Date: 04 Mar 96 03:18:00 EST
From: "Chris, London" <100423.2040-AT-compuserve.com>
Subject: Re: "Value Pump"


I was sorry there was not more comment on Hugh Rodwell's post 
of 29th Feb on what he calls the Value Pump. I am very interested 
in value for
 
a) the concept that the total exchange value of a society should
be under democratic control

b) exchange value as a subset of the wider category of value, meaning
all socially valued activity

c) concepts of unequal exchange between areas of a market with different
levels of technology


In terms of Hugh's argument, I endorse the point that a commodity is
not just a thing. For example Marx makes clear that a private 
teacher is a exploited: he/she produces a commodity (an hour, a term 
of education).

But in order to get the hang of the posited Value Pump, can you say Hugh
why you use the metaphor "pump". What is the pressure, what/who is applying 
it? I tend to assume that the different patterns we see are part of 
an emergent system. The word pump sounds a bit too much like
an external cause to me.

But thanks for the interesting idea

Chris
London.


     --- from list marxism-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu ---

     ------------------