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> I don't know how marxists square their conviction that no trade is ever beneficial to both sides with the reality that nobody is held at gunpoint to make thos
by ughitsaaron 4y ago
> I don't know how marxists square their conviction that no trade is ever beneficial to both sides with the reality that nobody is held at gunpoint to make those trades.
This isn’t a theoretical position even remotely attributable to Marxists.
- codeflo 4y agoStraight from Das Kapital: > Turn and twist then as we may, the fact remains unaltered. If equivalents are exchanged, no surplus-value results, and if non-equivalents are exchanged, still no surplus-value. Circulation, or the exchange of commodities, begets no value. Source: https://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1867-c1/ch05.htm https://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1867-c1/ch05.htm
- DiogenesKynikos 4y agoYes, and? This does not imply that trade is not beneficial. Marx is just saying that exchange of goods in itself does not create new value. He believed in the labor theory of value, which means that human labor is the ultimate source of value creation. The idea that trade is never beneficial does not follow from that theory.
- lanfeust6 4y agoIt can be rephrased as: all enterprise is exploitation, to Communists.
- antifa 4y agoIf you accept the premise that all entreprise is exploitation, then your goal would be to minimize exploitation. If it's actually possible to eliminate exploitation, then great, we can work towards that. I'm not sure what's difficult to square away about that. On the other hand, there's also differences of opinion on how consent works. Most anti-Marxists just declare any transaction without a gun as fully consential, therefore it can't be exploitation. I find that harder to square away with, it's straight up denial of harm instead of minimization of harm.
- lanfeust6 4y ago> I'm not sure what's difficult to square away about that. What's contended is "the premise that all enterprise is exploitation", not reducing exploitation. > Most anti-Marxists just declare any transaction without a gun as fully consential, therefore it can't be exploitation. This isn't a helpful projection.