' * From: Ralph Johansen
And as to "self-expansion of capital", that was an imprecise expression for Marx's reproduction schema M - C - M'. It shouldn't present a problem unless it distorts in some way. I would be sorry if your lecture implied that I come across to you as a person who is not aware that "Marx never believed that capital could 'expand itself by itself' or could automatically realise itself in the market, but rather that living human labor was essential for this expansion and realisation". ^^^^^^ CB: This may be a somewhat parenthetical issue , and I do _not_ mean to disagree with Ralph Johansen, but rather I just happened to be reading his reply , and he got me thinking about the "self-expansion of capital" concept. Aren't the various bubbles that are discussed around here from time to time - stock market, housing market - sort of capital expanding itself without any living human labor in it ? Much of finance capital today, like currency exchange traders and futures market putting, seems to create at least an illusion of self-expansion, but the illusion is real in terms of $$$$$$$$$$$$-power. Others have said there are M-M'ghosts in the market.
