Date: Thu, 20 Mar 1997 15:05:43 -0500 (EST)
Subject: M-G: Re: M-I: Albania and state capitalism


Dave, I appreciate your long response.  Your argument seems to hinge on
the following paragraph:

On Wed, 19 Mar 1997 dr.bedggood-AT-auckland.ac.nz wrote:

> Date:          Wed, 19 Mar 1997 14:44:21 1200+
...
> Trotsky's analysis of the SU was marxist in its method. The SU was a 
> workers state because a workers revolution overthrew bourgeois state 
> power and socialised, more or less, the means of production.  It 
> degenerated under the bureaucratisation of the state as workers were 
> excluded from state power. But it remained a degenerate workers state 
> so long as the socialised property,  the plan and the monopoly of 
> foreign trade, prevented the law of value from becoming the dominant 
> mechanism of social production.  

And this paragraph in turn depends on what you mean by "law of value"
operating or not operating.  I suspect we will disagree on this, but
could you first tell me what you mean by that.  If you mean something very
close to the definition of capitalism itself, then you are really making a
circular argument--"law of value" operates when you want to call it
capitalism and otherwise doesn't.  But I don't want to acuse you of
circularity before I hear more what you are thinking.

Thanks, Paul



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