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Re: [ox-en] Brave GNU World



Hi Grok and list!

Yesterday grok wrote:
I agree that, no matter the theorizing over machines replacing people, or
about
some fabled 'new economy', the fact of the matter is: that world capitalism
is *still* based primarily on *cheap factory labor* -- in factories,
                   ^^^^^^^^^
however, which are quickly being removed to the 'Third World' 'periphery'
(even while becoming more computer-automated than ever before); and to the
extent that commodities are produced *without* human intervention, the _old_
'rules of the game' are being subverted (dialectically, of course) -- and
the capitalist machine comes that more 'off the rails' (immiserating effects
on real people aside...)

Yes and no.

Yes, the valuization(?, "Verwertung") of labor is still the basis of
capitalism - it will always be because that's one of the main
characteristics of capitalism.

But no, even capitalist economy is (primarily) based on agriculture -
which was the central phenomenon of the former society (feudalism).
But this is not the core phenomenon of capitalism. So it might be,
that other phenomenons are already taking place just as capitalism
evolved from feudalism.

I think that the importance of human labor is withering away,
automatization being the main trend with all its consequences.

However, I don't really believe we can say that the 'Linux phenomenon' works
'within capitalism'. I believe that it would be more accurate to
characterize this as 'existing in embryo within' the system -- and
representing some future alternate system which will be fully 'unfolded' upon
'maturation'.

Yep. That's what we call a germ form ("Keimform") in German.

This also begs the question of the likely _impossibility_ of changing the
present system 'peacefully', by increment -- which is alluded-to above as
an expression of the _present_ state of the phenomenon.
;>

There is a theory how fundamental changes take place, which is really
interesting. StefanMz (the other Stefan with the similar surname...)
is an expert for that issue. IIRC this has been developed by Holzkamp.

Citing from a mail from the German list:
* Stufe 1: Entstehen der neuen Keimformen, die sich später entfalten

* Step 1: Nascency of the germ form which unfolds later.

  I chose "nascency" for "Entstehung" because this points to the fact,
  that the germ form is not "made" anyhow. Free Software has not been
  created as a germ form - though it is.

* Stufe 2: Veränderung der Rahmenbedingungen des alten dominanten
Gesamtprozesses (Krisen')

* Step 2: Changes in the general conditions in the old dominant
  over-all process (crisis).

  This is what we're experiencing currently with capitalism. I think
  it started somewhere in the 1970s. The German Krisis group
  [www.krisis.org] has analyzed that very well.

* Stufe 3: Funktionswechsel vorher unbedeutender Keimformen zur wichtigen
Entwicklungsdimension neben der noch den Gesamtprozeß bestimmenden Funktion
(erster Qualitätssprung)

* Step 3: Change of the former unimportant germ form to an important
  dimension of development besides the form still ruling the over-all
  process (first qualitative leap).

  I guess that is where we are in the software sector. This is not the
  case in other sectors.

* Stufe 4: Dominanzwechsel der neuen Entwicklungsdimension zur den
Gesamtprozess bestimmenden Funktion (zweiter Qualitätssprung)

* Step 4: The new dimension of development becomes dominant and starts
  to rule the over-all process (second qualitative leap).

  This is what I guess is happening during the next few years in the
  software sector. In some fields it's already taking place.

* Stufe 5: Umstrukturierung des Gesamtprozesses auf die Erfordernisse der
neuen bestimmenden Entwicklungsdimension

* Step 5: Restructuring of the over-all process according to the
  requirements of the new dominant dimension of development.

  This is the point after the revolution (where BTW so many
  revolutions of the last century failed miserably :-( ...).

It is striking how useful that theory is. For instance psychological
processes work exactly the same way.

Yesterday grok wrote:
AFAIC there is not much of a future to this GPL movement without its being
tied to the general 'old-fashioned' need to transform society *at its base*

But this is exactly what Free Software is doing: It's a quantum leap
in the development of the productive forces (?,
"Produktivkraftentwicklung").

But of course, AFAIC, the GNU/Free Software movement will not long remain a
'toy' to be played with; and I believe that it will indeed provide us some
clues regarding how to organize production and other matters

Finding such clues is one of the main points of the Oekonux project.

in our
wished-for future society.

Not only wished-for but ultimately needed. Capitalism has the
potential to destroy civilization as we know it with very lasting
effect - not only ecologically but mentally as well - or what would
you name the current "war against terrorism" other than bombing the
Western brains back to the dark ages - let alone bombing others back
to the stone ages.

And it's why I myself don't give more than a moment's thought to any
possibility of transforming society without forcibly removing these vested
interests -- because they simply ain't gonna go away on their own.

I'm not really sure about this. Free Software as the most prominent
example being a gratis public good is in the best interest of many
factions of capital. I mean if even IBM is somehow "on our side"...


						Mit Freien Grüßen

						Stefan

_______________________
http://www.oekonux.org/


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