Re: The collapse of capitalism?

[Brian Carnell <briand@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

At 09:54 PM 2/12/96 -0500, you wrote:

>On the contrary, part of what capitalism (unfettered by government, not
>to mention government unfettered by government) appears to do is create
>more "masses" and fewer workers.  I guess I'm talking about what someone
>better acquainted with Marx would call the reserve army of labor
>(or something like that).  When you realize that workers and masses
>aren't synonymous (and that "workers" is a highly differentiated category
>itself) you might think, perhaps, of the homeless, to take just one
>example of one element of the "masses" whose standard of living surely
>has not increased in proportion to the deregulation of capitalist industry.

Well, I was not using either term in any sort of technical or well-defined
sense beyond their more general meanings.  But I think you're completely
wrong about the last point.  The percentage of homeless/starving within a
capitalist system are going to be much less proportionally than in a
non-capitalist system.  The main difference between the capitalist and
marxist distribution of starving is that in the capitalist system the market
will determine who starves, whereas in the marxist system the state will
determine who starves.  I'll take my chances with the market any day.

As for your point (sorry I clipped it out) about whether or not the overall
living standard of the masses worldwide has increase, I don't see how you
can possibly deny that it has.  Compare the worldwide average life span say
in 1920 to what it is today.  Or compare worldwide infant mortality rates
over a similar period.  A lot of improvement despite the attempt of
socialist governments, especially in Africa, to destroy their citizens'
livelihood.

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Brian Carnell
briand@xxxxxxxxxxx



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