Re: the state as capital : was arms production + Dept III

[glevy@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

Adam wrote:

> Labour produces use-values , at all times, places and modes
> of production.

Labor can produce *goods* which do not have a use-value (although, this is
not the norm in any mode of production). Some labor also does not engage
in the *production* of goods or commodities.

>I would also contend that it produces  surplus value, at all times,
>place and modes of production ( with only
> the irrelevant exception that this surplus could for a short while
> in circumstances actually be negative; and of course, for subsistence
> farmers, which for most of antiquity most people were involved in,
> produces no surplus value ). The question for any particular ruling
> class is to extract the surplus value.

I think you have to make a distinction between the production of surplus
value and the production of a surplus product.

> The modern capitalist state is a capitalist in its own right.

That's where I was afraid this thread was headed. Sorry, Adam, but I
don't have time at present to critique the theory of state capitalism.

Jerry


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