Who said that The State is nothing more than a machine for the oppress...
Frederik Engels
Frederik Engels, a philosopher, social scientist, and co-author of The Communist Manifesto with Karl Marx, famously stated that "The State is nothing more than a machine for the oppression of one class by another." This quote encapsulates the Marxist perspective on the nature of the State and its relationship to class struggle.
Marxist Analysis of the State
- According to Marx and Engels, the State is a tool used by the ruling class to maintain its dominance over the exploited class.
- The State, including its institutions such as the government, legal system, and military, serves to uphold the interests of the ruling class and perpetuate the existing social order.
- In capitalist societies, the State functions to protect private property rights, enforce laws that benefit the bourgeoisie, and suppress any challenges to the status quo.
Class Struggle and Oppression
- Marx and Engels believed that history is characterized by class struggle, with the ruling class exploiting the labor of the working class for their own economic gain.
- The State plays a crucial role in perpetuating this exploitation by using its power to suppress dissent and maintain the unequal distribution of wealth and power.
Implications of Engels' Quote
- Engels' statement highlights the Marxist view that the State is not a neutral entity but rather a tool of class oppression.
- This perspective challenges the idea of the State as a benevolent institution that serves the interests of all citizens equally, suggesting instead that it primarily benefits the ruling class.
In conclusion, Frederik Engels' assertion that "The State is nothing more than a machine for the oppression of one class by another" reflects the Marxist critique of the State as a mechanism of inequality and exploitation in capitalist societies.
Who said that The State is nothing more than a machine for the oppress...
It is well known that the Americans have been striving for 30 years to shake off this yoke, which has become intolerable, and that in spite of all they can do they continue to stink ever deeper in this swamp of corruption. It is precisely in America that we see best how there takes place this process of the state power making itself independent in relation to society, whose mere instrument it was originally intended to be. Here there exists no dynasty, no nobility, no standing army, beyond the few men keeping watch on the Indians, no bureaucracy with permanent posts or the right to pensions. and nevertheless we find here two great gangs of political speculators, who alternately take possession of the state power and exploit it by the most corrupt means and for the most corrupt ends -- and the nation is powerless against these two great cartels of politicians, who are ostensibly its servants, but in reality exploit and plunder it.
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