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There were a couple of recent references about my comment on slavery under
capitalism.
I have argued that slave resistance against the imposition of work, and the
limits imposed against the production of relative surplus value under
slavery, are important limits of this system. This can be contrasted with
modern capitalism, which can repress worker resistance more efficiently
through the wage contract. The competitive (and other) disadvantages of slave
capitalism tend to make it lose out in a struggle against capitalism based on
free labour.
*This* is my point, and I'd be glad to be proved wrong. I have *not* argued
that in an ideal world we could all be slaves and still live under
capitalism. Or that free wage labour is a historical accident. Or that Marx's
analysis should be broadened to include an ideal mode of production called
generalised slave capitalism or whatever. My original message is very clear
in this respect.
I have seen no historical or theoretical objections against my comment; only
purely categorial demonstrations that slavery is not capitalism, or that it
is incompatible with capitalism, or that it is nor what Marx had in mind.
This is fine and I agree with most of what has been said - but it has nothing
to do with my argument.
alfredo.
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