Date: Sun, 28 Apr 1996 13:38:04 +0200
To: marxism-AT-jefferson.village.Virginia.EDU
From: m-14970-AT-mailbox.swipnet.se (Hugh Rodwell)
Subject: Thanks, Jon! A classic posting
Cc: amst015-AT-cantva.canterbury.ac.nz, socvoice-AT-gn.apc.org


> >> Dialectically, though, we have to support these academic wailers in their
>struggle. <<Sally Ryan
>
>
> Jon Flanders:
>
>  Yes indeed we should. It can be amusing to poke fun at academics, but from
>the point of view of capital, its all the same thing, ie depressing the price
>of labor. It makes little difference to the ruling class whether they are
>skimming from autoworkers who directly create surplus value, or from the
>academic that trains the engineers of the future who will refine the skimming
>process.
>
>  Someone like Lenin welcomed anyone who protested against capital's
>machinations and exploitation. So should we.
>
>  Unionists understand the importance of seniority. That is all tenure is in
>the academy. I know the railroad corporations are coming after their workers
>full bore on this. I welcome a challenge to this assault from any direction.
>Down with casual labor!


This is brilliant!

Only when we have a society with complete security of work and living will
we be in a position to see what the *voluntary* development of merit and
aptitude can lead to in terms of social production (and quality of life).
For me, this is one of the big barriers to productive development in the
capitalist system.

Cheers,

Hugh




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