Forces of Production

[Carrol Cox]

I doubt that I have ever used the phrase on this list (or any other for
that matter) -- except perhaps (but I don't remember the topic coming
up) in criticism of the idea that relations of production become a
"fetter" on the forces of production. Marx unfortunately once used that
phrase, but Thompson & Wood (among others) have quite persuasively shown
that that proposition is incompatible with the whole thrust of Marx's
thought.

I remember that in the old spoons list someone (not a marxist I think)
brought up the old base/superstructure metaphor, and proceeded to equate
base with forces of production and superstructure with relations of
production. The base/superstructure metaphor was on the whole
unfortunate, but it was never (or never needed to be) _that_ clumsy.

How in the hell did this phrase get into the conversation anyhow?

Carrol