robbo203
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Doubtful – you can’t even get Johnstone’s name right!
Pathetic.
————–Bit below the belt, that. And uncalled for.
Just looking at the quote from the last June´s SS and this in particular:
“If production were fully automated, no surplus value would be produced, so there would be no profits and capitalism would no longer exist.”
It strikes me that a more potent pressure on surplus value than automation and the changing organic composition of capital might be the growth of unproductive labour versus productive labour. I recall that Marxist economist, Fred Moseley, has written something about this but has anyone come across any comparative studies on the relative effect of these two factors?
I agree though that there are always counteracting tendencies to the tendency for the rate of profit to fall. The more it does so the stronger these counter tendencies. As so often happens it’s a case of water finding its own level under capitalism….
The sensible Ukrainian workers, like their Russian counterparts, refusing to fight for their so-called motherland:
“What would you answer if someone called you a coward?” I ask, as gently as I can.
“I have no country,” he says awkwardly. “I just have a family.”
Useful article on the economic background to the capitalist war in UKraine
“The article on inflation by Michael Roberts in the latest Weekly Worker makes no mention of an excess issue of notes and coins as the explanation for inflation. Paul Mattick was of the same opinion. The SPGB account looks like that put forward by Ricardo and JS Mill, both dismissed by Marx.”
………………..
HmmmmmmI quote:
“But in any event none of these could explain a general rise in the prices of all commodities. What could cause such a rise? Only, it will be argued here, some change in the standard of price, some monetary change. A general rise in prices, or inflation in its strict sense, is a purely monetary phenomenon. Marx was amongst those who recognised this.”
“For socialists, disingenuous TINA activism is the stuff of dreams of a pipe smoker.”
____________________________Well said TWC..
The absurdity of TiNA activists like Lizzie45 is that they should even bother to be active in the first place, let alone come on a forum like this to preach their dismal doctrine. If they genuinely believed there was no alternative why bother? Why not just go on a hedonistic binge or, alternatively, cut your wrists and be done with it.
I have never considered socialist activity to be a waste of time even if I will never get to see a socialist society in my lifetime. Just by being a socialist, I am helping to make the world a better place RIGHT NOW. For instance, to the extent that we are able to as individual socialists, we are making it a little bit harder for the capitalist establishment to get away with their dangerous warmongering by opposing their rancid nationalism. Similarly, we are contributing to the effectiveness and militancy of the working class by raising the profile of class consciousness.
What we do right now might not count for much in the grand scheme of things given our small numbers but at least what we are doing is positive and a step in the right direction. Cynicism, by contrast, serves a reactionary agenda
The ‘only game’ will come to an end – along with civilisation, as a result of either nuclear annihilation or a natural/climate catastrophe!
In the meantime keep sucking on your dream pipe, Trev!
___________________________Then you might just as well be a socialist as you’ve got nothing to lose. As individuals, there is only so much we can each do. However infinitesimally small one´s contribution, the world is a better place for having one more socialist and a worse place for having one more supporter of capitalism spouting its rancid ideology of nationalism or bending the knee to royalty. Or whatever.
I can never quite understand the mentality of religious type believers in the inevitability of the Coming Apocalypse such as yourself. If you are so cynical about the prospects of socialism, what precisely are you doing here? It’s a self-fulfilling prophecy you are engaging in and such negativity is not good for your health.
I would far sooner aspire to a better society even if it is unlikely to come in my lifetime
Spot the difference. Well, there isn’t much. Western regimes like the US treat their dissidents in much the same way as the Russian regime does if this report is to be believed…
I came across this from a site called “legitgov”….
3 St. Louis residents indicted on charges of spreading ‘disinformation,’ promoting pro-Russian ‘propaganda,’ and ‘sowing discord’ | 20 April 2023 | A federal grand jury has charged three St. Louis residents with illegally pushing pro-Russian “propaganda” and “misinformation” about Ukraine and sowing discord across Missouri, Georgia and Florida through the African People’s Socialist Party. The indictment alleges that African People’s Socialist Party Chairman Omali Yesh-tela and members Penny Joanne Hess and Jesse Nevel acted as illegal agents of the Russian government without notifying the U.S. attorney general. They each face up to 10 years in prison for that charge. They also face up to five years in prison for conspiring to have U.S. citizens act as illegal agents. The indictment alleges Russian national Aleksandr Viktorovich Ionov founded the Anti-Globalization Movement of Russia, a Moscow-based organization run by the Russian government, to promote pro-Russian “propaganda” and create influence campaigns among political groups across the country, including the African People’s Socialist Party… It says that Ionov would appear on video calls hosted by the party in which he likened support to Ukraine to supporting Nazis [which is EXACTLY the case] and that Yesh-tela made statements supporting Russia.”
For comparison here is what the Russian regime does…
“Then on Monday, opposition politician Vladimir Kara-Murza was jailed for treason and spreading “false information” about Russia’s war in Ukraine. His 25-year sentence was three times longer than any previously imposed for speaking out against the Russian invasion.”
I dunno but this strikes me as quite a disturbing development. If Ukraine is allowed to join NATO then does that not represent a greenlight for NATO troops to officially put boots on the ground (as I understand they would be obliged to according to the agreement on mutual defense)? If that happens then NATO and Russian forces would be officially fighting each other. The obvious concern is that this could escalate the prospect of nuclear exchanges. Then everybody is stuffed
I thought, under NATO rules, membership is not allowed if the applying country is in a state of civil war. Does anybody know any more about this?
“NATO membership for Ukraine will be “high on the agenda” at alliance’s summit in July, Stoltenberg says”
https://edition.cnn.com/europe/live-news/russia-ukraine-war-news-04-20-23/index.html
China´s role in bringing about a reconciliation between Iran and Saudi Arabia. What could it mean for the future of global geopolitics?
Musk on the risk AI poses to civilization
“Please let TS come back – if only to liven up this forum once again!”
___________________________On the contrary, it would make debate here tediously boring and offputting to most users. You might enjoy trollish at the expense of the SPGB but the rest of us don’t. Its time to draw the line and move on
Paddy might find this useful for his forthcoming talk
“Google and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai said “every product of every company” will be impacted by the quick development of AI, warning that society needs to prepare for technologies like the ones it’s already launched.”
Richard Wolfe on the emerging new world economy. Makes some useful as well as some questionable points
A topic to express members’ thoughts on whether or not we are to expect militarily engineered annihilation before long.
=======================Christ, I hope not. I’ve got things to do still and places to visit.
All the more reason to vehemently oppose the putrid reactionary and divisive ideology of nationalism wherever it rears its ugly head. We, socialists, have not been very successful in advancing the cause of a sane society (as one nationalist troll, recently departed from this forum, delighted in pointing out). But at the end of the day, it is the only cause that makes any sense in a world gone mad. It is the only cause that will stop the warmongers in their tracks. Had we but the numbers to go with the intent.
There are some people on the same wavelength as us – the Leftcoms and some anarchists. However, most of the Left has either sold its soul to the devil and voiced its support either for Russian capitalism (the Stalinoids and their ilk) or else Ukrainian capitalism and by extension Western imperialism (people like Anti-capitalist Resistance, for example).
It is a truly pitiful state of affairs and worrying too. Nationalism is rampant everywhere…
