Fred, I enjoyed your long posting and agree on the importance of
unproductive labor in analyzing movements in the rate of profit.
However, I don't believe you relate the movement of unproductive labor to
the declining success of accumulation of capital. Understanding
accumulation of capital, first and foremost, as an increasing
proletarianized work force at the world level, the very success of prior
accumulation implies that the percentage of the world still open to
proletarization is declining. This basic reason for declining
accumulation must be integrated into a discussion of unproductive labor.
Incidentally, believe Massimo is just now in Italy, so we won't get his
response right away.
Cheers, Paul Z.