Re: [OPE-L] Labour theory of value and trade

From: Jerry Levy (jerry_levy@VERIZON.NET)
Date: Sun Jan 27 2008 - 07:32:43 EST


> This seems to be the initial state of segregated economies, but
> when they become integrated by the free flow of labour and
> commodities, the same mechanism that operates within a country
> will begin to operate between countries.

Hi Dave Z:

The expansion and integration of the world market ('globalization')
will never be a complete process so long as there are different nations - each with its own history, standards, and culture of class struggle. Capitalism on an international level thus requires different standards for SNLT, different VLPs  different average wages, different average intensities of labor and working hours, different collective bargaining practices, etc.   Also, some barriers to the "free flow of labor" are inherent with the state-form and can not be fully overcome under capitalism.
Hence, what you refer to as "integrated" economies can never be a complete process under capitalism.



> Anwar Shaikh has some good papers on a Classical/Marxian theory
> of international trade on his website:
> http://homepage.newschool.edu/~AShaikh/index.html.


I am sure that Anwar would be one of the first to say that much more work needs to be done in this area.  But, I agree, it's not a bad place to start.


In solidarity, Jerry


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