Marx on free trade

Oiboy27 at aol.com Oiboy27 at aol.com
Sun Sep 26 17:12:44 PDT 1999


In a message dated 99-09-26 17:02:47 EDT, Doug writes (quoting Marx):

<< Moreover, the protectionist system is nothing but a means of

establishing large-scale industry in any given country, that is to say,

of making it dependent upon the world market, and from the moment that

dependence upon the world market is established, there is already more

or less dependence upon free trade.....>>>

---------I'm puzzled by this. Does it necessarily follow that the establishment of large-scale industry in any given country would then segue into a dependence on free trade? Please explain.

<<<<......But, in general, the protective system of our day is conservative, while

the free trade system is destructive. It breaks up old nationalities

and pushes the antagonism of the proletariat and the bourgeoisie to the

extreme point. In a word, the free trade system hastens the social

revolution. It is in this revolutionary sense alone, gentlemen, that I

vote in favor of free trade." >>

---------I'm also little puzzled by your espousal of this, Doug. Perhaps I haven't kept up on your opinions. Do you, in fact, also support free trade because you believe that it will hasten the social revolution? Exactly what social revolution do you wish to hasten? Will you describe it for me? I recall a meeting of the RCP that I attended on a lark in Los Angeles some eight or nine years ago and those persons were quite literally talking about an actual revolution including the arming of all imprisoned Americans in the (to me, extremely naive) view that these prisoners would form into a revolutionary army and kill, enslave, imprison, or drive out the "ruling class"....is this your vision as well, and would you espouse free trade in the hopes that it would hasten such a revolution?



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