Karl Marx and Gandhi, both experienced firsthand oppression executed by the Bourgeoisie and the British government

respectively. Despite their common goal of ending oppression and freeing the victims from this spell, they each hold firm two contrasting beliefs in ways of solving the problem. Karl Marx, in reaction against the industrial revolution resolved to violence as a way of ending oppression and attaining a solely communist society. Gandhi, on the other hand, committed to non-violence, believing and preaching that the soul force of love Satyagraha and freedom and inner independence - Swaraj were the solution oppression. Prior to the industrial revolution, Europeans used the barter trade system. Handcrafted goods were exchanged for handcrafted goods and money as a medium of exchange was nonexistent. This system of trade called for and enhanced trust between neighbors, since they believed that the trade between the parties was an even exchange. Families reputation was boosted from their quality handcrafted end products, and not by their wealth or money. Barter trade also promoted production of unique, beautifully handcrafted goods. There was peaceful co-existence amongst different people with different skills. With the onset of industrial revolution came inventions of large machinery such as steam engines which led to the birth of factories and factory workers. Equality amongst the people was suddenly broken, and instead of a unified community individuals were classified according to what they did, for example, Harry became Harry the farmer and John that had the capital to buy a steam engine became John the factory owner , the employer, etc. With time, the factory owners that employed the skilled workers became the Bourgeoisie, and factory workers were

the Proletariat. The ratio of steam engines to factory workers was huge, leading to mass production of cheap, poor quality goods as opposed to the earlier ones that were keenly crafted one by one, ensuring good quality. This mass production resulted to more and more people moving from the country to the city, breaking further their unity. The Bourgeoisie, owned factories, which were the major means of production and accrued too much wealth through affluence at the expense of the Proletariat, who were the factory workers. The Proletariat were paid low wages, just enough to keep them alive. They lacked proper housing and lived in small houses owned by the Bourgeoisie. This marked the birth of tenement housing, as they paid for their housing through their labor. Their children lacked education as they had to work in the factories as well to bring in additional income. The Bourgeoisie on the other hand lived in gated neighborhoods of the wealthy, their children receiving superior education by attending private schools and universities. Clearly, there existed a wealthy upper class, and a struggling lower class of people in the community. Acquiring too much wealth at the expense of the Proletariat was an obvious way of exploiting the poor, a criminal activity that should be stopped. The Bourgeoisie refused to give up the affluence, and hence justified violence. Violence was therefore a way that could be used in the communist revolution, a violent revolution, a revolution to execute the Bourgeoisie. The Proletariat would together gather wealth from the Bourgeoisie, using violence if they had to since it was justified, and redistribute the wealth more equally among everyone. This would eliminate the upper and lower class. With equality, there would be no classification. His rules

for attaining a communist revolution included not owning a means of production, or a business with employees, one could however own private property. October revolution and the Cuban revolution s attempt to implement communism failed because of the communists lacked adequate man power and weapons needed to execute the planned violence against the government. Communism has also been tried in some states of America where the American government pays the states some money according to the number of specialized skilled workers, for example a surgeon, skilled workers, for example a mechanic, and unskilled workers like fast food workers. The states with the specialized skilled workers are paid the most while the ones with the unskilled workers get the least amount of money. Karl Marx meant that a society is defined by the group of people. A certain religion can die if there is no unity among its members. For a group to be referred to as what it is, it needs unity with a common cause. Karl Mark s violent methods of ending oppression fail!

Gandhi s way of ending oppression, as opposed to Karl Marx involved no violence at all. Over the years, Gandhi experiences British colonialism, which is the military occupation of a country. The military export goods to gain profit, denying the natives any rights as citizens of that country.

Gandhi was born to a middle class family in India in 1869, had an arranged marriage in 1884, taking a vow, which signified self-control. His real name, Mohandas K. Gandhi means middle class and his acquired name Mahatma means great son . Gandhi goes to England to study law in 1888 where he has his first encounter with British racism but does not lose faith. He speaks the queen s English, dresses like a British and is familiar with the Bible despite being a Hindu. He seems to want to be like the British and holds a high standard for them despite their flaws. In 1893, he moves to South Africa to practice law and has more encounters with British racism, but still refuses to lose faith. In South Africa, Gandhi works as an ambulance driver; a job involving no violence. He experiences the Zulu Rebellion of South Africa in 1906 against their oppression by the British, which resulted to a massacre. This is truly a moment for Gandhi as an ambulance driver, being a non- violent person and having to witness the massacre. He is against British colonialism that denied Black South Africans their rights as citizens. They were required to have Identification cards everywhere at all times, they could be detained without probable cause and they had a curfew. Gandhi loses faith in the British! Being a non-violent person, Gandhi executes Satyagraha and Swaraj and organizes a peaceful protest against the Black Act . Gandhi, believes in Satyagraha, the force of love , which incudes civil disobedience (peacefully breaking the law) and love for the oppressor. He believes that if we get right with God by loving our oppressors and not fighting them back, God will change the heart of our oppressors. We may disobey them in a civil manner but that would not be Satyagraha if we did not love them. This would be God s divine act in response to an act of faith.

Gandhi also strongly believes in Swaraj, which means freedom, inner independence, self control. (signified in taking a vow in his arranged marriage) He believes that God does not want us to be slaves to physical appetites. He fasts, deliberately abstaining from satisfying some physical appetites( like food and sex) to channel his energies and thought towards higher, more important things. Gandhi strongly believes that Satyagraha and Swaraj together are a weapon against oppression. Upon return to India in 1915, Gandhi continues to execute both Satyagraha and Swaraj. For Swaraj, Gandhi takes a vow of celibacy during Caste System and religiously sanctioned discrimination against Hinduism. In 1947, during the Indian Independence; Muslim vs Hindu violence,Gandhi executes Swaraj again by fasing and refuses to eat until everyone stops fighting. This works and marks his first fast that succeeds. In 1919, Gandhi executes Satyagraha by refusing to drink tea, one day a week, he instructs people not to work in factory but to show up wearing indian garb, praying aloud for the British and singing hymns. He also instructs against riding trains. In 1930, another Satyagraha is executed by Gandhi when the indians decide to make their own salt, knowing that making their own salt was illegal. In January 1948, Gandhi is assassinated by a young Hindu nationalist. Gandhi led his own people to independence, so he succeeds!

In conclusion, I would choose Gandhi s methods of ending oppression because they do not involve violence, and despite failure in the first attempts, he succeeds in leading his people to independence, unlike Karl Mark s violent methods that failed.