What is capitalism and how can we get rid of it?

[twc]

Ownership and Control of SocietySocial production relies on workers, instruments and resources.Possible social relations of ownership and control — expressed as pure abstractions:1. Society as Socialism. Society collectively owns and controls all three. Social production is controlled democratically by the whole society, is directed in the interest of the whole society, is performed in association by the whole society, is aimed at productive consumption by the whole society and luxury consumption by the whole society.2. Society as Chattel Slavery. The ruling class of society legally and socially owns and controls all three. Social production is controlled by authority of the ruling class of society, is directed in the interest of the ruling class of society, is performed under physical compulsion by the working class of society, is aimed at productive consumption by the working class of society and luxury consumption by the ruling class of society.3. Society as Feudalism. The ruling class of society legally owns and controls resource [land] and socially owns and controls worker and his instrument. Social production is controlled by authority of the ruling class of society, is directed in the interest of the ruling class of society, is performed under social obligation by the working class of society, is aimed at productive consumption by the working class of society and luxury consumption by the ruling class of society.4. Society as Capitalism. The ruling class of society legally and socially owns and controls instrument, resource and the worker's labour. Social production is controlled by private decision of the ruling class of society, is directed in the interest of the ruling class of society, is performed under social compulsion by the working class of society, is aimed at productive consumption by the working class of society and luxury consumption by the ruling class of society.[Please no complaints about the following. 1. All class-exploitative forms are inhomogeneous, but are homogeneous at this level of abstraction. 2. The economic abstraction labour power doesn't exist at this level of abstraction. Labour power arises precisely because the labourer has already ceded ownership and control of his labour to his employing capitalist at the abstract level under consideration here. Though consequential upon the base, labour power emerges in terrifyingly concrete manifestation in the social superstructure.]The conclusion I reach, based on Marx's materialist conception of history's base—superstructure model, is that everything in our case is derived from the abstract base of capitalist class ownership and control relations.Many assertions have been floated by others in this thread about how to make the case against capitalism. I am now prepared to lay my own cards on the table for all to play against. I assert that we can't repudiate the following challenges [some controversial; others possibly unexceptional] without repudiating our case for socialism.How to Confront Capitalism — For discussion…Challenge 1. We must be able to demonstrate deterministically how the social ills people want to overcome [and can't ever overcome under capitalism] relate back to — are deterministic consequences of — capitalist class ownership and control of the whole society's instruments, resources and labour. Otherwise, how can we hope to convince anyone else to join us in changing capitalist ownership and control to socialist ownership and control [our Object]?Challenge 2. We must be able to demonstrate deterministically how a social base generates its appropriate social superstructure [by using capitalism as a model to unmask the capitalist superstructure as a reflection of its class-divided base]. Otherwise, how can we hope to convince anyone else to join us in changing the capitalist social base into the socialist social base?Challenge 3. Our theoretical task is to expose the capitalist class's ownership and control of society's productive instruments, resources and labour, and the working class's deprivation of ownership and control of society's productive instruments, resources and labour.Challenge 4. Our class interest is precisely "to own and control society's instruments and resources", and in so doing control our social labour in our social interest.Challenge 5. Our goal is our Object, to the achievement of which all else is subservient.Challenge 6. Our class consciousness is precisely the conviction "affirmation of the above 5 challenges".

[Anonymous]

Capitalism only needs to be complicate if we are looking for solution to its problems. Apart from that and from the perspective of the exploited, it is pretty simple really.

[twc]

 Complicated because there are no solutions to Capitalism's problems other than our own single grand united solution!This, I know, is exactly your starting point.Long and TechnicalThe sad truth is that capitalism is complicated because capitalism complicates everything.If capitalism wasn't complicated through its very own workings, we'd have deposed it long ago. We wouldn't have overwhelmingly numerous and powerful opponents who can't free themselves from the complicated delusions that control them and their thoughts.Yet, as you say, Capitalism is really very simple to explain.1. Capitalism is as simple as the capitalist class owns and controls the working class's labour, instruments and resources — 13 words that even a young teenager can understand, but probably won't believe without discussion that soon becomes complicated.2. The socialist complaint is really as simple as the capitalist class rule and rob the working class — seven words that even a young teenager can understand, but probably not believe.3. The socialist Object is our Object — not many more words, but that's just the start of a rapidly escalating discussion with a young teenager or anyone else.I believe, if we stick to the two dozen or so simple words that express our foundational ideas, we have the simple technical foundation for reducing complication.My own postsI never set out to write long "technical" posts. But it turned out that what people posted as unassailable assertions, could only be unravelled [at least by me, as I'm clarifying my own view] at length.Length should be the minimum to make the point — sometimes that turns out to be long.Technical should be as technical as the author understands the case to be — class ownership, class control, social system, capitalism, socialism aren't concepts directly derived from everyday "common experience", and so they remain remote to everyday "common sense". They are indirectly derived by analysing common experience, and that analysis is unfortunately "technical"."Uncommon sense" derived from "uncommon experience" is the very essence of science.Our non-class conscious opponents wallow in the "common sense" that directly arises from their "common experiences" — and they  then defiantly oppose our hard-won "uncommon sense" with their very own common or garden variety, knowing like the tabloid press that they hold every "common sense" prejudice on their side.We, on the other hand, want deeper Class Consciousness. Unfortunately for us, that's technical. It's not tabloid press.But, I'm duly warned, and will aim for simplicity without sacrificing message.

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