Marx Blog

Over supply

2012-02-02T12:27:00.001-05:00

http://www.allbusiness.com/agriculture-forestry/agriculture-animal-farming/12717425-1.html

This article shows how rapid growth or industrialization can drive down the socially necessary labor-time, causing an increased production. If the amount of labor needed to produce a good falls, but the same amount of people are still producing the good, then it causes an oversupply. The article shows how increased productivity in the domestic milk industry along with the economy crash caused prices to drop, putting a heavy load on the farmers.

Tar Sands are now of Equal Value

2012-01-30T23:40:00.001-05:00

http://www.economist.com/node/17959688

This is an interesting article relevant to Marx's points on the magnitude of value:
"What exclusively determines the magnitude of value of any article is therefore the amount of labour socially necessary, or labour-time socially necessary for its production" (Marx, 129)

As we all know oil prices are increasing as is the demand for oil. American (or the World for this matter) dependency on oil is by means declining. Until recently Canadian tar sand oil was not economically feasible to extract. It was unprofitable due to the lack of technology. The "labour socially necessary" for tar sand oil could not compete with OPEC and other major sources. Due to recent innovations the labour time is equal that of the competition thus making tar sands of equal value. Innovations are not the only contributing factor for this equalization (supply and demand principles are attributes as well). Although, they are significant in relevancy to Marx's "magnitude of value."

Interesting Quotes from Article:
"After a brief hiatus during the economic downturn, world oil consumption is rising again, pushing the price of a barrel towards $100. By 2035, believes the International Energy Agency (IEA), demand may reach 110m barrels per day (b/d), about 20% more than in 2009. For those who exploit the tar sands, which contain the world’s second-largest trove of oil, this is a welcome forecast."

"The cost of production has fallen: a few years ago most firms thought the break-even price was $75 per barrel, but now companies such as Shell say new developments are economical at $50."

"At 173 billion recoverable barrels, the tar sands are worth $15.7 trillion at today’s price."

2012-01-30T22:47:00.001-05:00

KARL MARX (1818-1883) was an insensitive man -- he was not that concerned about the feelings of those individuals with whom he came in contact. The majority of men, he thought, were either fools or sycophants.

I found this article very entertaining to read and also very informative. It gave a detailed explanation of Marx life. I am sure he was not a very pleasant person to be around but I think i would have enjoyed meeting him and talking to him. Even though I know he would probably have not agreed with me and thought I was a fool I do have respect for anyone who is strong in their beliefs, even if the conflict with mine.

The Problems With "Expansionary Austerity"

2012-01-30T10:50:00.002-05:00

Via:

The infuriating thing about this tragedy is that it was completely unnecessary. Half a century ago, any economist — or for that matter any undergraduate who had read Paul Samuelson’s textbook “Economics” — could have told you that austerity in the face of depression was a very bad idea. But policy makers, pundits and, I’m sorry to say, many economists decided, largely for political reasons, to forget what they used to know. And millions of workers are paying the price for their willful amnesia.

Worker Productivity In The News

2012-01-29T08:33:00.001-05:00

From a recent Washington Post editorial...

But consider that, despite the recession, the productivity of U.S. workers has increased fourfold since the 1950s. Put another way, as of 2000, employees work one hour to produce what it took four hours to create a half-century ago. Meanwhile, the buying power of wages has remained stagnant and in recent years has even begun to decline. Someone is getting rich off the exponential rise in productivity, but it is not the American worker.

In the past, unions struggled not only to raise pay but also to shorten the hours that their members had to work. The trend toward shorter hours continued unabated from the Civil War through the end of the Great Depression and the enactment, in 1938, of the Fair Labor Standard Act’s 40-hour-week provision. But during World War II work hours increased sharply, and it has not been a significant public issue since.

2012-01-27T17:20:00.001-05:00

I've always been intrigued with the concept of "wealth". It leaves much room for interpretation, and would mean entirely different things throughout history and in different societies today. The same goes for "needs".

Marx, in the very first sentence of Capital, provides what I feel to be an accurate description of wealth - through the lens of capitalism: "The wealth of societies in which the capitalist mode of production prevails appears as in 'immense collection of commodities'..."

He defines a 'commodity' as an external object, "which through its qualities satisfies human needs of whatever kind...the nature of these needs, whether they arise, for example, from the stomach, or the imagination, makes no difference." The key, from my view, is the word 'external' - which should come as no surprise. But should this be the definition of 'wealth'?

I'm majoring in Sustainable Development, the official definition being: "Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." Is the pursuit of wealth, in the sense of accumulating external objects, sustainable? Do our pursuits rob future generations?

Marx Homework

2012-01-26T13:16:00.001-05:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MeE3-rOG7i4

This Rapper in particular represents to me a lot of Marxist ideologies. He describes primitive accumulation and its affects according to the Marxist train of thought.

Next Week

2012-01-26T09:52:00.005-05:00

Next week, each of the folks listed below will be posting to the blog something from this list dealing with an aspect of the readings from the first three sections of Chapter 1. You may post your homework anytime during the week, but bonus points for posting by midnight Monday.

1/30: Doucet, Franks, Jovin-Fisher, Kovasckits

I Forgot!

2012-01-24T20:18:00.004-05:00

I forgot to remind you all about Angela Davis this evening! My apologies!

I hope some of you still made it out to the event. It was an engaging and inspiring talk, connecting MLK's later more radical labor politics with the current Occupy Movement, with prison labor unions, with global anti-capitalist struggles. One of my favorite lines from the evening: "The rich get richer, and the poor get prison!"

If some of you went to hear Angela Davis tonight, please feel free to share with us your own comments, observations, and favorite moments below.

Monsanto and its primitive accumulation

2012-01-24T12:05:00.002-05:00

Marx says that primitive accumulation is the way for people to exit from the cycle of subsistence farming to a more complex economic, and (inevitably) social, model. He then recounts the history of how land was consolidated by kings and conquerors and other models of oppression, which I believe are modernly represented by international corporate associations. These conglomerates, well, conglomerated by the primitive accumulation of the means of capital contained in their structure and established role in markets, etc., forming sufficient partnerships to maintain a delicate balance of power and obscurity. One of these 'obscure' corporations, itself within a larger entity, is the modern agricultural equivalent of... nothing. There are no equivalents based in modern history so I will refer to go to the and say Monsanto is like the flood Noah had to escape, but with lawyers.
Monsanto is an organization which is mostly involved in the development of genetically-modified plants (GMO's) and gets a lot of criticism from the misinformed public for this rather than their true crime within the sale of the seeds containing those genetic alterations. GMOs allow world food production to have the yield it does and are now essential to keeping the estimated 1 billion starving people in the world at only 1 billion. The problem here is that many of the GMOs do not produce viable seeds (by design) which makes the farmers dependent on purchasing seeds every year and thus on Monsanto. This challenges the implementation of sustainable growing practices since prices will influence what species and varieties of plants are grown by the farmers and further dedicate those workers to Monsanto. However, this is all assuming that the farmers are private and not committed to an industrial farming organization. If so then it is doubtlessly utilizing Monsanto's products under contract or partnership and the decisions of those 'industrial' farmers are made for them.
I wonder if there is a moral method of primitive accumulation. Is that what communism is at some foundational level?

Angela Davis!

2012-01-23T14:04:00.002-05:00

Angela Davis is speaking on campus tomorrow night! You are all invited to attend. Bring a friend! In addition to being a fabulous speaker and an iconic figure of the civil rights movement, Angela Davis was also a student of the late Herbert Marcuse who was himself an extraordinarily influential Marxist theorist. Please come hear her speak. Consider it a class assignment, although roll will not be taken.

The 26th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemoration: An Evening with
Angela Davis
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Farthing Auditorium
Appalachian State University
6pm Talk followed by 7:30pm Book Signing and Dessert Reception
Free and Open to the Public

From Wikipedia:

Angela Davis (born January 26, 1944) is an American political activist, scholar, and author. Davis emerged as a nationally prominent activist in the 1960s, when she was associated with the Communist Party USA, the Civil Rights Movement and the Black Panther Party. Prisoner rights have been among her continuing interests; she is the founder of "Critical Resistance,"an organization working to abolish the prison-industrial complex. She is a retired professor with the History of Consciousness Department at the University of California, Santa Cruz and is the former director of the university's Feminist Studies department.[2] Her research interests are in feminism, African American studies, critical theory, Marxism, popular music and social consciousness, and the philosophy and history of punishment and prisons.[3]

Her membership in the Communist Party led to Ronald Reagan's request in 1969 to have her barred from teaching at any university in the State of California. She was tried and acquitted of suspected involvement in the Soledad brothers' August 1970 abduction and murder of Judge Harold Haley in Marin County, California.

