Re: the productive macworker

["michael a. lebowitz" <mlebowit@xxxxxx>]

At 17:21 20/05/2004, Paul Bullock wrote:
>  What
> are you wanting to measure and why?  Whilst Marx showed that the
> movement and dimensions of particular economic phenomena were indeed
> regulated by the basic law of value (which Ricardo could not), that
> regulation is still a process  that leaves  room  for
> maneouvre by all interests. I am wary of trying to count items  when
> they are constantly being expanded, reduced, re devised and so on all the
> time. The best we can do is generate broad categories, which various
> authors have tried to do.( If they left food preparation out of their
> calculations as capital moved into the field, then they made a mistake
> and should reflect on why) This will give us a decent enough illustration
> of general trends.  

Paul, once again we agree. (This is frightening!) I don't want to measure
anything myself. But there are people on the list who do engage in
measurement (eg., Paul C., Allin, Fred M and I'm sure there are others as
well). Do they include the Macworkers as productive of surplus
value?

        in solidarity,
        michael

Michael A. Lebowitz

Professor Emeritus

Economics Department

Simon Fraser University

Burnaby, B.C., Canada V5A 1S6

Currently based in Venezuela. Can be reached at

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(58-212) 573-4111

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