Is that to say we are against Free Trade? No, we are for Free Trade, because by Free Trade all economical laws, with their most astounding contradictions, will act upon a larger scale, upon the territory of the whole earth; and because from the uniting of all these contradictions in a single group, where they will stand face to face, will result the struggle which will itself eventuate in the emancipation of the proletariat.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Marx argues that free trade brings contradictions together, creating struggle that will free the proletariat.
- In plain terms
- Free trade unites contradictions, leading to class struggle and emancipation.
- What can you take from it?
- Economic integration can spark revolutionary change.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Will global trade always lead to proletarian emancipation?
- How can contradictions be managed peacefully?
Another view
Free trade also benefits capitalists and can suppress labor power.
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