She was twice a candidate for Vice President on the Communist Party USA ticket during the 1980s.

Reading Questions

2012-01-19T14:25:00.001-05:00

While reading Part Eight for next Tuesday, think about what the term "Primitive Accumulation" means. What exactly is being accumulated? And in what sense is it primitive?

Welcome!

2012-01-17T15:10:00.001-05:00

Welcome to our class blog. This a place to continue discussions from class, post questions, share current events, make announcements about campus events, and use in any other way that you think might benefit the class. You'll also be asked to post occasional homework and other writings here.

Please check your campus email for invitations to join the blog.

Meanwhile, here's hoping you enjoy reading Marx this semester as much as these two...

Blog Homeworks

2012-01-17T14:43:00.001-05:00

Each week, a small group of students will be responsible for posting to the class blog about that week's readings. Each student should post on at least one of the following topics. The groups for each week are posted below.

Post a brief quote from the readings along with an explication of the passage. Try to give a recent example, connection, or situation to help illustrate and explain the passage.
Post a link to news and current events about labor, wages, taxes, benefits, strikes, etc. along with your own comments and explanation of their connection with the week's readings.
Post your own original youtube video of a reading, screencast or other video content related to a passage from Marx.
Create and post your own Marxist rage comic related to the readings.
Post an image or image macro illustrating a passage from the readings.
Post comments on David Harvey's lecture on the readings.
Post comments on Michael Hardt's outline of the readings.
Post comments on Harry Cleaver's study guide to readings.
Embed a music video and explain the connection you find between the song and the readings.

Feel free to leave suggestions for other possible blog posts in the comments below.

1/23: Brackin, Coker, Davis
1/30: Doucet, Franks, Jovin-Fisher, Kovasckits
2/6: Lubert, Reynolds, Sessoms
2/13: Smith, Stone, Teagle
2/20: Brackin, Doucet, Young
3/19: Smith, Coker, Franks
3/26: Lubert, Stone, Young
4/2: Jovin-Fisher, Reynolds, Teagle
4/16: Davis, Kovasckits, Sessoms

Angela Davis!

2012-01-17T11:11:00.001-05:00

Please come! Consider it a class assignment, although role will not be taken.

The 26th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemoration: An Evening with
Angela Davis
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Farthing Auditorium
Appalachian State University
6pm Talk followed by 7:30pm Book Signing and Dessert Reception
Free and Open to the Public

Oh woe is me!

2011-12-13T18:47:00.000-05:00

So here's my abstract:
As a stocker at Ingles Markets, I have personally witnessed the back-and-forth of minor class struggle between the working and capitalist classes. We are almost constantly subtly coerced into longer hours for the same pay, work at a break neck pace, and have no benefits to speak of. The workforce respond in what ways it can, however this is almost always a futile effort. The strongest theories supporting this come from Marx in the form of the industrial reserve army, the length of the working day, rate of exploitation, and the accumulation of capital. I believe this investigation will end with the ultimate conclusion of the workers getting constantly shafted, with little way out other than a full overhaul of the capitalist labor system. : ( Such is life.

2011-12-12T20:46:00.001-05:00

During research for my topic, I found this little gem...enjoy!

abstract

2011-12-12T18:41:00.002-05:00

I will be exploring the trials and tribulations of the larger than life empire of sports apparel that is Nike. Around 2003-04 Nike became noticed for something other than its flashy sporting goods and it brought much controversy to the elite company. In more ways than one Nike forced employees to work more than 60 hours a week in sweatshop factories with limitations to water and other necessities we take for granted in our work places. I am interested to find what Nike said about bare minimums "that were provided" and how they tried to talk their way out of this issue. This has Marx along with class struggle written all over it!

Office Hours

2011-12-12T09:37:00.003-05:00

I'll have office hours Monday 12/12 from 9:00 -11:30 am at Espresso News. Otherwise, I'll be available by appointment this week. Good luck with your papers!

Final Paper

2011-12-07T20:40:00.000-05:00

For the final paper I am going to be using some of my previous jobs as references, most importantly my most recent job as a Photographer. I will be using all the jobs as examples to compare Marx's theories behind wages/labor. I think mixing those two aspects go well together and I know that I can discuss many of the things we have covered this past semester using those jobs as my examples. The main theme through ought the paper will regards of wages/labor will be how capitalists wants us as employees to work more hours for less pay. This has been an ongoing experience of mine, even as I have worked for a few of the companies for several years, the hours tend to go up and pay tends to go down, which in most cases you would think raises were in order. This is an obvious fall back about part-time jobs, the company can do with you what they want. Discussing these situations with the use of Marx's surplus labor-time, class struggle, relative surplus-value, and intensity of labor theories I believe I can argue a strong and concise point of view as the employee receiving the short end of the stick.

Should students be considered workers?

2011-12-07T11:25:00.003-05:00

I believe they should not be considered workers. Students are paying for their "occupation" as full time students because they are building their potential for emplyment where they will one day (maybe) use the skills they learned in their investment in their degree. Essentially, college is the means for a job.

Students are not giving anything to society currently by going to class. The work they produce has no market value until the work represents the growth of the student (= their degree), adding to their labor value. Basically, they will not be capital to a capitalist until they are employed based on skills deemed adequate; they only benefit themselves being a student currently. I think their education is apart of the necessary labor time to produce them for the labor market.

And, students are not receiving a working wage from their institution.

Paper Abstract

2011-12-06T13:55:00.006-05:00

I have worked for ASU's University Housing as an RA - Resident Assistant - for two years. There is no time clock; rather, the nature of the RA position is piecework; I am paid on a bi-monthly basis for serving a 12 hour duty shift once per week, a 50 hour weekend shift once per month, and other duties as outlined by my work contract. While Housing only recognizes certain duties as a part of our working day, the reality is that RAs cannot "punch into the time clock" when they spend time checking in with residents, planning and implementing programs, holding meetings, serving on committees, ALL of which compromise RAs' time to work on academic work, sleep, and maintain personal wellness.

I will be using a Marxian perspective to analyze the rate of exploitation - it has increased, especially this academic year on RAs by a number of changes that Housing has mandated in the name of a clause in our contract stating they "may add duties when deemed necessary by the Associate Director of University Housing." Examples of these duties include the extension of the RAs' duty shift from 7pm to 7am to 5pm-7am, midnight duty rounds on weekend shift (compromising sleep), and new name tags for each resident every month instead of only one name tag per semester. For some residence hall staffs that only have 4 RAs compared to those which have 9 person staffs, the duty load is significantly higher and there is no additional compensation for their additional working days. There are no benefits to subsidize our earnings: RAs are forced to pay for a meal plan, have to pay for their housing, and do not get private rooms.

The reality is that I live where I work, so I take my work home with me, as all RAs do. The surplus labor time surmounts the necessary labor time as outlined by my contract and while there is no compensation for this surplus product produced, there is also no time unless Housing impedes on other academic and extracurricular responsibilities, sleep, and social wellness. It is ironic when Housing tells its RAs, "You are students first and RAs second."

Abstract

2011-12-06T10:01:00.002-05:00

This paper topic is going to analyze malquiladora labor (the industrial sector in cities of Mexico) from a Marxian perspective. Many case studies examine malquiladora workers and their exploitation- ranging from poor working conditions, adverse environmental health effects, and meager wages. The rise in malquiladora work is often attributed to the implementation of NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement), which is a capitalist-centered policy.

Paper Abstract

2011-12-05T23:42:00.000-05:00

For my final paper I am going to analyze capitalism and class struggle, as they are present in two of Americas best manufacturers of surplus value, the NBA and NFL. Considering the lockouts allows for an up to date analysis that addresses the most important issues between owners, athletes, and fans. The professional sports industry also provides for a unique Marxian analysis since the players are not only the workers, but the product as well. My paper will also include commentary on the relevance of these lockouts to issues we discussed in class such as the occupy Wall Street movement. The paper will ultimately aim for the conclusion that even millionaires and icons like professional athletes are subject to exploitation by the super elite that continues to manipulate capitalism to maintain their status.

