Re: [ox-en] Copyfarleft: Response to Stefan Meretz
- From: Michael Bauwens <michelsub2003 yahoo.com>
- Date: Wed, 9 Jan 2008 00:41:29 -0800 (PST)
I feel completely missinterpreted having an orthodox
marxist
perspective
(and I wrote it explictly in my paper). This is completely wrong. In
my
view the opposite is true: You follow an orthodox marxist approach,
while saying you don't. However, while following a traditional
approach
I think neither of you has a traditional marxist approach, I don't think Oekonux has, and neither is Dmytri, which I think uses a lot of pre-Marxist analyst, and I don't mean that in any pejorative sense. I think you both use the Marxist legacy in an open manner, accepting/rejecting various parts according to what you both see as the new requirements of the times
On 2008-01-06 22:55, Dmytri Kleiner wrote:
The main argument advanced in the essay is that artists can not
earn a living from exclusivity of "intellectual property" and that
that neither copyleft licenses like the GPL, nor "copyjustright"
frameworks such as the creative commons, can help.
I understand this goal, however, I reject this goal as a goal. I don't
want to improve capitalism, I don't want to talk about better ways of
earning a living inside capitalism. However, don't missunderstand this
rejection: Of course, we all have to make our living inside capitalism
by using capitalist forms (by fulfilling the roles of being
a
capitalist
or a worker). This is our daily life. However, this has nothing to do
with any emancipatory approach. There is no emancipation inside
capitalism.
Stefan: I do actually think that Oekonux has many accomodationist features ,i.e. you are happy to see free software grow within the existing capitalist system, and your form of struggle takes the form of a constructive approach in support of free software. I use accomodationism again without pejorative intent.
I actually disagree with your last statement: "there is no emancipation" within capitalism. No absolute emancipation, of course, the very system is based on alienation, but within the system, which is the only one we have, there can be various degrees of surplus allocated, power balances, and rights for the producers vs. the owners. One of the features of neoliberalism has been to drastically reduce the surplus value going to the producers, but it has been different in different epochs. The reason I'm saying this is that we should proceed not on the basis of absolute claims, but that, keeping them in mind, we should see how we can advance, both within and 'without' capitalism. Anything that strengthens the freedom, equality and part of the surplus going to the real producers is an advance, and until we get there, we will never know if a total alienation-free society is really possible.
I'm personally wearly of all or nothing approaches, in which, from a position of absolute purity, everything which actually concretely makes the lives of the many better, is rejected.
Maybe I am mislead by your leftist and radical terminology, however, I
assumed that you want emancipation, you want a free society beyond
capitalism. Is that the case? If not, I really made a big mistake, and
then have to apologize.
Artists can make a living in a free society as any other people can
do.
I am not interested in solutions for some partial groups on costs of
others. I am interested in solutions, where the selbstentfaltung of an
indivdual is the precondition of the selbstentfaltung of all -- and
vice versa.
Sure, but since the existing reality is all we have, you can only operate from within it.
The only thing, I believe can help, is workers' self
organisation, an approach that is popular among socialists
from anarchist, especially syndicalist, tendencies, and is also
supported by those who promote "Market Socialism" and
"Economic Democracy."
There is no principal improvement of capitalism. Current capitalism
as
a
self-organizing economy is by its logic the best capitalism we can get.
I don't understanding the meaning of this, sounds like Hegel or Leibniz 'best or realities' ... Realities are co-constructed, through struggles and world-creation etc... it can go many ways, the current situation is certainly not optimal, and not the only potential available ... If the feminist and anti-racial movement had thought that way, just letting capitalist self-organization proceed, the situation would be infinitely worse.
This is not a luxury I use, I only claim, what is. Capitalism bases on
exchange of equals. Its the law. Read any constitution.
but the constitution is not applied, the theory is just that, a fiction ... so let's not proceed as if it were true
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