``..he exaggerates the novelty of "accumulation by dispossession" (which is a very catchy phrase, I'll admit)... Doug
The chapter on Accumulation by Dispossession is the next one. Scanning it I gather it amounts to various improvements in the methods of stealing (cannibalistic, predatory and fraudulant practices). Enron pension fund, intellectual `property', patents, license fees for genetic material, etc. all leading up to privatization of formerly considered public givens like public knowledge and the biosphere. Humm.
I guess it's not novel, but it sure is striking these days. Perhaps what makes it `novel' in Harvey's context (and mine) is the tone of desparation to find or invent new commodities---as if there were not enough of them already.
CG