A Marxist Analysis of the Occupy Movement: The Birth and Future of a Marxist Revolt

2011-12-05T23:36:00.003-05:00

A Marxist Analysis of the Occupy Movement: The Birth and Future of a Marxist Revolt

On September 17th, 2011, the Occupy Movement made it’s debut into history as a few hundred brave and angry proletarians made their march into Wall Street. In the few months that followed, the movement has spread like wildfire around the nation and the globe. The many crises that have emerged prior to this movement are a direct effect of what Marx calls “the general law of capitalist accumulation”, and these crises represent the catalyst of this mass social movement. Over the last few years, depressions and recessions have plagued the global economy, entire countries have gone bankrupt, mass unemployment has swept the globe, the middle class has disappeared, but yet the rich still manage to get richer. These events are incredibly parallel to the trajectory of capitalist accumulation that Karl Marx echoes in his writing of Capital. In a marxist perspective, the 99% represents a growing industrial reserve army of the unemployed and the general accumulation of misery in the hands of the laboring class. On the other pole, the 1% represents the accumulation of wealth in the hands of fewer and bigger capitalists. Together, these two represent the trajectory of capitalist accumulation, where we see the accumulation of misery as a necessary condition for the accumulation of capital. Marx saw the system of Capital as ultimately self-destructive, where the end result is crises, failure, and an incredibly large number of angry proletarians. Not only did Marx foresee these underlying conditions of crisis, but he predicted that such a social uprising would occur:

“Along with this constant decrease in the number of capitalist magnates, who usurp and monopolize all the advantages of this process of transformation, the mass of misery oppression, slavery, degradation and exploitation grows; but along with this there also grows the revolt of the working class, a class constantly increasing in numbers, and trained, united and organized by the very mechanism of the capitalist process of production....” -pg. 929

The Occupy Movement is certainly the beginning of such a revolt, but it is not yet the revolution Marx was advocating. The potential of this movement has the all the necessary preconditions for the overthrow of the capitalist mode of production. It possesses power in numbers and the unity of shared struggle. However, to be a true Marxist revolution, it cannot stop at some half-hearted measure of tinkering with the system and making petty economic reform. A post-capitalist mode of production necessitates a true revolution. One committed to delivering us to a time when “The expropriators are expropriated!” -pg. 929

Paper Topic

2011-12-05T21:42:00.002-05:00

Javier Lopez sorts chicken parts at a poultry factory located in Eastern NC. He is an undocumented worker from Veracruz, Mexico and he paid a coyote $1200 to bring him across the U.S. border so he could find better work and support his family back home. He does not like the U.S. much, and he says it's not the life he hoped for.

Javier works the night shift, which begins at 10:30pm and is supposed to end at 8:00am, but he explains that sometimes he has to work until nine or ten, or noon even, depending on when they "get their chickens done." Since he is an illegal worker, his bosses are able to increase absolute surplus-value without much resistance. Javier's bosses also make much use of machinery, and he is forced to work quickly (intensity of labor) or he risks being let go - for there are surely hundreds of other workers (industrial reserve army of the unemployed) who would be able to fill his place on the assembly line. Javier's bosses sound like they have mastered the division of labor in order to increase efficiency, as Javier tells us, his department's job is to separate the wings, legs, and breasts, and do a little deboning. Then another department packages the chickens and sorts them by weight, after which they are taken to yet another department to be labeled and shipped out. Javier states that "the managers always want more production in less time," which is increasing efficiency - a necessary element of expanded reproduction.

Javier also provides us with some insight into his means of subsistence. He tells us that "by tightening a little, and living squished, you can save a little," and explains that he shares his little house and one car with four other people. He says, "you have to sacrifice, not be comfortable, or you will not make it," which is typically the condition of the working class due to the general law of capitalist accumulation.

Long Haul Truckers Abstract

2011-12-05T15:21:00.002-05:00

After reading the interview of Darlene and Mike Yockey in Gig: Americans talk about their jobs at the turn of the millennia, I was enlightened on the actual lives of American truck drivers. Many work drive for long hours in varying extreme weather conditions. From these unsafe conditions the drivers are exploited during the long driving hours. In order to meet their pay they must arrive on time, in order to do this many have to exceed the speed limit making the roads unsafe for the driver and other motorists. These drivers are exploited from the length of the working day and conditions of the working day. They are also exploited by their wages, which are some sort of piece wages since they are paid by how many loads they deliver and the amount of time it takes to deliver.

Money is the Motive

2011-12-04T19:39:00.000-05:00

Since capitalism’s rise to its position of the world’s unchallenged economic force, neither worker nor owner has been safe from crises inherent to a system that splits the world into two uneven classes. As the divide between the two classes grow according to Marx’s general law of capitalist accumulation, “the relative mass of the industrial reserve army thus increases with the potential energy of wealth… the more extensive the pauperized sections of the working class and the industrial reserve army, the greater is official pauperism.”(798) As “the pressure of the workers” grows, it does not do so silently. Since it began, class struggle has always had musical accompaniment. Throughout every epoch, Marxian themes of daily labor struggles, unemployment, and subjected poverty are expressed in popular music. Examples include Thomas Casey’s 1888 “Drill, Ye Tarriers”, Merle Travis’s “Sixteen Tons” in 1946, or The Clash’s 1977 tune “Career Opportunities”; songs whose lyrics’ appeal connect to the shared experience of a working class audience. While it is rare for an artist to speak directly about the rate of exploitation or the industrial reserve army, songs such as these are no doubt the outcry of the “surplus population” created by the inexorable progression of capitalism.

But no music expresses the nature of capitalism better than hip-hop. Originating in the seventies in African-American sections of the Bronx, hip-hop arose from the combination of poetry, jazz and blues melodies, and new audio recording techniques. In spite of its roots in the empowerment of urban black communities, hip-hop has become associated with hedonism and gang violence. Rather than cautioning against destructive behavior, acts such as N.W.A. and Ice T. made careers espousing crime, ignorance, and derogatory treatment of women. Despite moral outcry against the new, explicitly-stated genre, rap records glorifying despicable acts continued to occupy a niche in the market (in itself a testament to capitalism)and rap is among the most popular forms of music. Forty years since the birth of the genre, rap has diversified enormously, but its truest adherents still center their writing around familiar tenets: poverty, brand name consumerism, fame, and the infamous act of hustlin’—AKA the cocaine piece-wage. Through hip-hop, the precepts of Marx’s Kapital are broached in coded language, revealing the ravages of capitalism from the perspective of both its victims and its victors.

Final Paper Abstract: Undocumented Variable Capital

2011-12-04T18:07:00.003-05:00

Corporations knowingly hire undocumented workers in order to increase their rate of surplus value. An interview in Gig: Americans Talk About Their Jobs at the Turn of the Millennium of the undocumented poultry factory worker, Javier Lopez, illustrates how this population is taken advantage of by capitalists. Due to language barriers and fear of deportation, workers are subject to unsafe working conditions and unreasonably long hours. Lopez’s interview is appropriately subtitled “We are slaves” when he describes how the workers are required to pay “coyotes” and the capitalists in order to enter into the US, get a job and purchase the required supplies and equipment needed to work. The argument for protecting rights of undocumented workers becomes more difficult in relation to class struggle. Fights to improve the dismal working conditions reveals a cultural belief that jobs are being taken away from the US unemployed working class by undocumented immigrants.

Poultry Factory Worker

2011-12-04T17:23:00.002-05:00

Javier Lopez and his experience as a poultry factory worker is an example of how the capitalist mode of production primarily depends on the exploitation of the working class. Lopez and other employees are desperate for work in need to provide themselves and their families with a basic means of subsistence, thus the poultry factory workers yield the company with cheap labor, as the workers are willing to work for a shamefully low wage. Karl Marx claims that the capitalist class requires an impoverished class in need of work, “ a mass of human material always ready for exploitation“ (784). According to Marx, as Lopez continues works under poor working conditions, uncompensated overtime, lack of security, and a meager living wage, his exploitation is for the capitalist accumulation of surplus, produced by the working class.

Javier Lopez’s story presents several examples of exploitation that Marx addresses in Capital, including extremely poor working conditions, cheap labor (mainly from illegal Hispanic migrant workers), lack of security, and efficiently producing commodities at fast pace while still having to work overtime. I will take these examples and use Capital to explain why capitalism needs a working class to exploit.

Second Review Sheet

2011-11-28T15:41:00.002-05:00

Below is a list of some of the terms and ideas we have studied since the last exam. This list is intended only as a starting point for your study, not as a comprehensive guide.

constant capital
variable capital
C = c + v
C´ = c + v + s
rate of surplus-value = s / v
rate of exploitation
rate of profit = s / C or s / (c + v)
necessary labor-time
surplus labor-time
surplus product
working day
absolute surplus-value
class struggle
mass of surplus-value
relative surplus-value
co-operation
division of labor
machinery
intensity of labor
wages
time-wages
piece-wages
simple reproduction
expanded reproduction (or the transformation of surplus-value into capital)
organic composition of capital
industrial reserve army of the unemployed
the general law of capitalist accumulation
crisis

Money Chart

2011-11-22T18:51:00.001-05:00

http://www.xkcd.com/980/

Click the pic to zoom in and exam it. This must have taken a looooooooooooooong time to make!

