Re: [OPE-L] The HM [Haunted and Mysterious] Conference

[Christopher Arthur <arthurcj@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Jerry
I support Riccardo and Andy in this amusing discussion.
You are rigght there is always a problem with metaphors. The point in using
them is to highlight one significant parallel, not to claim there is a
complete correspondence at every point. Of course the danger is precisely
that readers may pick up unintended parallels as well as that intended.
Now the reason the vampire metaphor is so absolutely brilliant is that it
goes beyond the parasite idea to bring out that what sucks the lifeblood of
wrorkers in not another flesh and blood subject but an incarnation of
undead labour. It was brilliant of you to throw this in - if the commodity
contains 'dead labour' then in capital as such a store it has become active
as 'undead'.
That is as far as we need go. But in any case your point about what happens
next I asm not too sure if you are correct. In most cases it seems the
victim is sucked dry and thrown aside as a (really) dead husk. I am not too
sure if the contamination idea is in the original legends and in the movies
depends on the person not suffereing so much loss of blood.
But who cares? the brilliant point is that the undead are feeding off the
living.
Chris

17 Bristol Road, Brighton, BN2 1AP, England