Re: [OPE-L] vampire blues

[Gerald_A_Levy@xxxxxxx]

Title: Re: [OPE-L] vampire blues

> the problem are not capitalists, but value, money, and capital. the

> issue here is a ghost turning into a vampire, passing through possession

> or incarnation, and needing a fluid of some other living entity made

> internal.

 

Riccardo:

 

If  value is blood and -- as some claim -- value is congealed labour,

then value _ipso facto_ is congealed blood.  If the value-form is a

necessary form of appearance of value and money is a necessary

form of appearance of the value-form then value must exist in

a _non_- congealed state.  In any event, isn't congealed blood

worthless and hence any link to use-value and the value-form is

severed?  (Or,  perhaps, it requires heat to uncongeal it? : again

the analogy fails if taken too literally).

 

You suggest that here is a ghost turning into a vampire.  Yet, to

the extent that money and commodities are required for

capitalist production, couldn't it be said that vampires require

the expanded reproduction of ghosts for accumulation?

 

If one (contra Chris) believes in the transfer of value does that

mean that through the process of competition, the "hostile

brothers" are actually feeding on each other? 

 

There are some mixed metaphors in _Capital_.  E.g. the

interpretation of money as ghost is clearly not the same

as the image of money (in the form of gold) as prostitute

(reference to _Timon of Athens_ famous quote). 

 

> but, as we say in Italy, amici come prima (friends as before).

 

Of course: why let Dracula come between two friends?

 

In solidarity, Jerry

 

PS:  while on the topic of the imagery of value and money,  in

a course on "Capitalism & Socialism"  that I teach at Pratt,

we just finished using Katy Siegel's and (your friend) Paul

Mattick's book _Art Works: Money_.  From an instructional

perspective it was quite a challenge, but the students -- who

are primarily studying art and architecture -- really liked it.

It was an interesting experiment trying to get students to

comprehend a radical critique of capitalism by reference to

visual images.  There was some text, but not much.  Once

again, I want to recommend this book to listmembers -- it

would make an excellent and handsome and educational

and radical gift for a special friend. (btw, hi Michael W!)