A study in contrasts!

This is a comparison of the Constitution of the United States vs. The Communist Manifesto.

1. Property rights
a. Protection guaranteed under the Constitution (Amendment V).
b. Abolition of property in land and application of all rents of land to public purposes (1st item of the Manifesto list of provisions).

2. Freedom of speech
a. Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion . . . abridging the freedom of speech or of the press (Amendment I).
b. Centralization of the means of communication and transport in the hands of the state (6th item of the Manifesto list).

3. Taxes
a. Congress shall have power to lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises. . . but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States. (Art. I, Sec. 8) No Capitation or other direct, Tax shall be laid (Art. I, Sec. 9. Modified by XVIth Amendment authorizing income tax. cf. item “b” following.).
b. A heavy, progressive or graduated income tax (2nd item of Manifesto).

4. Education
a. Not mentioned, referenced or authorized in the Constitution. Only patent and copyright protection are covered in Art. I, Sec. 8.
b. Free education for all children in public schools . . . Combination of education with industrial production, etc. (10th item of Manifesto).

5.Freedom of movement.
a.No restrictions under the Constitution. Citizens of one state have all the privileges of any other state and may travel freely between and within at any time. (Art. IV, Sec. 2).
b.The Manifesto regulates the movement of the citizens to a government plan. Permission to travel is required before embarking on a trip. (6th , 8th and 9th items of Manifesto).

6. Form of government
a. The United States shall guarantee to every State . . . a Republican Form of government . . . (Art. IV, Sec. 4).
b. . . . the first step in the revolution by the working class, is . . . to establish democracy. (Part II of the Manifesto).
Please note, the word “democracy” does not appear anywhere in either the Declaration of Independence or the Constitution. The simplest and most basic difference between a democracy and a republic is that a “democracy is the rule of men” (constantly changing as the populace discovers it can vote itself whatever it wants from the public treasury) whereas a “republic is the rule of law” (a known and stable set of rules by which everyone is governed and with which all must comply).


7. Inheritance
a. No mention in the Constitution. Because private property is protected, it was presumed that a person had the right to dispose of it according to their desires.
b. Abolition of all right of inheritance (3rd item of Manifesto).

8. Class distinction
a. No Title of Nobility shall be granted by the United States: And no Person . . . shall . . . accept . . . any present, Emolument, Office, or Title, of any kind whatever from any King, Prince or foreign State. (Art. I. Sec. 9 & 10.). All citizens of the United States are considered equal under the law.
b. The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles
[Bourgeoisie vs Proletariat] (Part I opening sentence of Manifesto).

Readers can judge for themselves which system is best, which has produced the greatest good for the greatest number and which allows maximum freedom for the individual. I have my view. What’s yours? Reach me at constitutionviews@gmail.com.
©Copyright 2011 Hillard W. Welch