Subjection of Nature’s forces to man, machinery, application of chemistry to industry and agriculture, steam-navigation, railways, electric telegraphs, clearing of whole continents for cultivation, canalisation of rivers, whole populations conjured out of the ground - what earlier century had even a presentiment that such productive forces slumbered in the lap of social labour?Ī landowner risks nothing, unlike the industrial capitalist. The bourgeoisie, during its rule of scarce one hundred years, has created more massive and more colossal productive forces than have all preceding generations together. The bourgeoisie cannot exist without constantly revolutionising the instruments of production. It has accomplished wonders far surpassing Egyptian pyramids, Roman aqueducts, and Gothic cathedrals it has conducted expeditions that put in the shade all former Exoduses of nations and crusades. The bourgeoisie has been the first to show what man’s activity can bring about. The "independence" of a few Spanish Californians and Texans may suffer because of it, in someplaces "justice" and other moral principles may be violated but what does that matter to such facts of world-historic significance?
The energetic americans by rapid exploitation of the California gold mines will increase the means of circulation, in a few years will concentrate a dense population and extensive trade at the most suitable places on the coast of the Pacific Ocean, create large cities, open up communications by steamship, construct a railway from New York to San Francisco, for the first time really open the Pacific Ocean to civilization, and for the third time in history give the world trade a new direction. So here’s Marx & Engels involuntarily praising capitalism and incrementalism, while condemning statism : A philosopher is not necessarily infallible in seeing the implications of his own ideas.
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