> Andrew K asked (repeatedly) in [OPE-L:3579]:
>
> > Do capitalists always have an incentive, irrespective of the wage rate, to
> > substitute machines for workers, because the additional machine costs
> > per unit of output can be less than the repression costs saved per unit
> > of output?
Yes, capitalist always have an incentive to substitute machines for
workers, * if * the additional machine costs per unit of output is less
than the repression costs per unit of output.
Jerry writes:
>There is certainly no reason to believe that the introduction of more
> machinery will _necessarily_ mean that the [possible] additional
> surplus value caused by a [possible] increase in the intensity of
> work will by itself justify the expenditure on additional machinery
No, there is no reason to believe that more machinery will
necessarily increase intensity of work. However, this is not the
point. The point is that machinery is introduced if the repression
costs (per unit of output) necessary to increase intensity of work exceed the
machine costs (per unit of output) even at unchanged intensity. From
the perspective of the individual capitalist, if you cannot discipline the
workers to work more intensively, you introduce a machine.
massimo
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DESIRE IS PRODUCTION OF REALITY
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Massimo De Angelis
Department of Economics
University of East London
Longbridge Road
Dagenham Essex RM8 2AS
U.K.
work 0181 5907722 x2254
home 0181 9616067
fax 0181 8493549
e-mail massimo@uel.ac.uk
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