"Remembering Frederick Engels in his 200th year"
At first, this note is in one with the working people in marking the 200 birth anniversary of the writer Frederick Engels. Known as a writer, historian, fighter, at quite some time a businessman and as a lifelong friend and colleague in struggle of Karl Marx, Engels made immense contributions to the development of Marxism as an ideology of the working class. From this would say that the working folk treasure the contributions what Engels bequeathed to them.
Born from a well-to-do family, Frederick Engels was just 22 when he was sent by his father to England to help run the family firm. His father hoped that this would draw him away from radical ideas he engaged during his college days, but, from that same Manchester England where he worked, that young man rather saw instead the suffering, and the power of a growing proletariat whom he rather supported their struggle.
Marking Engels' birth anniversary in this present day cannot be more significant and relevant as the global capitalist order faces an ever continuing and unprecedented crisis. Despite numerous achievements ever bragged under capitalism, this doesn't hide the fact that intolerable conditions and untold sufferings on the labouring folk continues to rise: with low wages, bad working conditions, joblessness, cuts on social service spending, indebtedness, and various measures especially under neoliberal capitalism just like what Engels and Marx faced.
From these somehow that along with Marx, Engels devoted in formulating, developing Marxism through their collection of works (be it Das Kapital, the Communist Manifesto, or some essays and correspondences related to the emancipation of the working class) that served as a reference for the working class in their struggle for radical social change since the 19th century. Hence, The proletariat owes Engels and Marx the standpoint and system of thought which point them to the path towards their emancipation. That, for the first time in history, it was shown that liberation from all forms of oppression comes not as a result of mere idealism, but rather as a conscious historical act of class struggle by the proletariat.
Tracing from history, they revealed how capitalism, as any other order prior to it, gave birth to the class who will not only dismantle the old social order, but will establish a society that will end the history of classes and class exploitation.
And although prior to Marx and Engels there were men and organisations who tried to look for radical solutions to a centuries-old repression, the observations and works of these two colleagues-in-struggle consolidated it that in 1848, they were commissioned by the German Communist League to elucidate on the main principles of scientific socialism and communism. It was from that same year when they wrote the "Manifesto of the Communist Party" which shook the ramparts of the capitalist order. Since then, the Communist Manifesto would serve as the general declaration of principles of all communist parties with the exhortation “The proletarians have nothing to lose but their chains. They have a world to win.” and "Workers of the World, Unite!" that has inspired generations of revolutionaries.
Again, as this note marks the 200th birth anniversary of Frederick Engels, the labouring masses should draw inspiration from his dedication to the struggle for their emancipation. No matter how critics would try to put down their contributions, more are ever determined to study in order to firmly grasp the view that Marx, Engels, and other revolutionaries brought, to be dedicated in their commitment to the workers and oppressed classes, and to lead with determination in various struggles, marching along the path towards emancipation.