Why Students Shouldn't Take Unpaid Internships

2011-11-21T14:55:00.003-05:00

An article in Newsweek that highlights the growing exploitation of college students.

According to the book Intern Nation by Ross Perlin, mentioned in the article, internships at for-profit companies save "firms more than $600 million each year."

(http://www.amazon.com/Intern-Nation-Nothing-Little-Economy/dp/1844676862)

Unpaid Interns: Real World Work Or Just Free Labor?

2011-11-12T20:37:00.003-05:00

Another example of how relevant Marx is in today's economy.

http://www.npr.org/2011/11/12/142224360/unpaid-interns-real-world-work-or-just-free-labor

We have learned that yes, students are workers. The capitalist benefits from the creation of the final product, an educated workforce. Unable to help themselves, capitalists are exploiting eager students who are seeking real world experience. Beenish Ahmed's article illustrates how much surplus value the capitalist is able to earn when using free labor power in the example of Alex Footman working "as an unpaid intern for Black Swan,a film that won numerous awards and grossed over $300 million."

"The middle class is being undermined and the way it's being undermined is by having salaries, wages and benefits undermined," Eisenbrey says. "Nothing does that more directly than allowing employers to employ people without paying them."

"the Supreme Court ruled over 50 years ago that only work done for training purposes could go unpaid. The Labor Department says companies began skirting the rule. Last year, it moved to issue a six-point test that for-profit internships must pass to comply with labor laws."

Thought this was funny and appropriate

2011-11-10T22:01:00.002-05:00

Reduced Wages At Reopened Maine Mill Divide Town

2011-11-10T19:42:00.005-05:00

Just as we talked about today... Exploitation at it's finest.

http://www.npr.org/2011/11/10/142215911/reduced-wages-at-reopened-maine-mill-divide-town

It's about unemployment versus paying the lowest possible wage.

The paper mill closed and was re-opened by its new owners, hiring back laid-off employees at lower hourly rates. "As much as the lower wages might hurt, Hamlin says, the mill jobs are still better than anything else you can find around here." The shut-down generated an unemployment rate of 22%; and, new owners, The Great Northern Paper Company, have taken advantage of the available surplus labor power.

Final Paper Topics

2011-11-08T11:23:00.002-05:00

Write a well written and well argued paper on any one of the topics below. Remember, this is a paper for a course on Marx’s Capital, Volume I. Be sure that you make careful, substantive, and relevant use of the book in your paper. Find ways to use and apply Marx’s analysis of capital and his labor theory of value as tools to further your own particular inquiry. Along the way, you may also wish to reflect on the usefulness and limitations of those tools -- this is fine -- but the focus of your paper should be on applying Marx to a specific problem and not limited to a critique of Marxian theory.

You should post a brief 100-300 word abstract of your paper to the class blog by midnight Monday, 12/5. The abstract should give a clear and concise idea of the paper's conclusion (your thesis) along with a very brief description of how the paper will reach that conclusion (your argument).

Your paper is due by Thursday 12/15, 9:00-11:15 a.m. in our regular classroom. You may turn your papers in earlier than this, but late papers will be docked one-third of a letter grade for each day late and may delay reporting your final grade. Feel free to make full use of the Writing Center in Belk Library.

Your paper should be typed, double-spaced in a 12-point serif font like Times with standard margins.

Your paper should be a 1200-1600 words in length.

There should be a cover page including an original and informative title for your paper, your name, the course, my name, and the date.

There should be an MLA style bibliography with complete references for any works cited in the paper. An MLA in-text citation and bibliographic entry looks like this:

Marx looks forward to a time when “The expropriators are expropriated” (929).

Marx, Karl. Capital, Volume I. Trans. Ben Fowkes. New York: Peguin, 1990.

Papers should be stapled in the upper left-hand corner. No binders or folders please.

Pages should be numbered.

Keep a copy of your paper.

1. Write a paper applying Marxian theory as found in Capital, Volume I in a transdisciplinary manner to a specific topic within your major or minor field of study. Be very specific and very focused in selecting your topic. For instance, not just Marxian theory and indigenous peoples in Latin America, but Marxian theory and the privatization of water in Cochabamba Bolivia; or not just Marxian theory and literature, but Marxian analysis and Moby Dick. Your aim is two-fold. First, you must explain and illuminate the particular topic you are writing about in an original and insightful manner. Second, you must explore, explain, and make relevant the intricacies of Marxian theory to concerns and issues that may seem far removed from those of Marx.

2. Discuss one of the interviews in Gig: Americans Talk About Their Jobs at the Turn of the Millennium (on reserve in Belk library) in light of your readings in Capital, Volume I. That is, explore the ways in which Marx’s writings can be used to illuminate one particular worker’s situation. Be specific, concrete, subtle, and complete in analyzing the connections between Marx’s theory and the particular worker’s story, explaining the relevant Marxian concepts as you go. Your goal is to think broadly and creatively about the ways one can use Marx to understand and explain the lived consequences and impact of life under capitalism through a close reading of one person’s experiences.

3. Using Marx, describe and analyze a specific example of class struggle. Your example can come from your own experiences, those of someone you know, or from recent headlines and current events. It can deal with work experiences, job dissatisfaction, wages, benefits, lay-offs, unemployment, shopping, student work, housework, international trade, used-car salesmen, or almost anything else you can imagine that involves work, either directly of indirectly. In your paper, you need to give a clear explanation of the specific situation you want to address and an analysis of that situation based on Marxian theory. Your aim is to illustrate the differing interests of workers and capitalists and one way in which the struggle over those interests is currently expressed. In doing this, you will need to use and explain the aspects of Marxian theory necessary for the particular case you are describing (for example, you may want to discuss the ways in which absolute and relative surplus value are being produced as well as the ways this is being resisted, or the role the reserve army of the unemployed plays in your example). Whatever you choose to discuss, be specific in making the connections between your example and Marxian theory. Also, remember that there are always two sides to any struggle. Be sure to indicate not only the ways in which one side acts, but also the ways in which the other tries to resist. It is this dynamic that constitutes class struggle.

4. Come up with a topic of your own dealing with Capital, Volume I. If you choose to write on a topic of your own, you must discuss your topic with me by TH 12/9.

Students are not workers...

2011-11-08T11:08:00.003-05:00

Students are not workers because we, first and foremost, are PAYING to be in school. The commodity being bought and sold at the University is knowledge. The University produces it by hiring smart professors, and the students purchase it in order to "get ahead" in life (maybe? hopefully?). We're racking up debt in order to join the labor force later on. If we people got paid to go to college and do well, everyone would be highly educated. That would be sweet. Instead, we are paying to be trained as workers. The "work" that we do in college does not (usually) produce surplus-value for the university, but it does contribute to our value as workers, because our education will create surplus-value for whoever ends up employing us. Regarding the length of our working day - what do our professors actually get out of assigning us excessive amounts of reading each week? Do they make any extra money when we pull all-nighters during exam week? No. We don't create any surplus-value for them when they make us do loads of extra "work." We're just told that hard work will help us get ahead, and we're here to practice working hard so we can continue to do so the rest of our lives.

Reasons I Think Students Don't Qualify As Workers:

2011-11-08T11:00:00.003-05:00

We aren't paid wages.
In fact, we pay to be here.
We don't produce anything. (Some here have argued that we are actually commodities ourselves, which I think is very interesting)
One could argue we are consuming (education)... it's kind of abstract, but definitely makes sense.
School is training for the work we do later. (We are still developing our labor power)

Students=Workers?

2011-11-08T10:16:00.002-05:00

On the surface, it seems that the system of higher education and the system of capitalist exchange work differently. The main difference lies in that the worker is paid for his labour-power, a student pays to expend his. However, a college and business are run with the same ends in mind; a good reputation, continuation, expansion, and the soul of all these things, a net gain in advanced capital. If universities were 100% subsidized by the government, that is, did not pay their employees with money generated by their own labor, there would be an argument for a difference in motivation- but indeed that is just how it isn't. The university provides for those who administer it like any other business. But students aren't the workers, the teachers and secretaries and janitors are. The university doesn't profit off of the work generated by the students directly, instead it profits off of incoming freshman who find use-value in an education,as well as alumni who choose to support the school financially after they graduate. Is the student a worker? No. The student is a consumer and a product.

No way are students workers!

2011-11-08T03:03:00.000-05:00

Students are not workers due to the fact that they do not sell their labor power, they are still in the process of forming that labor power. Excluding menial jobs outside of the university system, the only job students do is an exchange of knowledge, something which fails to be a commodity in my eyes. I see the commodity inherent in the university as privilege. We pay for the privilege to attend a university, not expressly for the knowledge we gain. Also there's no way in hell students are part of the working class. We're a bunch of whiny white kids who can (mostly) afford to be here. Not saying thats a bad thing, just my perception.

