laws of capitalism

[kyan1 at Hofstra.edu]

Rakesh Bhandari wrote:
>In The Value Controversy Sweezy identifies as the fundamental problem of
>neo Ricardianism its inability to disclose the rate of exploitation or
>surplus value (Mattick would have agreed as well). Yet the rate of
>exploitation in the popular imagination conjures up images of adjusting
>work rates to maximum output levels through the assembly line. Now the
>focus is on the maximization of net useful output of the entire production
>process (i.e., after error detection and correction). Given the increasing
>mechanical complexity of most products and the increasing cost to
>manufacturers of uncorrected defects, one wonders whether the optimum work
>rate (if human labor is still to be used) will be adjusted downwards from
>levels set early in the 20th century. Towards error detection and
>correction more sophisticated labor may also be preferred, rendering
>anachronistic the Taylorist image of the proletarian as a simple hand. In
>this sense the traditional image of a highly exploited deskilled
>proletarian on a sped-up assembly line may become anachronistic, leaving
>Babbage and Taylor behind (so Kenny and Florida among others argue, contra
>Braverman). Will the problem be less the exploitation of an increasingly
>sophisticated industrial working class than the leaving behind of the mass
>of humanity which is not able (it is oft implicitly claimed) to function in
>an increasingly sophisticated computer mediated work environment. As the
>banality goes, those who may have been able to work quick may not be able
>to work smart. In this family of claims I think you will notice important
>elements of the dominant ideology.

I used to think about the interesting idea of "Complete Automation"
because of this computer age,  but then I had the realization that
there will probably continue to be boring, or unpleasant, jobs that
require humans to work on, at least in the near future.  especially
jobs liking cleaning and security.  for example, a store-keeper is
actually watching over the goods in addition to just selling things.
the nature of jobs hasnt changed even when you consider modernized
shops.  So i think the problem is how the society pays those workers
who take up these unrewarding jobs.  -- Yan