In his preface to "Das Kapital Vol. 1", Marx compares the situation of England and Germany and points out that less developed countries "also" face a process of primitive accumulation. Marx comments that "if, however, the German reader shrugs his shoulders at the condition of the English industrial and agricultural labourers, or in optimist fashion comforts himself with the thought that in Germany things are not nearly so bad, I must plainly tell him, " (the tale is told of you!)".