File spoon-archives/marxism-international.archive/marxism-international_1997/97-01-31.063, message 37


Date: 30 Jan 97 03:29:04 EST
From: Chris Burford <100423.2040-AT-CompuServe.COM>
Subject: M-I: simple questions


I agree of course with Jerry, that marxism-intro was designed
for the discussion of basic questions about marxism for people
who want to use that forum. But I think sometimes the apparently
simple questions are not so simple. I was interested in reading
all the replies to Anthony's question as well as accepting the 
challenge to reply myself. It seems that the sort of 
cross-fertilization that the internet can bring between generations,
positions, practice and theory can sometimes be very creative.

I concede that the historical record over 18 months proves that Jerry
(and others) were right that we needed moderated lists (marxism-
international is now approaching double the volume of marxism-general
and has a much wider range of contributors, while marxism-thaxis
also has a large number of subscribers).

Tit for tat is an option open to any contributor on these lists
if they think it in their interest, but I would caution Jerry
against what some might see as escalation. The moderators of 
marxism-international appear to be willing to be seen as stricter
than those of some other lists, even if they know they may be 
accused of being in the wrong, or worse. 

The allegation about
Doug's assistant on the LBO, IMO, was far more than adequately 
ventilated on thaxis. 90% of the population in capitalist society
are potential wage slaves in that they have nothing to sell 
but their labour power. That is where the slavery comes in, whatever
choice they then make in selling their labour power, or indeed
accepting self-employment under unfavourable conditions.

It is well known that left wingers are
not influenced by material incentives alone and some volunteer to 
work with projects out of interest even though their remuneration
is less than the price of their labour power in comparison to the 
social average for their level of skill. But the same thing goes for 
self-employed 
left-wingers who like many small shopkeepers in capitalist society,
have one or two people working with them, but in a sense exploit
themselves, in that a trade unionist could advise them they
could try to sell their labour power at a higher rate if they
concentrated on material incentives alone.

But as Anthony's indignant question illustrated, the idea that
the height of democracy is the reduction of human beings to 
the narrowest but perfectly equal pursuit of material incentives,
is a crime against both truth and humanity.

Regards,

Chris Burford
London


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