What is capitalism? 1 of 2

Part one of a video about capitalism, money and wage labor.

Full text of the lecture can be read at:
http://kapitalism101.wordpress.com/what-is-capitalism/

Category:

Education

Tags:

• exploitation
• capitalism
• wage
• labor
• slavery
• merchant
• capital
• usury
• money
• lender
• karl
• marx
• M-C-M
• C-M-C
• MCM
• CMC
• mode

[3dd656]

I'd like to point out that saying that money creates greed is like Christians blaming satan on all their temptations. It's jsut an excuse to blame something other than themselves for what was born from themselves.

Also, the U.S. doesn't have a capiltalism economy. There is too much government involvment for that. Capitalism can only have little to no government involvment in the economy. Thus, M-C-M really begins to take away from the capitalism.

[brendanmcooney]

@3dd656

How could you have the type of greed we see in our society without money? Money is an abstract measure of social power and we all must work for it in order to survive.

Given my definition of capitalism (the self expansion of value thru the exploitation of wage labor) we definitely do have a capitalist economy. The degree of state involvement in this process has no bearing on the capitalist nature of production.

[3dd656]

@brendanmcooney Except, no. You cannot use that as your argument as to what our economy is; that would be like me using the mud pie argument. In actaul capitalism, the economy is controlled completely by the traders. IF the traders fail to bring in good, then the economy faces a recession. While what the U.S. has is more of a merchantilist economy. That is one in which state/federal government has control of the goings on of the economy. While it has both so to speak, it's more so Merchantilist.

[brendanmcooney]

@3dd656. How is that like the mudpie argument? I'm saying that the state's relation to the economy does not alter the laws of motion of capital as I've laid them out here. It only effects the division of surplus value amongst the capitalist class.

[arzoyan]

The fundamental principle that we need to grapple with is this , Humanity cannot be treated as batteries of energy so a few can enrich and empower themselves the consequence is a world of war,poverty,exploitation,envio­­­rnmental destruction and many other terrible ongoing challenges, or We share the earth for all generations to come in harmony and cooperation for our material and emotional needs, We need to understand our common source and our common destiny , our common humanity as one

[blackmichael75]

@cyberlibertarian You're not taking into account the following things; deliberate exploitation, class, and unequal power relations.

[gulbirk]

I thought capitalism was strictly defined as an economic system in which people (individuals) have right to private ownership.

[wordscontrolminds]

Intelligent, and sexy! Do you play the piano too? Im wondering if you could take the algorithm of Capitalism and transform it into a piano piece? Im presuming it would eventually play itself out in chaos?

[1080portal]

nice ending lol

[cyberlibertarian]

I think that you made a big error, Capitalism is not about equal exchange but about creating win-win situations. Let me give you an example: You wouldnt trade 1 coin for 1 coin just like it. But you would trade that coin for a product you value, The same applys to your trading partner. So a trade only takes place if both partners think they are making a win. Secondly the market (everyone) is subjective, So a trade looking "equal" to you may look "unequal" to me.

[3dd656]

@brendanmcooney except that would not actaully be capitalism.