We now have 33 list members. A current listing is appended to the end of
this post. We began the month with #773.
--------------------
Beginning mid-December, a large number of subscribers went on vacation
and/or attended conferences. This had the dual effect of:
a) reducing both the number of posts and the numbers of subscribers
posting; and
b) changing the focus of discussion from where it had been in early
December.
--------------------
As a consequence of the above, we spent the month discussing
"digressions" and, to a lesser extent, procedure. As can be seen from the
following, the most sustained discussion that we had began with threads
on "valuation" and "nonequilibrium values and prices" and evolved into a
discussion of "valuation of inputs/constant capital" and "moral
depreciation."
--------------------
I. "DIGRESSIONS"
Name ID# Date
(a) Valuation and Nonequilibrium values and prices (subject line changed
to the "transformation problem near the end of the month).
John 785 960113
Duncan 787 960115
Jerry 788 "
John 789 "
Alan 790 960116
Duncan 792-3 "
John 795 "
Alan 801 960117
Simon 804 960118
Duncan 809 960119
Paul C 811 "
Gil 862 960128
Andrew 866 960129
John 867 "
Andrew 870 "
Duncan 887 960131
(b) Valuation of inputs, constant capital and moral depreciation
Fred 805 960118
Michael P 807 "
John 808 "
Fred 812 960119
John 818 "
Jerry 820 960120
John 821 "
Duncan 825 960121
Jerry 826 "
Alan 828-9 960122
Jerry 830;32;35 "
Paul C 831;33-4 "
John 836 "
Duncan 837 "
" 838 960123
Paul C 839 "
Jerry 840 "
Alan 841;47 960124
Fred 842 "
Paul C 843-4;46 "
John 849 "
Paul C 850-51 960125
Alan 853 "
John 855 960126
Jerry 856 "
Fred 858 960127
Alan 859 "
John 860 "
Gil 861 960128
Alan 864-5 960129
Andrew 868 "
John 872;74 "
Michael P 873 "
Jerry 875 "
Fred 878;82 960130
Michael P 880-1 "
John 883 960131
Allin 886 "
Tony 888 "
(c) Economic research
Alan 779 960111
Duncan 781 960112
John 782 "
Michael P 783 "
Duncan 784 960113
Iwao 786 960115
(d) Exchange at prices in VI
Alan 791 960116
Duncan 794 "
Gil 815 960119
Alan 863 960129
Gil 876 "
Alan 884 960131
(e) Equal exchange and price of land (continued from December)
Gil 800 960117
" 806 960118
" 816 960119
Paul C 822;24 960121
(f) Wages
John 803 960118
Paul C 814 960119
John 817 "
Paul C 823 960121
John 827 "
(g) Capital exports and the organic composition of capital
Paul C 845 960124
(h) Productive and unproductive labor
Alan 852 960125
(i) Equal and unequal exchange
Alan 854 960125
Paul C 857 960127
(j) "Cards on the table" (see below)
Gil 877;79 960130
II. PROCEDURE
I suggested digressions in #775 ["'Tis the season for digressions"] on 1/4.
Alan's post #779, in addition to discussing economic research (see
above), proposed a "cards on the table" suggestion on 1/11 which was met
with a supportive post by Steve K on 1/12. There was also some discussion
between Alan and Gil as a result of #779 (see Gil's #799; 960117, and
Alan's #819; 960120).
In response to #779, I initially sent a "Procedural Suggestion" [#796;
960117] and then a "Procedural Proposal for February, 1996" [#869;
960129] which was met with a supportive post by Steve K [#871; 960129].
Allan's #885 also supported the above proposal and suggested "rules of
conduct" for the poker game part of the proposal. Also, see Allin's post
[889] and my response [891].
III. Outstanding Issues:
* Procedure:
a) Although there has been support for the "cards on the table"
suggestion, members have to actually write the posts for this
to work.
b) There has not been enough discussion yet on the procedural
motion to know yet exactly how we are going to proceed in
February.
c) We need greater input from list members on what to do next and
why. Please write posts explaining your perspectives on procedure.
* Participation
As far as Internet lists go, participation rates have been
consistently high. However, there is a lot of room left for
improvement. Although family, work, and personal
responsibilities may interfere with you ability to participate
at any given point in time, you (especially the "lurkers") are
encouraged to participate more.
* Releasing information
OPE-L is a closed list and the archives are only accessible to
list members. At some point, we need to discuss how we can
release information on list discussions to the public. An
electronic journal or discussion bulletin are possibilities. We
need to discuss our options further.
-------------------------
OVERALL, I would describe this as a *transitional month*. I believe that
all would agree that we had a number of very important discussions this
month despite the fact that most members were still on vacation during
the greater part of the month. We need, in my opinion, to decide
collectively what we want to do next and then to *do* it.
In OPE-L Solidarity.
Jerry
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
To access the archives, send a "GET" message to
<listproc@anthrax.ecst.csuchico.edu>. For instance, if you wanted the
posts for January 29, 1996, your message would read:
GET OPE-L 960129
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
OPE-L MEMBERSHIP:
Riccardo Bellofiore <BELLOFIO@CISI.UNITO.IT>
Rakesh Bhandari <djones@uclink.berkeley.edu>
Carole Biewener <CBIEWENER@VMSVAX.SIMMONS.EDU>
Paul Burkett <ECBURKE@SCIFAC.INDSTATE.EDU>
Guglielmo Carchedi <CARCHEDI@FEE.UVA.NL>
Paul Cockshott <wpc@clyder.gn.apc.org>
Allin Cottrell <cottrell@wfu.edu>
Stephen Cullenberg <SCULLEN@UCRAC1.UCR.EDU>
Gerard Dumenil <levy@msh-paris.fr>
John R. Ernst <ernst@pipeline.com>
Duncan Foley <dkf2@columbia.edu>
Alan Freeman <A.Freeman@greenwich.ac.uk>
<100042.617@compuserve.com>
Makoto Itoh <MKTITOH@ECONSUN1.E.U-TOKYO.AC.JP>
Steve Keen <STEVE.KEEN@UNSW.EDU.AU>
Iwao Kitamura <ikita@st.rim.or.jp>
Andrew Kliman <AKLIMAN@ACL.NYIT.EDU>
Costas Lapavitsas <CL5@SOAS.AC.UK>
Michael A. Lebowitz <mlebowit@sfu.ca>
Chai-on Lee <CONLEE@CHONNAM.CHONNAM.AC.KR>
Dominique Levy <levy@msh-paris.fr>
Jerry Levy <glevy@acnet.pratt.edu>
<JLEVY@SESCVA.ESC.EDU>
Patrick Mason <PMASON@CMS.CC.WAYNE.EDU>
Paul Mattick, Jr. <MATTICK@adlibv.adelphi.edu>
Simon Mohun <S.MOHUN@QMW.AC.UK>
Fred Moseley <FMOSELEY@MHC.MTHOLYOKE.EDU>
Michael Perelman <michael@ecst.csuchico.edu>
Nelson Pinto <nelpap@turing.unicamp.br>
Geert Reuten <REUTEN@fee.uva.nl>
Alfredo Saad Filho <ASF2@bes.leeds.ac.uk>
Anwar Shaikh <shaikh@newschool.edu>
Gilbert Skillman <gskillman@mail.wesleyan.edu>
Tony Smith <tonys@iastate.edu>
Paul Zarembka <ECOPAULZ@ubvms.cc.buffalo.edu>