Date: Fri, 5 Jul 1996 06:57:51 -0500
From: dhenwood-AT-panix.com (Doug Henwood)
Subject: Re: Economic field theory. Very good--but prob. no fun.


At 2:04 AM 7/5/96, Zeynep Tufekcioglu wrote:

>Technology, on the other hand, we should know more about. I think, for
>example, computers have not caused a qualitative change in the operation of
>capitalism - not denying their importance. This is so often claimed, but
>imo, is not true due to the nature and function of the beasts, still chained
>to Von Neumann architecture.

No kidding. All the claims about how computers are putting an end to work
as we know it are wildly off base. Sure they change things, but the
fundamental laws of capitalism chug onward, with employment and the
relative surplus population both growing in tandem.

It's interesting that unlike earlier inventions - steam engine, railroad,
car - computers & related technologies haven't provided a tremendous spurt
to economic growth. While the beasts are changing the nature of existing
labor processes, their manufacture and even related industries like
programming are only a small share of GDP and employment in First World
countries.

Doug

--

Doug Henwood
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