>>> [EMAIL PROTECTED] 10/11/00 01:29PM >>>
In message <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, Charles Brown
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes
>
>CB: Marx also uses the word "crisis" to refer to the periodic bust in the
>capitalist cycle. Marx says the end of capitalism is inevitable. So, are you
>with Marx in analysis of commodity fetish, but consider him apocalyptical for
>his warnings of capitalist crash ?
Marx was always very clear that the economic crisis contained the
elements of its own correction (destructive as these were). Alongside
the falling rate of profit, Marx emphasised the countervailing factors.
He certainly thought it absurd that any social system would last
forever, but was never so blunt as to put a date on its collapse.
(((((((((((
CB: Yes, my impression is that Marx did not specify the time, as Jim says.
((((((
He never thought that Capital would collapse of its own accord, but that
it would take the intervention of the subjective factor, the working
class to put an end to it.
((((((((((
CB: Agree with Jim. This is why I take prounouncements like "socialism is inevitable"
or " the end of capitalism is imminent" as consciously trying to give a push to the
mass subjective factor to actually do it. If you say " socialism is inevitable" that
is more likely to rally the subjective factor than if you say "capitalism will fall ,
but it might take centuries, and then it might end in the destruction of the human
race."
(((((((((((
As to whether we are in a crisis situation right now, I think we have
heard too many false alarms from the East Asian slump to the Russian
bubble to lazily jump on board another 'crisis of capitalism' bandwagon.
The desire to see capitalism disintegrate without any struggle to
overthrow it is foolish in the extreme. If capitalism really were on the
brink of a generalised social crisis, the only likely outcome in the
current balance of class forces would be profoundly authoritarian.
((((((
CB: Yea.
(((((((
Those who dream of the working class being spurred into action by the
crisis are only expressing their frustration at having failed to make an
effective case to that class.
((((((((((
CB: Jim gets to the real issue. Is catastrophism good propaganda ? Will it move the
masses.
Lenin wrote on pending catastrophe and how to avoid it.
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