We now have 37 subscribers. This month began with OPE-L #2052.
I. TOPICS DISCUSSED THIS MONTH
===========================
Some of the major threads that we discussed at length this month included:
* the "transformation problem", especially the TSS and SSS
interpretations of Marx [also includes transforming the
transformation; depreciation and speed of revaluations;
dynamical systems; etc.] -- continued from previous months (-105-
posts);
* price-value equivalence and Ch. 5, VI [including necessity of
equivalent exchange] -- continued from previous months (-49- posts);
* commodity-money [including interest; electronic money; fictitious
capital; etc.] -- electronic money and fictitious capital
continued from April (-74- posts)
* empirical method [also use of national accounts; testing Marx;
random I/O tables; measuring value] (-24- posts)
* quizes [of various kinds; inc. translators' lot] -- began in April
(-36- posts).
Additionally, we discussed more briefly a number of other topics including:
* "Grundrisse" question;
* Science and ideology [related to transformation thread];
* Discipleship & Schismatics; Insults and Characterizations [related to
transformation thread];
* determination of c+v [related to transformation];
* assumptions [related to transformation];
* priors and givens [also Eagly and period of production; related to
transformation];
* commodities, land and production;
* capital stocks, internal financing, stock prices;
* labor power a commodity?
* subjectivity (continued from April).
II. Procedural Discussions
======================
We discussed a few procedural questions this month. We talked about
"Debates". Alan made a proposal that we have a CAP-L seminar on
depreciation which met with some support and no active opposition. I made
"Major and Minor Suggestions" [OPE-L:2395] on 5/28. Michael P. was the
first to follow-up that message with a post on "preferred subject"
[OPE-L:2408] on 5/29.
III. Outstanding Issues
==================
* We still have to work out the details on the CAP-L seminar on
depreciation. I expect that Alan will report on this shortly.
* Hopefully, members will write posts indicating the _Capital_ subjects
that they would eventually like to see us discuss (as suggested in
#2395 on 5/28).
* What will we discuss in June?
* Expect a number of listmembers to go on vacation starting in June and
continuing for some throughout much of the summer. Also in June,
there will be contingents of OPE-Lers attending conferences in Havana
and Vancouver (and other locations as well).
OVERALL, this was an *intense* month in which we actively and seriously
discussed a couple of outstanding threads from previous months (Ch. 5;
transformation) and raised a number of new issues as well (listed
above). There were no agreements reached, but we did flush out a number of
differences and clarified positions. So long as we continue to deal with
each other in good faith (which, of course, we have done so far), we will
continue to make progress.
In OPE-L Solidarity,
Jerry