[lbo-talk] Civilizing vs commercializing ( was REV BILLY)

[Charles Brown]

You must have missed the bit that Mandel quoted from Marx, about the 
civilizing function of capital, or the distinction he made between 
"the justified condemnation of the commercialization and 
dehumanization of consumption by capitalism to attack the historical 
extension of needs and consumption in general (i.e., moves from 
social criticism to a critique of civilization)...."

And I think D&G and Gucci make some beautiful stuff. What's wrong 
with a lovely shoe?

Doug

^^^^^^

If we assume that D&G and Gucci represent civilized fulfillment of extended
needs and consumption, what would be examples of commodities produced today
that are justifiably condemned as commercialization and dehumanization of
consumption by capitalism ?

What is the criteria for distinguishing civilizing from commercializing ?

Charles