Gil writes: D) As noted before, the key systemic basis for surplus value is capital scarcity. **Marx puts this point even more strongly in Ch. 33 of Volume I: if workers own their own means of production, then the capitalist mode of production is impossible (see pages 933 and 940).** This has a number of powerful implications, but note just one: the contrapositive of Marx's claim is that capitalist exploitation can be eliminated simply through sufficient wealth redistribution. [Emphasis added] My comment: Wait a sec. Isn't Marx speaking of the ability of capitalism to take root? I think so. Hence, I'm unwilling to quickly accept those "powerful implications" concerning the elimination of capitalist exploitation. That is, it's unclear to me that *merely* redistributing the wealth of a developed capitalist society puts an end to capitalist exploitation. As long as the drive to accumulate for the sake of survival exists, there's seemingly nothing to prevent workers from hiring other workers with their redistributed wealth. Gil continues: That is, it's *Marx* who has insisted that this stronger version of capital scarcity is required for the existence of capitalist exploitation. So let Marx answer your question, again from Ch. 33 of Volume I: "It is the great merit of E.G. Wakefield to have discovered, not something new *about* the colonies, but, *in* the colonies, the true about capitalist relations in the mother country....'If,' says Wakefield, 'all the members of the society are supposed to possess equal portions of capital...no man would have a motive for accumulating more capital than he could use with his own hands. This is to some extent the case in new American settlements, where a passion for owning land prevents the existence of a class of labourers for hire.' So long, therefore, as the worker can accumulate for himself--and this he can do so long as he remains in possession of his means of production--capitalist accumulation and the capitalist mode of production are impossible." [pp 932-33]. My comment: Marx's statement makes my case again. He's talking about getting capitalism started and not giving us clues about how the end it. John
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