Re: [OPE] Question to Marxologists: Mode of production

From: Dave Zachariah (davez@kth.se)
Date: Sat Aug 30 2008 - 12:37:34 EDT


Hi John,

on 2008-08-30 18:10 you wrote:
> Your argument could be correct, except in case that "Soviet-socialism"
> is not a mode of production (MP) different from the Capitalist MP in
> as far as:
> (1) Socialism in general does not constitute a new MP but a regime of
> transition from capitalism (the CMP) to communism (i.e. the gradual
> "demolition" of the CMP), and
> (2) "Soviet-socialism" shall be regarded as a form of capitalism:
> State-capitalism.

I can accept the idea that the name "Soviet-socialism" is wrong given 
the goals of more than a generation of socialists prior to the October 
revolution and that perhaps "bureaucratic collectivist" mode of 
production is more accurate. However, regarding (1) this is nothing but 
a matter of schematism from the Communist movement, so there is no 
substantive difference of opinion here.

However, I disagree with (2). To regard the mode of production that 
existed in the Soviet Union as a "form of capitalism" does not seem to 
me to be based on a serious historical-materialist analysis. The 
specific mode in which the social division of labor was organized and 
the particular way in which the surplus product was extracted differed 
completely from capitalism. In the Soviet-type mode of production, the 
surplus product was determined by a political plan and appropriated by 
taxes.

//Dave Z
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