Brothers (SumBlog2)

"Don't turn away, don't tell me that we're not the same
We face the fire together, brothers 'til the end
Don't run away, our time will come but not today

I stand beside you, brother, with you 'til the end" 

Lord Huron, "Brother"

What unites us as humans? With what do we identify? Karl Marx believed in the unification of the working class. He thought that human potential was being restricted by capitalism. The alienation that comes with capitalism shows itself through several facets:

1.  The Alienation from "productive activity"-there is no room for creativity in capitalism.
2. Alienation from the product-you don't see the final product, just a small part.
3. Alienation from fellow workers-no work relationships formed due to the competition. 
4. Alienation from "human potential"-potential is stuffed by capitalism.

Marx thought we experience the world through ideologies, but they hurt our human potential as well. Man makes up these ideologies to keep an order, and to keep things the way that they are, creating class inequality. The bourgeoisie were the elite upper class, and everyone else was working class.  Marx was critical of these class inequalities, and thought that our human potential would be unhindered with its removal. Along those lines, Marx thought capitalism needed to be eliminated as well.

The song "Brother", by Lord Huron reminds me of the unification of the classes that was desired by Marx. The competition that comes with capitalism was not considered unifying. The freedom and equality that make up the capitalistic market are also what bind people into the classes. He wanted equality for everyone, and an elimination of the hierarchy. The only differences in between the two classes is wealth. People are all people; they experience the same emotions, have the same fears, hopes, and dreams. The line in the song, "don't turn away, don't tell me that we're not the same" I think Marx would identify with. There is a humanity that unites us all, that cannot be overlooked.