Students are not workers according to marx

2011-11-07T22:45:00.002-05:00

Although students of our education system namely our higher education level dedicate lots of time and labor to their studies they are not considered workers. The students namely invest human labor, but its not labor cause there is no wage. Therefore students are truly investing human capital for there education. They hope as a return, they will receive a degree and a job of equal or greater value of the degree. The experience of a college education is a stepping stone and does not allow the student to gain any wage for the labor time they invest for their classes. Grades if anything would be considered payment on a piece wage basis. This process creates no additional surplus value as everything is setup for after graduation gains. However students are still exploited like wage works in the aspect that they are unable to work enough hours to sustain them selves and be a highly successful student. Also they cannot have low hours and are forced to take a certain about of hours to prevent penalties. With all considered it is hard to find enough concrete evidence to prove that students are workers with our being overly creative and making things fit the criteria of a worker.

Students are not workers.

2011-11-07T12:40:00.004-05:00

Instead, students are being trained in order to transform into workers. Students are simply investing in human capital in order to create the labor-power necessary to receive the appropriate amount of means of subsistence in order to survive. Students have not sold their labor-power to a capitalist, thus are not yet commodities producing commodities. Students are not given the means of subsistence, and are not given an hourly or piece wage through the University. Students have sustain themselves either by the wages made from their parents labor-power or their own outside of the University, in order to survive and successfully make it through school. Furthermore, surplus value does not exist in the University system. Students pay to go to school in order to learn and work hard, and in exchange (which I think is an equal exchange), receive an education.

Are Students Workers?

2011-11-07T10:35:00.002-05:00

No, students are not workers. Students are not workers because the school work we are currently doing is not done for a wage. We pay money to acquire the privilege of a higher education. When we are in the classroom learning or doing homework outside of the classroom it is for learning purposes-not for money. While most of us are here so that we can gain an education in hopes of becoming a worker with higher pay and better benefits than those without education, we are still not workers right now.

Are Students Workers?

2011-11-06T13:55:00.002-05:00

College students are not workers. In today's society a college education is a fundamental necessity to the development of a worker. Marx addresses this topic in the section of So Called-Primitive Accumulation stating:

"The advance of capitalist production develops a working class which by education, tradition and habit looks upon the requirements of that mode of production as self-evident natural laws. The organization of the capitalist process of production, once it is fully developed, breaks down all resistance. The constant generation of a relative surplus population keeps the law of supply and demand of labour, and therefore wages, within narrow limits which correspond to capital's valorization requirements. The silent compulsion of economic relations sets the seal on the domination of the capitalist over the worker" (899).

While this section was referring to the initial creation of the capitalist system it applies to the creation of the worker himself. The student is part of the value of the commodity of labor-power.

Students do not produce commodities, but are in fact commodities themselves. Families and society support students while they attend college and learn the skills to become effective workers.

Are Students Workers?

2011-11-04T11:46:00.002-04:00

I argue that students are workers at the collegiate level. An exchange takes place between the student and the institution; the student pays money in exchange for a degree that will supposedly enable the student to gain a specialized job. The students are workers in the sense that they sell their labor power to an institution in order for a future (supposed) guarantee of income to meet their means of subsistence. Institutions are essentially creating a type of commodity since they produce a specialized laborer. There are also instances of class-struggle as students generally desire to work (study, read, write) less than institutions demand them to or expect them to.

Alabama's Migrant Workers

2011-10-31T23:29:00.004-04:00

The Colbert Report
Get More: Colbert Report Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,Video Archive

"If the men could insist on payment for overwork, this would be set right... A large number of those employed by the undersellers are foreigners and youths, who are obliged to accept almost any wages they can obtain" (Marx 690).

When I read this sentence I recalled this segment I saw on the Colbert Report. You have to wonder how much would a BLT cost if fair wages and immigration laws were enacted to protect workers.

what we are as the 99 percent

2011-10-25T20:41:00.002-04:00

I found this article more eye opening then I thought it could be. I have paid attention in life to how often this question truly gets asked as im sure many of you have as well. It's not till now that it makes sense and how deep the question is to our society of the working class.

My Apologies...

2011-10-20T12:06:00.000-04:00

I won't be able to be in class today, Thursday 10/20. We'll see you in class on Tuesday.

You should read this...

2011-10-19T20:42:00.003-04:00

Some students at UCLA (I think) wrote this a couple of years ago. It is about the current state of the university system and how it relates to capitalism. I had to read it for my Revolution class with Dr. Bortz, and we spent over 2 1/2 hours talking about it in class last night...some very interesting points were raised and it was a great discussion.

J-Five: "Modern Times" - Tribute to Chaplin in 2004

2011-10-11T17:53:00.002-04:00

Marines at Occupy Wall Street

2011-10-07T17:14:00.002-04:00

This article references what I was talking about in class about military personnel attending the Occupy Wall Street Protests.

Occupy Wall Street

2011-10-06T17:30:00.004-04:00

http://wearethe99percent.tumblr.com/

Personally, I am in full support of the Occupy Wall Street protests - minus the few incidences of violence.

The link is to a photo blog with people holding their written stories. It has been growing over the past few days and it is extremely moving.

Marx's Last Words

2011-09-29T16:13:00.005-04:00

So today I found this while browsing the Internet...

Go on, get out - last words are for fools who haven't said enough.
To his housekeeper, who urged him to tell her his last words so she could write them down for posterity.
~~ Karl Marx, revolutionary, d. 1883

Study Questions

2011-09-29T12:23:00.001-04:00

part1: Why do only Capitalists, and not the working class take part in the formula M-C-M^1?

part2: What is the difference between labor and labor power?

part8: (Opinion) Was the process of Primitive Accumulation a trick? Why?

2011-09-29T11:30:00.003-04:00

Part 8 : What are the two types of private property existing in a political economy?

Part 1: Compare and contrast C-M-C vs M-C-M

Part 2: What is the value of labor power according to Marx?

Review Questions

2011-09-29T10:50:00.002-04:00

Part 8: What makes primitive accumulation "primitive"?

Part 1: What characteristics are necessary in order for something to be a commodity?

Part 2: What are the necessary conditions in order for labor power to be on the market for purchase by capitalists?

Review Questions

2011-09-29T10:44:00.002-04:00

--Considering that capitalism is a social system, what social institution is responsible for the rise of capitalism and what the working class has to take over in order to produce for the means of subsistence instead of profit?

--What is the dual character of labor? What does concrete labor represent? What does human labor in the abstract represent?

--What does the accumulation of surplus value represent for wage laborers specifically?

Review Questions

2011-09-28T23:40:00.002-04:00

On Part 8: What factor did the process of primitive accumulation create that was most important to securing the existence of the capitalist mode of production? How does this factor reinforce and reproduce the system?

On Part 1: What are the specific details within the relationship between labour, exchange, and consumption that create what Marx calls the “Commodity Fetish”?

On Part 2: What is the connection between use value and exchange value that motivates the laborer to sell his labour power, and how does this relate to the accumulation of surplus value for the capitalist?

Test Review Questions

2011-09-28T23:01:00.000-04:00

Part 8: What is primitive accumulation and how did it begin to transform into capitalism?

Part 1: What are the criteria in order for something to be considered a commodity?

Part 2: How is the value of labor-power determined?

Test Review Questions

2011-09-28T22:53:00.000-04:00

Part 8: A persons background of what they have and where they came from determines who a person is and who they will be, according to Marx this is known as what?

Part 1: What two parts make up a commodity?

Part 2: What it takes to live is based on what?
A. Money
B. Labor Power
C. Use-Value

Review

2011-09-28T22:52:00.003-04:00

Part 1: What term refers to the process by which relationships between people become abstracted into objectified relationships between material commodities?

Part 2: Do capitalists purchase labor power or labor from workers?

Part 8: Describe how the transformation (theft) of feudal property into private property created the necessary conditions for "free and rightless proletarians" (895).

Review Questions

2011-09-28T22:22:00.003-04:00

Part Eight:

What are the 2 types of Categories of Commodity Owners and What do they Own?

Part One:

What are the functions of Money?

Part Two:

What are the differences between the forms of circulation M-C-M and C-M-C?

Review Q's

2011-09-28T15:29:00.002-04:00

On part 8: How did there come to be an abundance of vagabonds and beggars in 15th and 16th century England?

On Part 1: What two things are necessary for an item to have in order to be a commodity?

On Part 2:What is being bought when you are hired for a job?

First Review Sheet

2011-09-27T10:57:00.001-04:00

For class on Thursday, write 3 review questions: one dealing with Part Eight, one on Part One, and the last on Part Two (+ Chapter 7). Make your questions as clear, specific and focused as possible. Post your review questions to our class blog. Bring a printed copy of your questions to class with you on Thursday.

