[Marxism] Re.: Smoke 'em if you got 'em, and so on...

[Chris Brady <cdbrady@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

At first, after Jeff?s first sentence, mind you (something nebulous
about "anti-labor hysteria *on the hoof*"), I anticipated, or was
launched conceptually, into a consideration of what we might call
"meta-capitalism" --that is *supernational* capitalism, if you will--
where capitalism's systemic requisites, endless growth, etc., become
more than can be fulfilled by one hyper-imperialist center, at this time
the bad old USA.  This leads one to wonder if capitalism as a system has
outgrown national bases of operation.  We can see that capitalism has
grown historically apace with the nation state.  It has tied
proto-nations together into nations, for example Germany through the
economic strings of the zollverein, or Canada through Confederation of
the Provinces?theretofore economic areas under the Crown?via the
Canadian Pacific Railroad line.  It is currently binding  blocs such as
the EuroZone, which may be nascent supernational confederations that
herald a new stage of capitalism.  One may not be sure where this might
go, but although some means of production could be argued to be changing
through cybernetics, the overall means and mode (relations) of
production remain essentially the same, and the attributes of the nation
state remain as intrinsic to capitalism, it seems to me, as capitalism
is to the nation state.  Capitalism, the nervous system, cannot be
ripped from the muscle of the nation state without slaughtering both (I
think my analogies have been infected with the debate over BSE, but the
US Government?s Bull Shit Excuse that if the brain and spinal cord of a
prioned cow are tossed then its corpse is VOILA! disease-free ignores
the tiny extenuations of charged nerve protein that make muscle in
flesh, eyelids, twitchy toes, et hoc, do its thing).  The corporeal
relationship is too intimate.

Other points (and more to the point):
Voluntary exchange has never been the sine qua non of bloody capitalism,
although its deceptive display of liberties (variously interpreted) has
the purpose of overlaying its bossy-bully business with a veneer of
virtues that do not really exist.

And, as regards:
??traditional dispensations of liberality in American society are being
whittled down to totally unacceptable levels all the time.?
Gadzooks, Mister Rhubarb!  To whom are these levels unacceptable?
Surely not to those who benefit from the inline harmonization of labor!
God?s tits, man!  AND ANOTHER THING (very theatrical, wot?)  WHAT we may
ask has ruddy tradition to do with the bourgeois ?way of life??  Customs
and tradition were the accommodations of a distant feudarchy, and have
no place in this brave bourzhiy world of legislated liberty.  Ohmigod!
I fear I am remiss!  I freely admit, not being a religious person, that
I sinfully dispensed with the Christian Church in America, and the
condescensions vouchsafed to lesser (or lessor) superstitious creeds,
and/or highly respected (by their adherents) spiritual institutions with
a commercial base?  Yes, yes, by your ayes, me Marxist mateys, we do
discern that glinting golden thread that ties pulpit to pews: they do
make their way retailing ritual, yes!  It?s just another commodity, by
gad!  But basta with this preaching to the choir, I must be off to find
the rum.

I am beginning to think that this Marxmail vehicle should have a
breathalyzer connected to the ignitionator.  Or mayhap we should
consider contributions from certain times and dates with due compassion,
e.g., late Saturday nights over the holidays (that even as atheist reds
we admit we enjoy, which makes me say there should be more days off!).
Cheers!



_______________________________________________
Marxism mailing list
Marxism@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/listinfo/marxism