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Re: [ox-en] Re: [ox-en] Re: [ox-en] Re: [ox-en] built-in infinite growth (was: Re:Meaning ofmarkets, scarcity, abundance)





Michael Bauwens wrote:
Hi Gregers,

thanks for your expert contributions ...

I have one question: I remember reading, probably 2 dozen years ago at least, that the potlach tradition was described as actually having as aim the destruciton of the surplus, so that no permanent class of privilege could be created.


the "surplus" was in the original potlatch form re-distributed and
converted into ritual activities, not detroyed - but, the intention was
amongst other the hindrens of the centralization of power. Though the
Northwest coast indians had a fairly vertical social structure with a
lot of focus on 'war-chiefs' etc.....

I think a lot of the confusion about potlatch comes from the fact that a
lot of the descriptions of the ceremonies themselves didn't take place
before potlatch had become a pathologic "entity" .... :/
At this point in time 'colonial' pressures had already push the
Northwest Coast culture across the boundary of sanity.

In your message, you say that this belongs to the obscene 'phase', and is in fact a pathology?

How did it destroy "all production"?


It destroyed the culture of the Northwest coast indians, and their way
of life ... hence destroyed 'all production' (of these cultures, but not
that something instead could be produced by western/russian settlers etc.
I practical terms all production (fish, furs, whales etc.) was converted
into objects/goods which then was burned and destroyed (in what has been
described as rather unpleasant ways).


Hope this helps

-- 
Gregers Petersen
Anthropologist, Ph.d fellow
Department of Organization
Copenhagen Business School
Kilen, Kilevej 14A, 4.
DK - 2000 Frederiksberg
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(+45) 3815 2811
Skype: gregers.ioa
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