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The reality of capitalism is that the workers get paid little while capitalists get rich, by shrinking the wages of workers as low as possible to increase profits. Where capitalism sees profit as a reward for ingenuity and technological talent, Marx was far more skeptical (Joseph, 2006). To Marx, profit is simply theft. What is being stolen is the talent and hard work of the working class. However much one dresses up the fundamentals of capitalism, Marx insists that capitalism means paying the worker one price for doing something and then selling it to somebody else at a much higher price (Joseph, 2006). In other words, profit is the fancy term for exploitation.
Over the centuries, capitalism has been very unstable and volatile. Marx proposed that capitalist systems are characterized by crises (Joseph, 2006). Crises are prevalent to capitalism and competing sides cause them. The fact that we are able to produce too much is itself a crisis of abundance. Today, our factories and systems are so efficient if we wanted to we could give everyone on this planet a car, a house, access to a decent school and hospital. There is less of a need than ever to work today because the modern economy is so productive. While unemployment in a capitalist system is considered a bad thing, under communism could it be considered a freedom? We complain about not working, but really if we controlled our own means of production we would not mind this freedom. Today, unemployment is common because we are so advanced and capable of making things we no longer need the vast supplies of labor. Marx also would argue we are not all needed, but in that case, we should make leisure something that is admirable (Bottomore, 1973). In addition, he would say we should redistribute the wealth of the massive corporations that make so much surplus money and instead give it to everyone (Bottomore, 1973). This is a very beautiful dream, but is it realistic?
