>>> Roger Odisio <rodisio at igc.org> 01/27 2:23 AM >>>
At 04:21 PM 1/25/1999 -0500, Charles Brown wrote:
>>Angela:
>>as a pretty fine bit of story-telling.... but anyways, saying that history
>is the history of antagonisms, class struggle is not the same thing as
>saying that the content, form, essence of these struggles was the same.
>Charles to Roger: So, class struggle is a transhistorical category in some
>sense. That was my point. My point does not contradict what you s
>ay above.
Right Charles. And, it seemed to me that what you said did not contradict Angela's point (above) about the different forms of class struggle, which I was trying to elaborate.
________
Charles: I'd have to check, but I am pretty sure that Angela doesn't think there are or were "transhistorical" forms of class struggle. Maybe ask her that directly. _________
Charles:
>I would say the hard part for intellectuals, as most are on this list, has
been >practice. They can usually understand the contradictions or
>interpret them, but the changing the world part is the toughest.
Roger: Here's where we see things a bit differently. I don't think current contradictions are well understaood at all, by anybody I am aware of. And that's a major reason, in my opinion why changing the world is so tough.
Charles: The test of whether they understand them is practice in the Marxist epistemology. Trial and error, not further contemplation or deliberation is the practical-critical test. ____
Roger: So how about a couple of questions. Do you think the organic compostion has been rising since WWII? ___
Charles: Probably. Seems like there's a lot more constant capital in the world. There a lot more v too. But I'd have to look at some books on that; or raise it with the Marxist politcal economists. Doug may address it in _Wall Street_ You probably have an opinion. _________
Roger:
Are workers being paid more in wages than their cost of reproduction? ___________
Charles: I would guess not and certainly not much more. The bourgeoisie constantly try to drive this down to the minimum. What do you say is the answer ? _____ Roger::
How have the various changes over decades in the way surplus value is realized in exchange affected the laws of motion? ________
Charles: The laws of motion of the ? business cycle ? Fundamentally there is still a business cycle. It is impossible for capitalism to realize the whole of surplus value, no matter the various changes in the way of realizing it, because of the contradiction between the social character of production and the private capitalist form of appropriation of the results of production. The latter is manifest in the anarchic form of production in society as whole. This is also expressed in th contradiction between capitalism's inherent tendency towards an unlimited expansion of production and the limited nature of the effective demand of the main consumers - the working masses, the latter being of course because of exploitation. I can't get my hands on the famous Marx quote on this just now.
What's your answer? _________
Roger: Was Baran and Sweezy's Monopoly Capital theory of a rising surplus a Marxist work? ________
Charles: Probably at least Marxian,if not Marxist.
What's your answer ? _________ Roger:
Is it an accurate description of, or basis, for anything?
Charles: Is this a rhetorical question ? _________
Roger:
How does the creation of value in the financial sphere, which Doug and others have been discussing, fit into all of this?
Charles: The "creation" of value ? I'd say the surplus is divided up, but not created in the financial sphere. "It" "fits in" in that we are in the imperialist phase of capitalism , in which there is a financial oligarchy resulting from the merger of finance and industrial capital. The financial sphere is the dominating sphere of monopoly capitalism. The greatest superprofits are made there. As to the impact on the business cycle , if that is "all of this", credit plays a roll in papering over some gaps in realization of profits, thereby delaying some busting, maybe.
What's your answer ?
Charles Brown
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