- Capitalism and Alternatives -

No problem there

Posted by: Stoller on November 17, 1999 at 20:50:08:

In Reply to: A little refining posted by bill on November 17, 1999 at 10:42:43:


Engels:

"On the contrary, it is the duty of our Party to make clear to the peasants again and again that their position is absolutely hopeless as long as capitalism holds sway, that it is absolutely impossible to preserve their small holdings for them as such, that capitalist large-scale production is absolutely sure to run over their impotent antiquated system of small production as a train runs over a pushcart. If we do this, we shall act in conformity with the inevitable trend of economic development, and this development will not fail to bring our words home to the small peasants."


: And indeed it is an "inevitable trend" - under CAPITALISM.

Capitalism first, then socialism.

: It's simply that the material consequences of capitalism - scientific progress, the modern efficient factory (Engels admired Taylor!), large scale production - are necessary outcomes of a capitalist system.

Yes and capitalism must predede socialism.

BTW, after looking into Taylorism, Lenin and Trotsky proclaimed it antithetical to Marxian aims.

: The advantage of socialism is that being human centered (sorry for the mushy phrase) it is able to critically question what we mean by "Progress" and people need not be crushed by some internal wheel of "inevitability."

Well... who can stop history?




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