The transition is from the production of capitalism to the creation of socialism. A mode of creaton is conscious relative to a mode of production's unconsciousness. In the latter, new wants are established behind the backs of the "wanters", and some of these wants are objectively for "anti-use-values" rather than use-values. For uses and wants must always be defined in relation to the social whole, not only the individual and private. Uses and wants are always social uses and wants.
Here are some examples of anti-use-values, unwants met by the mode of destruction.
CB
((((((((((((((((( Subject: Darwin Awards 1999
1999 DARWIN AWARDS Already, the first candidate for the 1999 Darwin Awards is circulating on the Net. The Darwin Awards are annually bestowed upon the remains of) individuals who have given their all in an effort to improve our gene pool. The Darwin Awards applaud those who have made the ultimate sacrifice by killing themselves in the most extraordinarily stupid means. The Awards commemorate those who find innovative moronic ways of killing themselves, thereby helping to eliminate undesirable weaknesses from the human gene pool. And so, without further ado, the first candidate for '99:
MAN DIES IN FREAK ACCIDENT - CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (Nov.13) A 39-year-old Charlottesville man died Thursday in a freak accident involving his washing machine. According to police reports, Samuel Randolph Strickson was doing laundry when he tried to speed up the process. He apparently tried to stuff approximately 50 pounds of laundry into his washing machine by climbing on top of the washer and stomping the clothing into the wash tub. Strickson apparently accidentally kicked the ON button. When the machine started, Strickson lost his balance and both feet went down into the tub, where they got stuck. The machine started the wash cycle and Strickson, unable to free himself, started thrashing around with the agitator. His head banged against a nearby shelf, knocking over a bottle of bleach. The bleach poured over Strickson's face, blinding him. Forensic reports say Strickson also swallowed some of the bleach. He then vomited, but was still unable to free himself. Strickson's dog apparently came into the laundry room; the most plausible police theory is that a large box of baking soda fell from the shelf, startling the dog, who then urinated on the floor. Urine, like vinegar, is acidic, and the chemical reaction between the urine and the baking soda resulted in a small explosion. The dog escaped unharmed. Strickson remained stuck in the washing machine, which eventually went into its high-speed spin cycle, spinning Strickson at about 70 miles per hour, according to forensic experts. Strickson's head then smashed against a steel beam behind the washing machine, immediately killing him. A neighbor heard the commotion and called 911, but Strickson was pronounced dead at the scene.
GRAVITY KILLS - RESTON, VA A 22-year-old Reston man was found dead yesterday after he tried to use occy straps (stretchy little ropes with hooks on each end) to bungee jump off a 70-foot railroad trestle, police said. Fairfax County police said Eric A. Barcia, a fast-food worker, taped a bunch of these straps together, wrapped an end around one foot, anchored the other end to the trestle at Lake Accotink Park. He jumped and hit the pavement. Warren Carmichael, a police spokesman, said investigators think Barcia was alone because his car was found nearby. "The length of the cord he had assembled was greater than the distance between the trestle and the ground," Carmichael said. Police say the apparent cause of death was "major trauma." An autopsy is scheduled for later in the week.
LAUNCHED ON THE FOURTH OF JULY - OK Three young men visiting Oklahoma were enjoying the coming Fourth of July holiday and wanted to apparently test some fireworks. Their only real problem was that their launch pad and spectator seats were located on top of a hundred-thousand gallon fuel distillation storage tank. When the fireworks were set off, fumes were ignited, and the fireworks were not the only thing launched. The fireball was seen for miles and miles. The young men were no doubt hurled high into the air and were found dead 50 yards from their launch site.
DON'T ASK GOD TO PROVE HIMSELF, HE JUST MIGHT - CADDO LAKE, TX A lawyer and two buddies were fishing on Caddo Lake in Texas. A lightning storm hit the lake and most of the fisherman immediately headed for the shore. Not our friend the lawyer. He was sitting on the rear of his aluminum bass boat and his buddies were sitting in the front. The lawyer stood up, spread his arms wide (crucifixion style) and shouted: "HERE I AM LORD, LET ME HAVE IT!" Needless to say, God couldn't resist [Well, could you?]. The two buddies survived and are said to have immediately joined the ministry.
