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Class Divide: A Catalyst for Conflict within Nations

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Class Divide: A Catalyst for Conflict within Nations
Class divide has long been a catalyst for conflict within nations. History is littered with small groups of elites ruling over the masses. Time and time again, conflict occurs when the divide reaches a tipping point and the ruling elite bourgeois class and the proletariat masses must resort to violence in order to gain, or retain their control. A long history of stronger nations exploiting weaker nations has created a cycle in which a small minority controls most of a nations wealth, creating oligarchies willing to retain power in any way possible. One such nation is the South American country of Chile. Chile has a long history of a small group of landowning bourgeois controlling the country. (Neuman) A cyclic system in which the bourgeois first use their wealth to gain power through democratic means, then as soon as the proletariat class gains control of the democracy, the oligarchy uses any means possible to overthrow the democratic government and establish their power. Constitutions written by the military have been forced on the masses on three separate occasions in Chile’s long history of “democracy”. The Constitutions of 1833, 1925, and 1980 were military attempts to give the illusion of democracy in order to gain legitimacy. (Couso) The current democratic government of Chile uses the Constitution of 1980 in order to exploit the economic reforms put in place by the military government. (Couso) Once again perpetuating this cycle of exploiting the poor to promote the interests of the rich. A history of government promoted class conflict in Chile has created a scenario in which the US backed bourgeois class, and their militaristic oligarchy, can violently shock a country into a complete economic overhaul which only deepens the class divide, in addition to tricking the proletariat class into forgetting how to bring about societal change through social reforms. Andrés Wood uses his movie, Machuca, to remind both the bourgeois elite and the proletariat masses of


Bibliography: COUSO, JAVIER. "Trying Democracy In The Shadow Of An Authoritarian Legality: Chile 's Transition To Democracy And Pinochet 's Constitution Of 1980."Wisconsin International Law Journal 29.2 (2011): 393-415. Academic Search Premier. Web. 5 Apr. 2013. Martín-Cabrera, Luis, and Daniel Noemi Voionmaa. "Class Conflict, State Of Exception And Radical Justice In Machuca By Andrés Wood."Journal Of Latin American Cultural Studies (13569325) 16.1 (2007): 63-80. Academic Search Premier. Web. 5 Apr. 2013. Neuman, W. Lawrence, and Richard Earl Ratcliff. "Class Segments: Agrarian Property And Political Leadership In The Capitalist Class Of Chile." American Sociological Review 41.6 (1976): 1006-1029. SocINDEX with Full Text. Web. 5 Apr. 2013. Philippa Williams, et al. "The Shock Doctrine: The Rise Of Disaster Capitalism - By Naomi Klein." Geographical Journal 174.3 (2008): 284-287. Academic Search Premier. Web. 5 Apr. 2013. Power, Margaret. 2004. “More Than Mere Pawns: Right-Wing Women in Chile.” Journal of Women 's History 16, no. 3: 138-151. Spence, Jack. "Class Mobilization And Conflict In Allende 's Chile: A Review Essay." Politics & Society 8.2 (1978): 131-164. Historical Abstracts. Web. 5 Apr. 2013. Wood, Andres. 2004. Machuca. Chile: Menemsha Entertainment.
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