The film under consideration goes under the title What If Marx Was Right?. It is centered on close examination and analysis of Marx’s ideas and thoughts regarding capital, its role in society and for a state, and power that capital unleashes. A lot of experts note that capitalism is a driving source of economic development and consider capitalism as a product of outstanding philosophers. However, the question is, how an idea of philosopher influences human’s life and whether modern crises can be explained using Marx’s theories.
The film makes an accent on the rediscovery of Marx’s theories in China and communist ideas. The fundamental question the movie aims to answer is whether Marx’s ideas are more relevant in modern times than they were in the nineteenth century. In order to get a better understanding of the philosopher’s works and realize what guided Marx, it is essential to take into consideration his biography. The film provides insights regarding his life. Marx was sure that industrial revolution and capitalism would create wonders; however, with these wonders people would face destructions. David Harvey is sure that Marx does not give answer concerning socialism or capitalism, the major idea is related to the work of capitalism (“Capitalism Episode 4” 15:22).
The movie is rich on quotations from Marx’s works that contribute to better understanding of the issue. The film outlines the relation between industrial revolution, the price for commodities, alienation, the lengths of the working day and capitalism. Fictitious capital is the problem of a modern world that caused a number of economic crises. Accumulation of capital is always related to the accumulation of debt. The movie offers analysis of Romanian example concerning fictitious capital and debt. Finance or fictitious capital have a great impact on the way people live rising the middle class and worsening the situation with poverty.
Concluding ideas that were presented earlier, the movie draws the attention of a viewer to the problem of stagnation. The gap between rich and poor increases dramatically. The crisis of 2008 was the result of the processes that occurred before. According to the film, the economic crises can be explained using the theory of creative destruction. Entrepreneurs guide the age of creative destruction.
For example, a new product is manufactured, and it is innovative and creative, which is beneficial; however, the negative side should be taken into account as well as it wipes off everything that existed before and it influences the way people lived. It should be noted that businessmen invent new processes and products that destabilize and destroy the old system. The society and economy as well are developing spirally. In 1991, communism died with the collapse of the Soviet Union. Yanis Varoufakis states that 2009 was a year when capitalism died (“Capitalism Episode 4” 47:27). Marx’s ideas were misunderstood and misinterpreted in the twentieth century.
The movie offers new ideas and visions on capitalism, communism, and how the capital works. The experts provide a better understanding of the issue analyzing the world’s events and tying them to Marx’s ideas and beliefs.
Works Cited
Capitalism Episode 4. Dir. Ilan Ziv. N.p., n.d. Web.