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[ox-en] Re: Money



Hi Benja!

3 weeks (25 days) ago B Fallenstein wrote:
Stefan Meretz wrote:
In my view, the core is not profit, is not money as a thing, but the
selforganizing value, which rules the cybernetic machine called
capitalism. Think of labor, commodity, value, money, and capital of
different sorts of physical states of the same thing. I know, this is
quite different to usual understanding. I try to explain a little bit in
detail in http://www.oekonux.org/list-en/archive/msg00192.html. No one
respond on that, maybe, because everything is clear - or nothing:-(

I found it very helpful (I've meant to say this earlier, but forgot to
do so-- sorry, too much stress). I do think it expresses my view on the
capitalist system very well. I think it's especially important to note
that capitalists *cannot* simply stop oppressing others, because the
system does not allow them to, which also is an experience all of us can
make on a daily basis: we know that through the things we buy, we
support e.g. oppression of farmers and factory workers in third world
countries, yet we *cannot* just stop doing so if we do not want to "drop
out" completely.

I do think, though, that it makes some sense to say "money is the
problem," because money *embodies* the machine (to me, at least). The
exchange medium is an integral part of the capitalist system as we know
it; if there were no money (or equivalent, which would boil down to be
the same thing-- like money on the bank is still money, as is paper
money, though both are abstractions over previous forms of money
already)-- if there were no money, there would be no capitalist society,
because direct trade works only on a much smaller scale. I have found
that starting a discussion about the subject with the claims that "money
is the problem" and "thus money should be abolished" is quite an
effective way for getting the discussion in the right direction (meaning
that people usually ask the "right" questions that help me explain what
I mean ;-) ).

It's not the money in itself - it's the exchange which is the problem.
Labor for an exchange introduces the alienation and more and more ai
come to the conclusion, that the alienation is the biggest problem -
at least if it drives the society.

So it's nothing gained if you abolish money but keep exchanging - like
for instance the LETS are trying to do. I tend to say, that any system
of exchange would sooner or later end in a society like ours. In a
sense we already have the best working society based on exchange.


						Mit Freien Grüßen

						Stefan

_______________________
http://www.oekonux.org/


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