Re: [OPE-L] money, barter, and 'underground' economic activity under socialism

[Paul Cockshott <wpc@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Barter on a local basis would occur for locally grown tobacco or hashish, but that would not motivate
the cocaine cartels, they need hard currency. So long as illegal trade was limited to barter it
will be small in scale and non capitalistic.

Paul Cockshott

www.dcs.gla.ac.uk/~wpc



-----Original Message-----
From: OPE-L on behalf of glevy@xxxxxxxxx
Sent: Fri 5/18/2007 1:35 PM
To: OPE-L@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: [OPE-L] money, barter, and  'underground'  economic  activity under socialism
 
In a capitalist economy this might well result in illegal tobacco farms
like current illegal cannabis farms. But this depends on the existence of
money and commodities. If money does not exist in the socialist
economy - if there  is no universal equivalent there will be no black
markets. I see no practical way of eliminating the illegal drug trade in an
economy with money and markets.
===============================================

Hi Paul C:

Huh?  Even if there is no universal equivalent,  there can still be
black markets since the latter can arise on the basis of barter.

What would be the "practical way" of eliminating it in a socialist
economy without money and formal markets?   If citizens want
drugs then they can (informally) barter  offering other goods or
labor services.

If  someone is addicted to a substance then they can, should they
wish to, usually find ways of obtaining the substance: addiction gives
rise to innovative procurement tactics.

In solidarity, Jerry