PLAYING CATCH - AL A man in Alabama died from rattlesnake bites. Big deal you may say, but there's a twist here that makes him a candidate for the Darwin award. It seems he and a friend were playing catch with a rattlesnake and the rattlesnake lost patience with the game. You can guess what happened from there. The friend (a future Darwin Award candidate) was hospitalized.
RUNNER UP (This man does not fully qualify because he lived to tell the story. If he displays the same level of intelligence in the future, he may very well qualify for a First Place Darwin Award! Come on Demuth - we know you can do it!) Vermont native Ronald Demuth found himself in a sticky situation yesterday. Visiting the Eagle's Rock African Safari Zoo with a group of thespians from St. Petersburg, Russia, Demuth tried to demonstrate one of America's many marvels. Demuth wanted to show the effectiveness of "Crazy Glue" ... the hard way. Apparently, he put about 3 ounces of the adhesive in the palms of his hands, then jokingly placed his hands on the buttocks of a passing rhino. The rhino (named Sally) had been a resident of the zoo for many years. She was not initially startled because she had been part of the petting exhibit since she was a baby. However, once she tired of the petting, Sally began to panic and run around the pen, taking Demuth with her. During Sally's tirade two fences were destroyed, a shed wall was gored, and a number of small animals escaped. Also during the stampede, three pygmy goats and one duck were stomped to death.
Sally was finally captured and restrained. To complicate matters, Sally had not been feeling well lately. Actually, she had been very constipated. The veterinarian had just given her a laxative and some depressants to relax her bowels. James Douglass, zoo caretaker said, "With all the excitement, the laxatives started to take effect and Demuth was repeatedly showered with rhino diarrhea. I guess you could say that Demuth was up to his neck. OnceSally was under control, we were able to tranquilize her and three caretakers, with the help of shovels, were able to keep an air passage open for Mr. Demuth. It took a team of medics and zoo caretakers over four hours to apply solvent and remove Demuth's hands from the rhino's buttocks. "It was tricky. We had to work and shield our faces from being pelted with rhino dung, said Douglass. "I don't think he'll be playing with Crazy Glue for awhile." Vladimir Aolnikov, leader of the Russian troupe, said they were amused by the demonstration and impressed with the power of Crazy Glue.
>>> "Charles Brown" <CharlesB at CNCL.ci.detroit.mi.us> 08/18/99 01:22PM >>>
But from the perspective of the whole of society, capitalism creates new wants, wildly, anarchistically, willy nilly, without an overall plan. Capitalist establishment of new wants is only for the individual private enterprise and its maximalization of profits. Communism's creation of new wants takes into account the whole state of society at the concrete moment, the relation of all the parts (the private) of the economy to the whole ( the public or social) and consciously plans the creation of new wants.
The fundamental contradiction of capitalism is that production is social ( the division of labor is the greatest in the history of humanity) but appropriation is private. This contradiction infects production and the establishment of new wants in capitalism.
The transition is from the production of capitalism to the creation of socialism. A mode of creaton is conscious relative to a mode of production's unconsciousness. In the latter, new wants are established behind the backs of the "wanters", and some of these wants are objectively for "anti-use-values" rather than use-values. For uses and wants must always be defined in relation to the social whole, not only the individual and private. Uses and wants are always social uses and wants.
Charles Brown
>>> Michael Perelman <michael at ecst.csuchico.edu> 08/18/99 12:58PM >>>
Actually, Jim H. was correct. Marx's new wants, however, were not SUV's. He mentioned
examples of newspapers, books, .... Not GM foods.
Fabian Balardini disputed what Jim heartfield wrote:
> >
> >This is what Marx celebrates in Capitalism, its tendency to increased
> >consumption and the creation of new wants, leading to an all-rounded
> >development of the individual, no less.
>
> Marx celebrating the creation of new wants???, Marx as an advertisement executive!!!!
> you gotta be fucking kidding!!!!!!
--
Michael Perelman Economics Department California State University michael at ecst.csuchico.edu Chico, CA 95929 530-898-5321 fax 530-898-5901