File spoon-archives/anarchy-list.archive/anarchy-list_2001/anarchy-list.0105, message 105


From: "Mark Thom" <c_vagabonde-AT-hotmail.com>
Subject: Re: what do we mean when we say capitalism?
Date: Fri, 11 May 2001 02:55:49 -0000





> > I think that most anarchists wouldn't have a problem
> > with technology as defined above.  But, on the other
> > hand, neither would capitalists.  (I think we all know
> > what capitalism is, so I'll skip the definition.)
>
>Well, actually...
>
>I've been off anarchy-list for many years, so I have not followed
>recent discussions on the topic, but I'm never quite sure what
>a lot of anarchists means when they talk about "capitalism" or
>"capitalists".
>
>Some variants seem to be:
>-- the system in which people are employed as wage slaves and the
>surplus value derived from their labor benefits the class that
>owns the means of production
>-- the system in which goods/services are traded on the market
>-- the system of using money to buy/sell goods and services
>-- the growing global corporate takeover
>-- the inequality between rich/poor, haves/have-nots
>-- the system of private property
I think capitalism encompasses all these traits. After all, a "free" market 
economy is dependent on private property which in turn makes wage slavery 
and exploitation possible, which amounts to growing international corporate 
intrusion. A good deal of vagueness within anarchist philosophy is due to 
generalized terminology often purported by the media (which can be, at 
times, either sympathetic or consciously spiteful of anarchism/anarchists) 
and sometimes ourselves.

But, as anyone can easily see from reading a detailed piece on the subject 
(such as the Anarchist FAQ), many of these terms are not to be tossed about 
lightly. An understanding of anarchism, I think, requires some familiarity 
with similar critiques of capitalism.


_________________________________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com.


   

Driftline Main Page

 

Display software: ArchTracker © Malgosia Askanas, 2000-2005