Salient. Victoria University Student Newspaper. Vol 35 no. 11. 31 May 1972
Wrath and Opprobrium
Wrath and Opprobrium
Marx and Engels described 'The Executive of the Modern State 'as 'but a committee for managing the common affairs of the whole bourgeoisie'.
One of the important implications of Marx and Engels' description of the modern state is that the state's reaction to any crisis or disturbance in society will be reflected ideologically in accordance with the interests of the dominant class; in Marx and Engels' terms, the bourgeoisie. Last year when watersides held up giant container vessels they incurred the wrath and opprobium of the government and the daily press, which magically and speedily divined and disseminated public anger at the wharfies' actions. Of course one does not need to study marxist texts to realise how faithfully the daily press reflects the 'conventional wisdom' of our capitalist society.