[Marxism] RE: Downloading

["Xxx Xxxx" <xxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi,
I don't think its at all laughable to consider the music industry a
particularly odious form of capitalism. Isn't the price of housing, food,
health care, cars (?!), affected by the superprofits reaped by the
capitalist music moguls? Aren't the big labels (and most of the smaller
ones) owned by huge conglomerates, many of whom are involved in arms
manufacturing and all the rest? Have you seen the amount of money that is
accumulated and consumed by capitalist popstars and their employers?!!
Perhaps when you turn on the tv and catch the latest Britney Spears video
you should ask how much it cost, how much profits it is making, why it is
being made in the first place, in a economic sense. Of course, it is a sad
thing that a lot of the poorer musicians, etc. are ripped off big time by
these labels, especially black artists in America (for many many years now),
but apart from that I feel no guilt getting corporate sounds for free.
PS have you ever heard of American cultural imperialism? MTV, and all the
rest, promoting and selling the American dream are truly destroying more
organic musical and artistic expressioin the world over, including in
America (with hip hop especially). Burn Hollywood burn.
Zak



> Message: 9
> Date: Sat, 20 Dec 2003 12:10:50 -0800
> From: "Eli Stephens" <elishastephens@xxxxxxxxxxx>
> Subject: [Marxism] Re: Eli and downloading
> To: marxism@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Message-ID: <BAY1-F1512tR6j5Brrd00045ba2@xxxxxxxxxxx>
> Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed
>
> Jose wrote:
>
> >In his latest missive to this list, Eli reveals his complete political
> >solidarity with the capitalist copyright cartel and the music monopoly
> >mafia.
>
> Jose seems to think that the music industry is some particularly odious
> branch of capitalism, deserving of his name-calling and particular ire (not
> to mention alliteration). Compared to the effects on the working class of
> Wal-Mart, or Safeway, or GM, or Merck, etc., etc. I find this laughable to
> put it mildly. Workers are affected by the price of food, housing, health
> care, cars, and lots more; I doubt many of them are sitting around worrying
> about the price of CDs. This is an issue that preoccupies college students
> and net geeks.

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