From: Paul Cockshott (wpc@DCS.GLA.AC.UK)
Date: Fri May 18 2007 - 10:12:30 EDT
Barter on a local basis would occur for locally grown tobacco or hashish, but that would not motivate the cocaine cartels, they need hard currency. So long as illegal trade was limited to barter it will be small in scale and non capitalistic. Paul Cockshott www.dcs.gla.ac.uk/~wpc -----Original Message----- From: OPE-L on behalf of glevy@PRATT.EDU Sent: Fri 5/18/2007 1:35 PM To: OPE-L@SUS.CSUCHICO.EDU Subject: Re: [OPE-L] money, barter, and 'underground' economic activity under socialism In a capitalist economy this might well result in illegal tobacco farms like current illegal cannabis farms. But this depends on the existence of money and commodities. If money does not exist in the socialist economy - if there is no universal equivalent there will be no black markets. I see no practical way of eliminating the illegal drug trade in an economy with money and markets. =============================================== Hi Paul C: Huh? Even if there is no universal equivalent, there can still be black markets since the latter can arise on the basis of barter. What would be the "practical way" of eliminating it in a socialist economy without money and formal markets? If citizens want drugs then they can (informally) barter offering other goods or labor services. If someone is addicted to a substance then they can, should they wish to, usually find ways of obtaining the substance: addiction gives rise to innovative procurement tactics. In solidarity, Jerry
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