From: ajit sinha (sinha_a99@YAHOO.COM)
Date: Tue Nov 28 2006 - 06:11:52 EST
--- Nicola Taylor <nmtayl@YAHOO.COM.AU> wrote: > --------------------------------- > Goecmen wrote: > > "The aim of capitalism is to produce as many wage > labourers as possible and put them on employment to > exploit." > > Martin replied: > > "The aim of the capitalist entrepreneur, I believe, > is > accumulation of capital. Through this tendency, more > areas of human society has historically been > subsumed > in a wagelabour relation over time. Ricardo was one > who made the accumulation of capital modus very > explicit in his Principles. I don't see that the > ratio > of wage labourers-population is really as important > though". ____________________________ Actually, I do not understand why "labor" is particularly important in the context of production of profit. Do we think that "surplus" cannot be produced without labor? But why can't we imagine a system of production completely operated by robots? In this case, why can't we imagine the system producing a "surplus" and a market with prices of commodities with a rate of profits to boot. The question is, can we make a logical claim that a system of production without labor will not be able to produce "surplus". If not, then there is a serious problem with Marx's concept of "surplus value". Cheers, ajit sinha _______________ > > SHORT RESPONSE: > I agree with Martin that the individual entrepreneur > is concerned only with capital accumulation - or > from > his/her perspective, making money returns that > exceed > costs. I also agree with Martin that the > capitalist's > concern is rational in that 'money profit' is > necessary for the successful reproduction of the > firm > in a capitalist system. Now, to see how capitalist > rationality fosters a reserve army of the unemployed > one could consider, for example, the Nike > Corporation. > Desperate workers in Indonesia consitute a huge > reserve army of the unemployed, from whom Nike can > pick and choose wage labourers. In Indonesia, those > 'lucky' enough to get a job are willing to work very > long hours in appalling conditions for very low > wages. > Nike workers, however, are not the buyers of the > product, which is primarily sold in high-wage > countries (where employment is also relatively > higher). Further, in high-wage countries the Nike > corporation uses advertising techniques to increase > demand (hence prices) for their products. These > efforts to keep wages low and prices high have a > further effect in that Nike shares may be seen by > speculators as a worthwhile punt. The result is that > Nike successfully reproduces (and partially > finances) > itself. > > For the individual capitalist/corporation, then, > wage > labour is merely a means to an overriding end > (capital > accumulation). If we accept this end as rational > *in > so far* as it is necessary for capitalist > reproduction, then the incomplete subsumption of > labour under a wage system is also rational *to the > extent* that it assists firms to increase monetary > returns and reproduce themselves. > > Nicky > > Send instant messages to your online friends > http://au.messenger.yahoo.com > ____________________________________________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Everyone is raving about the all-new Yahoo! Mail beta. http://new.mail.yahoo.com
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