The three quotes above are from, respectively: 1. William Godwin 2. Charles Wentworth Dilke 3. Karl Marx. There was a very pronounced influence of Godwin on Dilke and of Dilke on Marx (hence indirectly of Godwin on Marx). My research suggests that viewing Marx's work from the perspective of Dilke's major influence reveals both hidden strengths and weaknesses in Marx's critique of political economy....Leisure is freedom. "Capitalism" has greatly increased freedom, although unequally. But it's only a start in comparison with the potential that technological innovation makes possible. Marx viewed this as leading in the direction of socialism as a socio-economic system as developments in the mode of production make this possible. The mode of production is shifting radically in the digital age toward surplus and away from scarcity of socially necessary goods, but the relations of production have not caught up yet, as productivity increases have mostly increased the wealth of the uppermost rungs of class structure. This is resulting in systemic stress that threatens the continuation of "business as usual."
"The mode of production is shifting radically in the digital age toward surplus and away from scarcity of socially necessary goods..."
ReplyDeleteThis is why we need UBI, not a job guarantee. As automation produces more abundance (surplus), purchasing power must be broadly spread to consume that. Otherwise, who gets the wealth? Just the owners of the robots?
Yeah, that's pretty much how it's going. Thus, the insane and widening inequity.
If the .1% believes in UBI, then UBI it shall be.
ReplyDeleteIn the meantime, workers aren't going to get a job guarantee. When a class of people are disorganized and lack power, they get jack shit.