- Capitalism and Alternatives -

All your mistakes flow from one

Posted by: Barry Stoller on January 23, 19100 at 11:50:44:

In Reply to: You're missing something critical, here posted by Atticus on January 20, 19100 at 18:54:35:

: It is us, the consumers, who make these people rich.

All your mistakes flow from this mistake.

'Consumers.'

What sort of consumers?

There are reproductive consumers, i.e. those who transfer value from an aggregate of commodities (raw material, plant, and labor) to a final commodity (product up for sale). These 'consumers' are capitalists; they make products from other products in order to make money.

Then there are unproductive consumers, i.e. those who buy commodities (food, shelter, heat, etc.) and consume them completely, realizing no gain (except another day alive). These 'consumers' are workers who only spend money (every dime they earn they immediately hand right back to the capitalists).

The capitalists determine what workers buy because wages ultimately determine what workers consume.

No one buys health care if they only earn minimum wage; this is not to say that they wouldn't if they had a chance.

Now then.

Capital is capital's best customer (raw materials and plant for reproductive consumption cost enormous sums).

Government is capital's next best (and least discriminating) customer (buying lots of nukes and top secret goodies that never get used).

'Consumers' (i.e. workers) are actually capital's least significant customer (buying only small retail trinkets after paying rent, heat, and food costs).

Your assumption that this last group makes capitalists rich is wrong.

Capitalists make capitalists rich.

Workers just get to sit in the front rows and watch the show.


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