Questions about Marx

As many people probably were, I was first skeptical of reading Marx and his ideas which are not widely accepted in America. However, after discussing it in class and reading some of his views myself I am more convinced that Marx knew what he was talking about even if there are some parts I do not agree with. The idea of alienated labor feels completely true in my point of view because I hardly feel that work is every satisfying like it should be. As a capitalist society, we are constantly striving to out-do one another and push our way to the top, but it also seems that this hope for advancement is not usually fulfilled. This is probably one of the reasons many believe that the “American Dream” is not a realistic venture that one can achieve. As the upper class- or the proletariat- becomes smaller and richer, the lower class- the bourgeoisie- becomes bigger and poorer. Marx lays out that capitalism, like the situation we are in, will eventually lead to a revolution in which the bourgeoisie gains “class consciousness”. Then and only then can socialism and a classless society be possible. This concept seems a little hard to grasp though which is the main issue I think most people have with Marxist views. How can we possibly transition from a society of class struggle and consumerism to a classless society of proportion in distribution of wealth? The concept is very hopeful and ideal but one wonders if it could actually work.

My main issue is the idea that we must abolish the concept of “private property”. If a socialist society would give each according to his needs then would these needs not include some form of property? We think of our basic needs as food, water, and shelter but is there anything else that could be included in our needs? If we were to become a socialist society does that mean that all of our needs would be met in a community with other people- meaning would we have to share everything like houses and food? Then, I wonder if this society would take into account the idea of happiness and the opportunity to enjoy oneself or would this come from simply taking joy in work without any extra-curricular activities? I guess it is just the capitalist views which are so deeply engrained in my mind and thoughts that make it so difficult to fully comprehend these concepts, but I think it is definitely something worth exploring further.