Re: Doug Henwood/Mark Jones exchange (from LBO-Talk)

["Jose G. Perez" <jgperez@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

> It would be inaccurate, IMO, to say that GREED is the driving force of
> capitalism. This would amount to saying that the basis for capitalism is
> human psychology. Supporters of capitalism have always claimed that
> capitalism is rooted in human nature. Henry seems to share that view even
> when he is critical of capitalism.

I think "greed" is actually a pretty good one word summary of what
capitalism is about.

It's not that the basis of capitalism is human psychology; it's that the
basis of the psychology of many humans is capitalism.

The fetishistic accumulation of wealth beyond any rational measure or
conceivable use is a very marked phenomenon of capitalism and of
capitalists.

In a couple of recent interviews, Ted Turner talked about how hard it was
for him to donate a significant but nevertheless small fraction of his $10
billion or whatever his net worth is today. To give away, not part of the
income, but the underlying capital itself. And then if you look at the terms
and effect of his actual donations, it turns out that despite them, he is
still wealthier, year after year, than he was before. Despite what was
undoubtedly a sincerely meant effort by a capitalist do-gooder, and his own
consciousness of his own fetishism of capital, he has not been able to see
his way through to sizable enough donations that they reduce the amount of
his net worth, and all he's done is slowed down, somewhat, the accumulation
of his own hoard of capital.

Being determines consciousness for the capitalists as much as for anyone
else. Masters though they be of empires, in the last analysis, and even long
before, they are slaves to their capital, ever tending to it, wanting it to
grow and multiply. And even when they THINK they've made a conscious
decision to get the monkey off their back, and to do something, well, human
(by their own lights) with their wealth, rather than having the mere
accumulation of wealth itself be the God of their lives, they prove
themselves powerless to do so.

José

----- Original Message -----
From: "Ulhas Joglekar" <ulhasj@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <marxism@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Saturday, April 29, 2000 11:59 PM
Subject: Re: Doug Henwood/Mark Jones exchange (from LBO-Talk)


>


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