Below is a list of some of the terms and ideas we have studied so far this semester. This list is intended only as a starting point for your study, not as a comprehensive guide.

primitive accumulation
mode of production
expropriation
“free” workers in the double sense of the word
enclosure movement
working class (proletariat)
capitalist class (bourgeoisie)
class struggle
home market
means of subsistence
means of production
alienation (alienate, alienable)
commodity
labor theory of value
use-value
value
substance of value, magnitude of value, form of value
exchange-value
socially necessary labor time
abstract labor
concrete labor
the relative and equivalent form of value
the simple, expanded, general and money forms of value
fetishism of the commodity
money
capital
C-M-C
M-C-M´
M´=M+∆M
M-C…P…C´-M´
labor-power vs. labor
value of labor-power
use-value of labor-power
surplus-value
valorization

Occupy Wall Street: Principles of Solidarity

2011-09-26T19:37:00.004-04:00

AnonOps Communications: #OccupyWallStreet PRINCIPLES OF SOLIDARITY:

The group Anonymous, self proclaimed Fighters for Internet Freedom, are directing the Wall Street protest. On September 17th, the Principles of Solidarity, published on their website, explains the purpose of the protest. The aim is to rise-up "against political disenfranchisement and social and economic injustice." Among the principles the group presents include, redefining how labor is valued. The declaration includes the groups intentions to "engage in non-violent civil disobedience and building solidarity based on mutual respect, acceptance, and love."

This appears to be the first action the country has seen in the current "class warfare" crisis. Currently the 10th day of protests, it remains to be seen if the unrest will spread to additional cities as it did in the UK. Due to lack of media attention and the NYPD's recent response, which included mace and other methods of force, support may diminish. I don't believe the NYPD's mission includes acceptance and love.

As a student studying Marx, and someone who agrees that there should be more accountability in the US economic/ financial systems I am curious about their efforts. However, without clear demands, an agenda, or political party affiliation all efforts are fruitless. The group's principle to redefine how labor is valued is a clear example of the message is lacking direction. No alternative methods are proposed.

After Gold: Eight Things Ron Paul Should Convince His Supporters To Buy Next The New Republic

2011-09-25T18:42:00.003-04:00

After Gold: Eight Things Ron Paul Should Convince His Supporters To Buy Next The New Republic

The link above is for a slide show that appeared on The New Republic website September 24, 2011. Similar to our discussion in class on Thursday, this slide show addresses the question; should people really invest in gold.

A Short History of Income Taxes

2011-09-23T08:54:00.000-04:00

From Limited, Inc.

Naturally, LI finds the class warfare cry that has gone up with Obama’s proposal to tax the wealthy at a less onerous rate than they were taxed in the 90s rather comic, as class warfare is precisely what is at the heart of progressive taxation. Progressive taxation can best be seen as one of those complex treaties, like that which officially divided up Yugoslavia, that takes a situation of ongoing hostility and freezes it in place. It allows the wealthy to continue to exploit and flourish, but at a cost. ...

Overworked and Underpaid

2011-09-22T11:05:00.002-04:00

YES!!! I can finally post to the blog!! I have been trying to post this since the first blog homework assignment....
About a month ago I read an article in Mother Jones magazine about how during this recession our worker productivity has increased, but wages and hiring have become stagnant. Here is a link to some charts that accompanied the article:

Overworked America: 12 Charts That Will Make Your Blood Boil
http://motherjones.com/politics/2011/06/speedup-americans-working-harder-charts

Those charts are pretty intense. Basically companies have been laying people off or avoiding hiring, but their productivity hasn't suffered (it has actually increased according to the charts), because they just dump a bigger workload on their current employees without paying them more. This is BAD news for the low- and middle-class, who are in desperate need of work.

From what we've read of Marx so far, I would argue that Marx would agree that this is capitalism at its finest - the rich get richer (A LOT richer, according to the first chart) because they are able to produce more efficiently without paying their workers any extra money. The poor get poorer and feel more disenfranchised, because they are so dependent upon their job in this horrific economy - they have no choice but to work harder without asking for more pay, because what the hell happens if they complain and lose their job?!

What will happen if this trend continues? If capitalists can keep increasing their output (and their paycheck) by increasing employees' workload without paying the desperate employees more (or hiring desperate people in need of work), then why would they do anything differently?...

Counter-currency

2011-09-15T09:40:00.006-04:00

I tried to post this last week but I just recently gained access to the blog! Check out the link in the title for more info.

This is local currency created in Denver, CO to increase local spending in the homemade, homegrown markets already existing. It follows a similar idea of our coins at the Watauga Co. Farmers Market. As far as a reallocation of normal dollars, this guarantees that one would spend their money in the supporting markets.

I think in many ways, this Denver Dough levels the playing field in the locals markets as far as commodity value. Even though the Dough acts as a dollar, items to me seem more easily exchangeable. Labor may be more equal as well since that is the determining factor for value. There are no middle men, so the labor is close to equally exchangeable with everything being homemade and homegrown. The labor seems as close to "socially necessary" to me, though to a capitalist, spending one's own time in a garden for hours instead of paying someone or weeding a garden instead of spraying is with herbicides may not seem "socially necessary" in their own market. That is why this currency exchange only works well within local economies.

I just wonder if any bartering goes on there...and if anyone is paid to make this money...?

MONEY

2011-09-15T00:08:00.003-04:00

This song is all about striving for more, working harder in order to procure more money and more material wealth. This is an issue we have been discussing in three of my classes. We are told that the harder the work, the closer that, we too, can get to the American dream of big houses and fancy cars. As we all know, this simply isn't true. We all pretend to want others to have an opportunity at this dream as well, but not at the expense of risking our own wealth, "Share it fairly but don't take a slice of my pie".

What is Bitcoin?

2011-09-13T17:49:00.001-04:00

Bitcoin technology may sound new and exciting; but there are many obstacles before the virtual currency will replace the tangible. The security of the code is essential. Recent malware attacks and security breaches may under-mind widespread use. General knowledge of how the technology works and how virtual currency relates to the current financial system are necessary for public support. The acceptance of virtual currency in the economy is vital to adapting to Bitcoin. A fundamental principal of Bitcoin, its anonymity, will be an obstacle to its acceptance. The public's perceived value of a Bitcoin is also a barrier to acceptance. The public will find difficulty translating the creation of a Bitcoin into value.

Investigation of Goldline - Nightline

2011-09-13T17:05:00.001-04:00

Glenn Beck presents his 3G system: God, Gold, Guns, as the solution against US economic collapse. It appears he missed the mark when he advises his audience to purchase gold. Mr. Beck may have been more successful in his approach if he recommended to his viewers that they stock-up on guns. Gold, specifically gold coins from Goldline, is an inconsistent value. Guns on the other hand are a commodity with a reliable value. It is true unlike coins, guns may not be equally functional in units other than for replacement parts. But in a time of economic collapse, the dependency of a gun's value may save the nation from total ruin.

The Limping Middle Class

2011-09-11T23:22:00.002-04:00

I'm posting this because I thought you might enjoy reading it. This article from the New York Times last week shows the mistakes our politicians have made that have left our economy where it is today. There is a big problem with the way our government favors the rich, and keeps the poor down. This isn't entirely on purpose, but it has been a pattern for some time now (since the late 70's) and the necessary changes aren't being made. Read the article, it sheds a very bright light on the unfairness of capitalism.

Quality and Quantity

2011-09-11T21:17:00.000-04:00

Chp 1 page 125, Every useful thing, for example, iron, paper, etc., may be looked at from the two points of view of quality and quantity.

In today's market we look more towards supply and demand. We can certainly link all points and compare how they differ and be similar. Commodities value were based off how much manual labor was used to make the item along with its quality and the purpose it served, so therefore items made had much more personal touch and better made, now we can mass produce things and have other countries do our work so the overhead costs are way less and we still charge higher prices. This is something which I wonder if Marx ever saw happening. Supply and demand would overpower quality and quantity and outsourcing labor.

The Middle-Class Meltdown

2011-09-11T20:49:00.002-04:00

To what extent do you think Marx was right, if at all? Do you believe that our capitalist lifestyle is indeed ending and if so what will become of us? What's next? It does seem as though Karl Marx' prophecy of the fall of capitalism and the uprising of the laboring class is on the horizon. As much as I see the inevitability and need for the eventual end to capitalism, I'm afraid of what's next; that the next chapter in the history books will come by anarchy and violence, rather than a slow structural change.

