Re: Dumb Question on Capitalism

[abc170@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

yes, I agree with this,

If slaveowners used slavery as a means of accumulating Capital, then obviously 
it is
correct to call it
capitalist slavery.  The existance of expropriated value is obvious.

Colonial slavery could easily have been a chief momenta of American capitalism.

In Australia slavery of Pacific Islanders was blantantly used for capitalist
production in Queensland, and Australian aborigines were enslaved elsewhere, 
sometimes
under fuedal relations of production [eg Church missions] and sometimes under
capitalist relations for investors (English and Colonial).

Convict labour (various forms) were another precursor of Australian capitalism.

Chris W


On Wed, 08 March 2000, "Charles Brown" wrote:

>
>
>
> >>> <abc170@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> 03/07/00 02:09AM >>>
>
> Naturally there can be combinations of political economies.
>
> While I know nothing on American slavery, I do not think that the 
> expropriation from
>slaves in colonial America had anything to do with capitalism.
>
> Maybe the English investor behind the scenes was a capitalist, but not the 
> actual
>slavery in the Colonies.
> *********
>
> CB: The Southern slaveowners, like Jefferson and Washington, were capitalists,
>bourgeoisie. They were different from Roman slaveowners in that they produced 
>for an
>economy in which the capitalists market was dominant. They accumulated capital 
>as
>capitalists.
>
> Capitalism got started with slavery as one of its chief momenta. For most of
>capitalism, slavery has been a key component. It is capitalist slavery, and the
>slavery is a significant mixture of the capitalist and slave organizations of
>production, but the overall mode of production is capitalism.
>
> CB
>
>
>
>
> ******************
> On Thu, 02 March 2000, "Charles Brown" wrote:
>
>
> > John Taber wrote:
> >
> > >Charles Brown" <CharlesB@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote
> > >
> > >I must be confused on what "capitalism" means. I never thought that
> > >a slave-based economy should be called capitalism. Similarly, I
> > >wouldn't think that a feudal system is capitalist.
> > >
> > >But on this list "capitalism" seems to be broadly used. Would
> > >somebody care to educate me?
> > >
> >
> > ************
> >
>
>

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