- Capitalism and Alternatives -

Bread & butter

Posted by: Stoller on October 10, 1999 at 17:01:23:

In Reply to: Actually, Barry, greater detail would be good posted by Samuel Day Fassbinder on October 08, 1999 at 11:00:12:


When I said I thought my responses to Stuart's post would 'wrap it up,' I meant wrap up my dialog with him, not with any interested parties possessing an open mind!

I doubt Stuart has much more to say other than 'The system works great for me, therefore it will work for everyone else.' He has no use for stats, he has no use for surveys, he has nothing but contempt for formal education. Anecdotes are his bread and butter. It's like Sammy Davis Jr. telling all the brothers to learn how to dance better because dancing made him a wealthy man.

I have no doubt that Stuart is a talented individual. I'm sure his propellers are fine products. And I'm sure he works hard, too.

I am not going to criticize his defense of exceptional ability as the criteria for success in capitalist culture, the kind of success that 'deserves,' say, basic health coverage. That task is open to the bleeding heart liberals. I am going to criticize his defense of exceptional ability as the criteria for success in capitalist culture because that success is necessitated by the surplus labor of his eight employees who share none of the profits that their work creates. That is the task of the Marxist.

I suspect Stuart's most exceptional ability, however, is the ability to get as much surplus out of his workers as permissible by law.


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