Ack! What's happening here? Unbelievable. I agree with everything being said in this exchange. ;p
Let free-time ring! Mike B)
> // ravi wites: Time is the issue.
>
> No Free Time under capitalism! The struggle for socialism is at
> bottom [!] a
> struggle for free time.
>
> Free Time differs radically from "*Recuperative Time," "Leisure
> Time," etc.
>
> The issue is indeed time. (See Sandwichman, passim)
One aspect of the late G.A. Cohen's book, Karl Marx's Theory of History, that I don't think has gotten enough attention, is his discussion of how capitalism "fetters" the forces of production. As it turns out, Cohen did not see this as taking the form of a stifling of technological development. After all, it is obvious, if we take a look around, that technological development has not stopped under capitalism. What he did as being a crucial issue was that of free time. Increasing productivity under capitalism has, by and large, not brought about any vast increase in free time. In fact, rather the contrary. Increased productivity has, instead of leading towards ever increasing free time, lead to simply increased production, and hence towards ever increasing consumption, which workers finance by working longer hours (when they can find employment).
Jim Farmelant http://independent.academia.edu/JimFarmelant *********************************************************************** Wobbly Times http://wobblytimes.blogspot.com/