Class warfare is the conflict between different classes in society, often based on capitalist principles. Marxists differentiate the working class and the upper class, but there are many other classes. The struggle is caused by the exploitation of workers by the bourgeoisie, leading to discontent and possible riots. The upper class has more power, making revolt difficult. Crime can be a product of this conflict. In America, many believe the middle class is sinking and opportunities are not equal. Class conflicts can exist in communist or socialist countries where leaders have access to luxuries unavailable to the working class.
Class warfare is the struggle between classes in a society, often based on capitalist principles. The term is often used by Marxists to differentiate the proletariat or working class and the bourgeoisie (upper class). There may actually be many other classes, as evidenced in American society. Blue-collar workers sit “down” and work in manufacturing jobs, while white-collar workers are the secretaries, teachers and middle managers. The upper classes include CEOs, politicians, and people working in highly specialized careers such as doctors.
Marx describes class warfare as a constant assault and exploitation of the humble worker by the bourgeoisie. Wealth is made on the backs of workers, according to Marx, who are paid a fraction of the wages the upper class receives. This breeds discontent in society, making it much more likely that the lower class will riot.
Yet the upper class tends to wield so much power that revolt, even in the forms of organizing or unionizing, is difficult. This is true in many sectors of American society at the moment. While there are strong unions, there is also a lot of anti-union sentiment against those groups that haven’t unionized yet. The mere threat of unionization can be faced by a company deciding to organize outside a country, where it can get cheaper labor and not have to meet the demands of a new union. This outsourcing, in fact, is linked to the continuous downgrading of the American manufacturer. It is true that jobs in industry are being lost at great speed, leaving groups of people with little means to continue working as their vocational training was so specific to one type of job.
Class warfare can be expressed simply as discontent, but many also see crime in society as a product of this conflict, particularly when the wealthy are targeted. Such a crime could be gang-related tagging or work in illegal fields (such as drug dealing and prostitution). Some see this as the lower class’ attempt to level the field when fewer opportunities are available. It should be noted, of course, that most working-class people have never done an illegal thing in their lives. War may be too strong a term in many cases; class conflict, a society with very different groups of people who feel some tension between these groups, might be more accurate.
In the United States the struggle between classes is certainly felt. While there are some who argue that all American citizens have an equal opportunity to succeed and enter the upper class, many others (with various political backgrounds) believe that the middle class is gradually sinking. Teachers, for example, may not be able to afford rent or to buy houses, especially in urban areas. Furthermore, some argue that the same opportunities are not available to everyone. Differences in education, school facilities, crime rates, and so on can make it much more difficult for the poor to access the same opportunities for academic and financial success.
Class warfare is certainly not just the product of a capitalist society. Huge differences between the leaders of a communist or socialist country and its citizens can cause class conflicts to exist. When a leader of a predominantly working-class country has access to luxuries unavailable to the working class, then this is not true Marxism. Instead, it divides a country into separate classes, with a good chance that the lower working classes will resent this division. Many point to the fall of the Soviet Union primarily due to the exceptional poverty endured by most of society, while its leaders continued to live quite luxurious lives.
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