Value of the dollar

2011-09-11T18:21:00.003-04:00

http://www.forbes.com/sites/greatspeculations/2011/09/09/dollar-soars-as-euro-snores/

Dollar Soars as Euro Snores

The dollar is challenging its highest level in eight weeks after President Obama delivered a difficult choice for lawmakers: Pass this bill or incur the wrath of an increasingly irritable middle-class America tired of watching the Washington circus put the economy at risk on account of personal self-interest. The bill was full of tax cuts that Republicans typically crave and Obama’s pitch was pretty sweet as he told a packed house that the cost would come from future savings. Passage of the bill is far from assured as lawmakers size-up the risks to their career by taking on the president. Such a battle might result in a Pyrrhic victory given the damage they stand to inflict on the economy and the outrage they stir-up across the electorate.

U.S. dollar – President Obama chose his words carefully calling the $447 billion stimulus package, “the right thing to do now.” That’s pretty hard to deny and a fiscal observation that Fed Chief Bernanke made at the Jackson Hole conference last month, calling on Washington to share the burden of the yoke put on the Fed’s limited shoulders. The world heard Obama’s rhetoric loud and clear as he demanded of Congress, “Are we up to the challenge?” The nation now awaits the response and as such the risks emanating from the period of purgatory have just begun. With exogenous red-lights flashing brightly in the euro zone, demand for the dollar is building. The dollar index jumped to 75.68 and within an ace of its July 12 high. Helping the dollar gain strength is the lack of emphasis on an additional expansion of the Federal Reserve’s balance sheet. Additional quantitative easing is increasingly expected to result in an extension of the duration of what the Fed holds in an effort to force the yield curve lower. We heard last night from the President that he had ideas on how to deliver the benefits of low interest rates to those who hadn’t been able to take advantage of record low mortgage rates. Liberating disposable personal income is a big deal in an economy strapped by too much debt and is rather welcome at a time when the central bank is running out of ways of telling us that you can take a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink.

This is just a quick excerpt from the article. It goes on to describe how debt problems in European countries are beginning to undermine the value of the Euro. Because of this, the dollar has reached its highest value in comparison to the Euro since back in July. I think any gains the dollar makes on the Euro will be short lived, as both our mounting debt and recently lowered credit rating will continue to worry foreign countries. In the long run I think that any economic instability will be felt by all nations, due to the increasingly globalized economy. As we have witnessed with the recent financial crisis, economies are not isolated from one another, and any major impact felt by a select few, will undoubtedly spread to the others.

"Marx was right..."

2011-09-11T18:13:00.002-04:00

http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/stefan-stern-marx-was-right-about-change-2338234.html

Within the link posted, Stefan Stern, from the United Kingdom's The Independent, writes on the direct correlation between the slowing global economy and capitalism as a failing system. I thought that this article was convincing considering that almost every economy in the world currently that works under free trade and the dependence on markets is currently experiencing a recession, and even a "double dip" recession, inflation, high unemployment rates, extreme poverty, a disappearing "working class", etc. Stern quotes Charles Moore, editor of the Daily Telegraph, who states that "The rich run global system that allows them to accumulate capital and pay the lowest possible price for labour. The freedom that results only applies to them. The many simply have to work harder, in conditions that grow ever more insecure, to enrich the few."

In addition, Stern quotes a professor from the Stern school of business in New York, Nouriel Roubini, who comments on Karl Marx. "Karl Marx got it right, at some point capitalism can destroy itself...we thought that markets worked. They're not working."

Stern, along with Moore and Roubini are advocating for a "radical change in the system." "If capitalists want to keep their world safe for capitalism, they need to face up to what is wrong with it, and change it, fast."

Head of Britain's largest union calls for massive strikes

2011-09-11T14:37:00.000-04:00

Len McCluskey the head of Unite labor union has called for massive strikes so that government officials will 'take a step back' and rethink cutting pensions and jobs. Unite union has over 1.5 million members incorporates the majority of the working class in Britain. Unite represents workers from ceramics, textiles, shipbuilding, pharmaceuticals, road transport,

and many more.This call for action is in wake of the TUC congress, which is the meeting of all the labor unions in Britain to discuss urgent matters.

For more info on TUC: http://www.tuc.org.uk/index.cfm

For more info on UNITE: http://www.unitetheunion.org/default.aspx

The Fetishism of the Commodity

2011-09-10T16:03:00.001-04:00

Chapter 1 Part 4, p 165

“It is nothing but the definite social relation between men themselves which assumes here, for them, the fantastic form of a relation between things. In order, therefore, to find an analogy we must take flight in to the misty realm of religion. There the products of the human brain appear as autonomous figures endowed with a life of their own, which enter into relations both with each other and with the human race. So it is in the world of commodities with the products of men’s hands. I call this the fetishism which attaches itself to the products of labor as soon as they are produced as commodities, and is therefore inseparable from the production of commodities.”

Definition of a fetish: a : an object (as a small stone carving of an animal) believed to have magical power to protect or aid its owner; broadly : a material object regarded with superstitious or extravagant trust or reverence.
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fetish

Marx begins his analysis of the commodity in part four by expressing the strange existence of the commodity as a being of social relations. He terms this existence as “the fetishism of the commodity.” During the processes of production, commodities possess only the labor form of value, and contain no real value in themselves. However, when the production is complete and commodities are available for exchange, their value undergoes a mysterious transformation. Labor value is a value appointed by humans through the processes of production. Exchange value however, is a value of commodities in themselves, only determined by their direct relationship with other commodities. While exchange value is derived from labor value through production, the immediate origin of each value form differs. It is true that exchange value is dependent on human labor to produce the object of exchange. However, the evaluator of this exchange is no longer human labor but rather other commodities. This odd transition is what gives commodities their fetish, where they begin to possess power and control within the sphere of social relations.
Marx presents this idea in the passage above with his comparison to fetishism found in religion. Religion arose as a product of human thinking, just as the commodity arose as a product of human labor. This labor of the human mind developed thoughts into Gods, Deities, and other supernatural phenomenon, which were suddenly deemed to have control and power over mankind. In a similar way, we see the products of physical human labor develop into powerful commodities. These commodities take control the market economy, determining the outcome of economic exchanges not through the relation or value to humans but rather to their relation and value to other commodities. It is the existence of commodities and the implied necessity to exchange them that drives human labor to production. In some strange way, this has transformed humans from the evaluator to the value, where our purpose is only to produce and consume more commodities. Somehow we have taken inanimate objects of utility and transformed them into objects of social control. No matter the origin of this mysterious fetish, it is certain the fetishism of the commodity is a key element that drives production and consumption that perpetuates the growth of the capitalist system.

Campus Event- Dr. Cowan

2011-09-09T11:17:00.004-04:00

On Thursday, September 15 at 3:30 Dr. Spencer Cowan will be on campus to discuss a few topics regarding low income housing. Dr. Cowan promotes "economically and racially integrated communities" and hopes to bring the middle class back to inner cities. He also works on rebuilding efforts in New Orleans post-Katrina and is conducting a housing needs assessment for Brunswick County.

Dr. Cowan's work relates to some aspects of Marx. Government housing and low-income neighborhoods tend to be far removed from suburban America. This 'white flight' reminds me of class struggle; yet, middle class America are not the elite capitalists of our society. Could it be that our society has created class warfare between low-income working class against the working middle class? If so, this may deter the Marxian revolution since the working class is pitted against one another instead of working together to dismantle the capitalists' system.

..Thoughts?

2011-09-08T10:06:00.002-04:00

From the NYT: By the end of the semester we'll be able to explain this situation very clearly with Marx's labor theory of value.

For your consideration

2011-09-07T10:38:00.000-04:00

Two recent articles I came across that I thought I'd share with you:

Less Work, More Living.

Since 2009, 88 Percent Of Income Growth Went To Corporate Profits, Just One Percent Went To Wages.

Next Blog Homework

2011-09-05T15:02:00.005-04:00

By midnight Sunday 9/11, post on at least one of the following to our class blog. You should also leave substantive comments and feedback on at least two other posts. Try to post on a different topic from last week.

Post a brief quote from Chapter 1 along with your own comments and speculations.
Post a link to Karl Marx in recent news along with your own comments.
Post a link to news and current events about labor, wages, taxes, benefits, strikes, etc. along with your own comments.
Post links and information about campus events you think may be of interest to the class.
Post your own youtube video remake or remix of "I read some Marx and I liked it."
Post your own youtube video reading/screencast/animation/etc. of a quote from Marx.
Create and post your own Marxist rage comic.
Post an image or image macro illustrating a passage from Chapter 1.
Post comments on David Harvey's lecture on Chapter 1.
Post comments on Michael Hardt's outline of Chapter 1
Embed a music video and explain the connection you find between the song and the readings.
Post other ideas for future blog homeworks.

