today and that it needs to stop. I saw Communism for its social principles, but not for its economic ones (which are inherently flawed).

These social views of humanity as a whole stay with me. It is what led me to humanistic ideas, pantheistic ideas, the Baha'i Faith, and just common decency. It exposed me to a world of a history of exploitation. The book invokes a burning passion to act. Acting for what is the question. Communism has proven itself to be flawed. It means to solve corruption in government with a new form of government. We can see that in the U.S.S.R this failed. We see now that the Peoples' Republic of China is failing. Communist nations fail to uphold to the tenets of Marxism, whether it is social or economic.

The book is a great read for those who haven't read it already. It reveals the mindset of millions of revolutionaries who gave their lives in the hope of a better existence for their families, friends, and future generation. It shows how humans can have the best of intentions that turn into nasty realities. It is a book that opens up a new world view. It did that for me at least.