Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Historical Materialism FAQ

[Carrol Cox <cbcox@xxxxxxxxx>]

Jim Devine wrote:

> such modes of production favored improvements in the technology
> that promoted military power (or police power vis-a-vis the dominated
> populations). Unlike capitalism, they did not favor technological change
> which promoted the rise in labor productivity (producing consumption goods,

I had never particularly focused on it before, but the ancient world (east
and west) was quite prolific in the invention of torture methods. Not until
the late 20th century (if then) did the technology of torture improve much
if any over that available to the Persians, etc.

Carrol