Not a Revolution

2011-09-02T19:33:00.000-04:00

This is a very interesting article by Sara Horowitz that addresses how workers in today's failing capitalist economy are adapting. Some may say that workers are "free" again. Free from the bonds of a lifetime commitment to single corporations. These workers are also "free" to find and fund their own health and retirement benefits.

Kick over the statues by The Redskins

2011-09-01T10:42:00.000-04:00

This is a song by the group the Redskins which alludes to class struggle and a revolution of the workers. Very Marxist if you ask me. Lyrics:

At the end of an era
The First thing to go
Are the heads of our leaders
Kicked down in the road...
On the day of reckoning
When we've struck & won
Watch close as their heroes
Go crashing down on the pavement...
The workers in Poland rose
& in Hungary too
Somoza & Jose fell
...Azania coming soon!
Kick over the statues
And the tyrants die
Wave bye bye with a hammer
To their heroes
The first act of freedom
All over the world
Is to topple the statues
Kick the bosses over

Social Justice: The Politically Correct Assault on Freedom

2011-09-01T09:36:00.002-04:00

Is social justice synonymous with Karl Marx' idea of communism? Why is it that we can discuss the same issues under the term social justice- students, workers, and political figures alike- yet, the mere idea of communism is taboo in this country. Karl Marx is the one who coined the term in his Communist Manifesto, but you won't find that out when you Wikipedia the term. It's interesting that a country whose Declaration of Independence starts with "We the people" is taught to be scared of a man who writes on the uprising of the people in order to gain our independence from Capitalism- the machine and system that degrades mans self worth.

The Colbert Report - Glenn Beck Attacks Social Justice

2011-08-31T22:19:00.004-04:00

Members of the media and various politicians have thrown around such terms as Socialist and Communist. These terms have become inter-changeable and are intended to villainize the opposition. The true historical significance and meaning of this language has been lost to sound bites and attack ads.

Section 8 of Capital, which we learn, is the introduction Marx provides his readers into the capitalist system. The introduction includes details on how and why the capitalist economic system became so strong. This is a great way to start the discussion.

Nouriel 'Dr. Doom' Roubini: ‘Karl Marx Was Right’

2011-08-31T22:16:00.000-04:00

In a recent article from the International Business Times, economist Nouriel Roubini produces a somewhat radical opinion about the future of capitalism and the globalized market. Roubini became well known a few years ago for his prediction of the 2008 financial crisis that shook the worldwide economy. He feels that the current state of capitalism is playing in accordance with some of Marx’s predictions. In a recent interview, Roubini states:

"Karl Marx had it right.... At some point capitalism can self-destroy itself. That's because you can not keep on shifting income from labor to capital without not having an excess capacity and a lack of aggregate demand. We thought that markets work. They are not working. What's individually rational ... is a self-destructive process."

Simply put, the movement of capital and wealth away from the laboring class will create an ever widening wealth gap that will lead to economic crisis. This widening becomes accelerated as population increases and we approach the limits of natural capital. The contradiction here is that while the capitalist class aim to increase their wealth, they are still dependent on the laboring class to purchase their commodities. When there is no redistribution of this wealth, the flow of money between laborer, producer, and consumer is compromised and an economic crisis ensues.

Perhaps we need to view rationality in a new light, where economic decisions are made not in self-interest but in the interest of the economy and society as a whole. If we are ever going to reach a stable economic state, the wealth gap issue must be addressed.

Anyways, at least this subject is getting some national press.

Marx Rage

2011-08-31T21:57:00.001-04:00

http://imgur.com/l4gkm

Jon Stewart on Class Warfare pt2

2011-08-31T21:52:00.000-04:00

Watch Part1 first. It's the post right below this one.

Jon Stewart on Class Warfare pt1

2011-08-31T21:44:00.002-04:00

I saw this a few days ago, and thought it was relevant to what we've been talking about in class. Through tax distribution, the upper class is trying to broaden the gap between the haves and the have-nots. He presents some pretty disturbing statistics pertaining to Income Equality in the U.S.

I will post part2 as well.

Expropriation: Chapters 26/27

2011-08-31T20:58:00.004-04:00

2011-08-31T20:39:00.004-04:00

As economies are threatened by sharp drops in Wall Street and in other markets overseas, Israel is experiencing what other nations are hoping to avoid politically, economically and socially. On August 7, 2011, Israel’s market (Tel Aviv) dropped by a grueling 7 percent causing the cost of living to rise dramatically. Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu of Israel National News writes that when “Wall Street has a cold, Tel Aviv has pneumonia.” “With Israeli export making up approximately 40 percent of the country’s gross domestic product, a recession overseas would cut short Israel’s economic growth and stability…” (Gedalyahu). The recession in the United States and Europe has indeed led to a decline in economic growth and stability in Israel, and this decline caused the largest social protest in Israel, according to Jean Shaoul (wsws.org).

The young people of Israel are pitching tents on Rothschild Boulevard revolting against the high cost of living. Daniel Estrin, a writer for PRI’s “The World”, that the unemployment rate in Israel has fallen to 5.8%, which is the lowest it has been in 25 years, however working in Israel is not as beneficial as it should be. According to Estrin, the average yearly salary of an Israeli is half of what a middle class American makes. However, prices on consumer goods and taxes are double in Israel than in America. The people of Israel are protesting because they would like to be properly taken care of by the government, despite the new economy. For example, asking to have government owned land freed up so that there is space to build affordable housing (Estrin). The young protesters want to reiterate the basic belief of their founding fathers that “…the state is responsible for the basic needs of its inhabitants.”

I think that the world is beginning to see the pitfalls of capitalism and how failing markets are ultimately destroying people’s well being. Capitalism was able to begin and function because people were being exploited, as they were forced into strenuous labor while receiving low wages. However considering what is happening to our economies today, it seems apparent that our systems need to change, because these systems are noticeably failing, and people are beginning to recognize and rise against their mistreatment for the benefit of others. If I am understanding Marx correctly, maybe capitalism was the best way to generate wealth, but not best for society.

Resources:
http://www.theworld.org/2011/07/israel-cost-of-living-housing/
http://www.wsws.org/articles/2011/aug2011/isra-a08.shtml
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/146455

Dont work to hard or ELSE!

2011-08-31T20:39:00.000-04:00

Today during work I over heard a fellow co-worker talking about a man that had worked for our company for 30 years. The man is well-known, well respected, and very good at his job. He is still going strong and really enjoys his job, however he is now being forced to retire. At least he's not fired but a man that has put half his life into a company is being shoved out the door, but it's ok cause the company is smiling and being nice about it..REALLY! Don't know about the rest of you but it seems pretty messed up to me. It made me think of our class discussion from Tuesday. We need people to work in order to gain wealth, however to gain more wealth we will get rid of the ones who are being payed higher so that we can get in a new person and pay them less because they are new.

Large Payout... lack of work

2011-08-31T20:36:00.004-04:00

Is it fair that those with money even more money than the 1 million we talked about in class can profit even further away from the working class. How about a 5 Billion investment turned into a 357 million profit caused by the investment Warren Buffet placed August 18th. Is this fair to the general public who work tirelessly for meager wages. I want to see how everyone feels about this deal and if it is/isn't fair to the rest of us.

http://money.cnn.com/2011/08/26/markets/warren_buffett_bofa_profit/index.htm?iid=EL

Macro Image

2011-08-31T20:33:00.002-04:00

2011-08-31T20:03:00.002-04:00

Karl Marx Friedrich Engels one manifesto oh so simple

Joe Hill Angela Davis they worked so hard just to save us

And all our history this is our history

Hey man you think is funny the boss is wasting all your money

Truth is you can’t deny we’re struggling hard with so much pride

And all our dignity will change our history

Right here right now in this very moment

We’re around and we’re alive

Can’t you see what is going on here

Rebellion is the way of life

Karl Marx Friedrich Engels one manifesto oh so simple

Joe Hill Angela Davis they worked so hard just to safe us

Truth is you can’t deny we’re struggling hard with so much pride

And all our dignity will change our history

Right here right now in this very moment

We’re around and we’re alive

Can’t you see what is going on here

Rebellion is the way of life

There’s something going on

The rich protect the things they got

And things they sure begin to rot

And all our history this is your history

Right here right now in this very moment

We’re around and we’re alive

Can’t you see what is going on here

Rebellion is the way of life

This song obviously has a connection to Karl Mark; check out the title. The lyrics address the one group of people who end up having all the money, all the land, and all the power. It mentions how the rich protect everything they own and in doing so keep the little man down and out.

2011-08-31T16:53:00.001-04:00

This is just a test to see if the post works...

Forced Labor at Hershey's

2011-08-31T13:20:00.004-04:00

A recent labor scandal at Hershey's. I think you all might find this interesting.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-h8EBP0JSs