Marx had written that the history of the human civilization is a history of class conflicts.

This conflict had started from the beginning of human civilization and as Marx had predicted, this conflict will only end through a revolution that will see an end to human extortion.

As human civilization is stepping from one century to the other, this theory of Marx is the greatest gift of the past century. On the one hand it gives the reason for human conflict while on the other it shows the path to end it. It is this meeting of the two centuries that beckons us once again to find the path of human freedom.

A NEW CENTURY FOR THE CAPITALISTS?

The famous capitalists of the world have started a brouhaha over the coming century and India is no an exception to it. The capitalists sponsored newspapers and intellectuals have started a great compaign. But what is their message?

Their main message and target seems to be the same and that is, to make every country depend on the open market economy and profit for the sake of its polity, economy, society, education and culture. The culture, education and environment that human beings have freely enjoyed will now be decided through money that they hold. To them, works like 'humanism' will have no meaning. This is the main message as well as target of these capitalist backed journalists and intellectuals.

We can ask, 'what has been the most important achievement of capitalism in the previous century?

The breakdown of the Berlin wall in 1989 has been the greatest success of capitalism in the 20th century.

This event brought a new beginning for capitalism and imperialism. The dream of an open market world became a reality after this event.

As the great capitalist George Soros wrote, 'In 1979, when I had more money than I needed (profit), I established an institute by the name of "Open Society Fund" whose main aim was to open he markets of the closed economies and I used this institute to break-up the Soviet system.

[*George Soros- 'the Crisis of Global Capitalism.]

George Soros thus has clearly stated that the main aim of profit is to break the socialist system and create an open market for the capitalists.

It is this success that inspired the capitalists and imperialists to spread the propaganda of the death of the socialist system.

Francis, Fukuyama, a noted (capitalist backed) intellectual was so delighted by this fact that he declared it as the "end of history", by which he meant that the end of socialism has brought an end to human history!

Though Fukuyama's statement has now become insignificant, the idea of capitalism staying forever strongly exists.

We might recall Ronald Reagan, the American former President asking whether there was any way out for the world from this 'Satan' ruled 'evil' called the 'Soviet Union'?

Since this 'Satan ruled evil' has come to an end, it is now easy to say that whether it is good or evil, it is our world, that is, a world for capitalists and there is no way to get out of it. As Margaret Thatcher, the former British Prime Minister declared, 'There is no alternative (TINA).

But is there really no alternative? According to the United nation's Development Programme (U.N.D.P.) [1996] Report, the amount of money and wealth that 225 of the world's richest men hold is equal to the income of half (250 crores) of the global population.

Knowing this fact, shall we once again say, 'There is no alternative'?

The most important phenomenon that had occurred in the 20th century had been the advent of Marx and Engels with their revolutionary ideas.

And these revolutionary ideas were first observed in reality by the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917 in the Soviet Union followed by revolutions in China, Cuba and Vietnam, which spread the Communist Movement throughout the world.

But after 1989 the world scenario changed. Not it was tie for capitalism to attack socialism.

The question is, even after the break-up of the Soviet Union and East Europe, has capitalism still been established?

Let us hear what that great capitalist George Soros has to say, 'The capitalist system that was mainly responsible for the significant development of this country ( U.S.A) is now breaking into prices!

When the capitalists all over are trying to establish their rightist view, it surprises us when we hear such scary words from Mr. Soros.

REAL FACE OF CAPITALISM AT THE END OF THE CENTURY.

On the one hand George Soros writes about the breakdown of capitalism while on he other it is said that capitalism has no end. Elen Makesinswood in an article titled "Unhappy Families" [Monthly Review (July-August'99] has highlighted a few important aspects regarding the spread of capitalism in the last decade of the 20th century. As Makesinswood writes, "The laws governing the flow of capitalism has gone deep inside capitalist nations and it is now spreading throughout the world.

The work done by a human being, his social relations and his environment is now based on profit maximisation and flow of capital".

What is the result of all this? According to Makesinswood, this means that capitalism and its laws have now entered deep into the cultural and educational institutions of the capitalist countries, which was unthinkable even ten years ago.

On the other hand, for the non-capitalist nations this means an increase in poverty and fall in growth rate.

In other words, this polarity is effected through the South-North division.

The United States of America (U.S.A) has been playing he leading role among the countries that are striving to establish global capitalism. The way that U.S.A. has planned to influence each nation in he world in terms of their economy, culture and society is dangerous. Fidel Castro has termed this phenomenon as "global capitalism".

This influence is not limited to the globalisation of only the economy.

Infact, in order to secure the capitalist ideology, these nations have started to use their military might as well.

This is clear from the continuous bombing of Iraq that has destroyed the nation into ruins.

It is not because Iraq attached Quwait (the official reason given) but in order to capture the valuable oil fields. In this case, the American ideology is, 'He who owns oil owns the world?

Recently, Yugoslavia was attacked for the same reason by Nato under the American leadership. The attack was meant, firstly to capture the huge natural resources (including oil) of Yugoslavia and secondly, to teach a lesson to the Yugoslav people for not acceding to Nato's demand. Makesinswood has termed his ideology as 'neo-imperialism'.

The principal of this ideology is to keep the nation and is people intact by not conquering it militarily but to have a hold on he global economy and enlarge the domain of capitalist control.

According to Makesinswood, this is not a crisis that is faced by Japan or Latin America nor is it a corrupt version of capitalism. This is simply the fallout of capitalism.

Infact, this fallout of capitalism has been most explicit in that heaven of capitalism has been most explicit in that heaven of capitalism, the U.S.A itself as described by Deng Henwood in his article in the same journal, Drawing from Karl Marx's conclusion of capitalism is inherent in capitalism itself and this is evident in every capitalist economy.

The real fact is, that no capitalist nation can avoid his crisis and hence they are all unhappy for the same reason through not in the same way.

It is because of this that no one country can free itself from the crisis of capitalism so long capitalism itself does not come to an end.

Therefore, what is necessary is both a state sponsored struggle as well as a global struggle for the abolition of the capitalist system.

WHAT IS TO BE DONE IN THE NEW CENTURY?

Lenin asked, 'What is to be done'?

He followed the Marxist ideology and got an answer to his question. However, the crisis that human beings are facing today was not faced by Marx. Naturally, Marx was unable to give solutions to the crisis faced today.

However, the solution must be found out through the co-ordination of he like-minded people who believe in the Marxian ideology and concept.

Mere dreaming or losing hope cannot solve the problem.

Marx dearly saw that humanity lies within the human society itself but in a "suppressed" manner.

When Marx spoke of communism, he was not dreaming but he was deciphering the potential of this "suppressed" into reality.

Capitalism has created inhuman instincts for human minds.

At the end of the 20th century, capitalism has grown into dangerous proportions and is determined to change all good to evil.

Love and affection have been transformed into profit maximisation and selfishness.

However, even today human beings have not all become inhuman. The role of Communism now is to bring out that 'suppressed humanity' and free humans from the chains of capitalist bondage.