What did Marx write on the prospect of political and economic transition between capitalist and communist society?
Quote "The question then arises: What transformation will the state undergo in communist society? In other words, what social functions will remain in existence there that are analogous to present state functions? This question can only be answered scientifically, and one does not get a flea-hop nearer to the problem by a thousand-fold combination of the word 'people' with the word 'state'. Between capitalist and communist society there lies the period of the revolutionary transformation of the one into the other. Corresponding to this is also a political transition period in which the state can be nothing but the revolutionary dictatorship of the proletariat." (End quote) Taken from Section IV., "Critique of the Gotha Program," here presented is Marx definitive statement on "the revolutionary dictatorship of the pro letariat." II. Marx does in fact investigate the economic content of transition "Between capitalist and communist society . . . a political transition period in which the state can be nothing but the revolutionary dictatorship of the proletariat." He does this is section 1, subtitle: 3. "The emancipation of labor demands the promotion of the instruments of labor to the common property of society and the co-operative regulation of the total labor, with a fair distribution of the proceeds of labor. In this section Marx unravels the meaning of economic - not political, transition to communist society based on the state of development of productive forces and the value relations as both existed at the time of this writing. One should read this section for themselves. "Critique" was written April or early May, 1875 and has in mind the state of development of means of production at the front curve of industrial capital development as opposed to the back of the curve in the colonies and less developed countries, still struggle under political feudalism. III. If one agree with Marx formulation of the political content of the period of transition between capitalist and communist society, which in plain American English is called the organization of the proletariat as ruling class, discourse tend to fall on the issue of the economic content of this transition, which is determined - in my opinion, by the degree of development of means of production and decay of the value relation. Revolution in the means of production and the rise of a technology regime evolving in antagonism with the OLD mode of exchange (DIVISION OF LABOR) - based on commodity equivalents, define the economic content of our current period of transition. The political form of the state remains as Marx stated: "a political transition period in which the state can be nothing but the revolutionary dictatorship of the proletariat." What has changed qualitatively, is the durability of the commodity form itself. Waistline _______________________________________________ Marxism-Thaxis mailing list Marxism-Thaxis@lists.econ.utah.edu To change your options or unsubscribe go to: http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/listinfo/marxism-thaxis
