Comments on: Capital as Power

By: bozh

bozh — Fri, 07 May 2010 17:11:11 +0000

Observing, yes!
One cld also couch the same idea in these words: strong interdependence amongst b’naires and m’naires and firece independence amongs the rest of the pop.
Independence from or near-total dependence on the top class being interchageable terms.
So, it seems, 5 mn people ganging up on one individual. So, three, four well organized but evil people can ‘govern’ [command] thousands or even mns! tnx

By: Rehmat

Rehmat — Fri, 07 May 2010 14:54:29 +0000

“Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely,” – Lord Acton

It is estimated that there are 450 billionaires and 3,000,000 millionaires in United States (more than 60% are Jewish) as per 2008. The net worth of all households in US (population aound 300 million) as per June 30, 2008 – was US$56 trillion. The 450 billionaires are worth US$1 trillion, while 3,000,000 millionairs are worth US$11 trillion – which comes to one percent of US population owning more than 21 per cent of countries resorces.

Most of these billionaires and millionaires have accumated their wealth by managing fellow Americans’ money or looting the resources of under-develope nations – mostly Muslims.

On Global level – Americans are less than 6 percent of world population – but consumes more than 40 percent of world’s resources and produce more than 50 percent of world’s garbage.

In the US, the real estate rose 50 per cent between 2002-2007, while the mortgage dept rose 75 percent during the same period. Consumers’ debt rose by 30 percent, while durable goods assests have only risen 24 percent – and financial assests rose to staggering 55 percent. The vast majority of this financial assest growth benefitted the billioniares and the millionaires.

International monetary system (WB, IMF, WTO, USAID, etc.) is based on Capitalism- and is maintained by the super-powers for the benefit of their minority rich elites – which was the driving force behind western colonization of most of Asian and African nations. These greedy and corrupt elites feel no mercy for their own countrymen either. Thei controlled governments always are there to bail then out by using taxpayers’ hard earned money.

http://rehmat1.wordpress.com/2008/09/27/capitalism-at-the-best/

By: observing

observing — Fri, 07 May 2010 14:16:09 +0000

@ dan e,

Funny thing about Capital as Power, it can turn on its supporters/beneficiaries as fast and as savagely as Vegas tiger on its trainer. Capitol/profit-taking knows no lasting allies, but most certainly facilitates the abuses of power that have plagued human societies since forever.

And eventually all power is enunciated at the personal level. So the axiom that we must hang together or we most certainly will be hung separately holds.

By: bozh

bozh — Fri, 07 May 2010 14:15:22 +0000

My comment to this piece, having relevance to the piece, was deleted. I guess, the editors are of the mind to stay relevant and i was not being in theri mind relevant whit what i said.
It is an attidude that is found in moderator’s shout: What’s ur question; meaning to say that anything else said or asked is irrelevant to the moderator.
This amounts to stifling free speech and authoritarianism as moderator solely decides what is relevant.
Yet in a world where everything is connected, editors still decide that some Sayings-musings are a disconnect from reality. Hey, eds, there is no two realities.
As for piece self, it is too general for any human to be able to obtain much insight or education ab daily life.
To win hearts-minds of children, we got to talk like children or their parents talk.
My wife, eg, wld scream at me if wld ask her to read this mostly a theoretical piece that never descends to living level. tnx

By: kalidas

kalidas — Fri, 07 May 2010 13:49:49 +0000

Unless the little chicken is actually a weasel disguised as a chicken.
In which case the little chicken gets the corn AND the big chicken.

By: gmpierce

gmpierce — Fri, 07 May 2010 05:41:08 +0000

Most this article can be expressed a lot more simply:
“The big chicken gets the corn”.

For those who have forgotten, this is called the “pecking order”. What is less obvious is that this is an economic mechanism that determines when you get to eat – and in tough times, whether you get to eat.

By: dan e

dan e — Thu, 06 May 2010 22:36:40 +0000

The “Capital = Power” thesis needs careful study, IMHO. Caution: Bichler is an Israeli academic* who writes in Hebrew as well as English, and after the long slow curve of theoretical discussion of basic concepts, this articls makes a fast break to offering statistical proof that the Palestinian Intifada was inspired by Big Oil’s search for profits.
So while I’m very interested in their C as P approach to understanding basic dynamics of the Capitalist Mode, I remain very suspicious of their underlying motivations.
I’ve subscribed to their emails, & wd urge others to do likewise, but wd also urge to keep your powder dry.
* It could be argued that publishing work by an Isreali academic, as DV has done, or forwarding it to an email list as I myself have done, is a violation of the international Boycott of Israel. I would not disagree; my only defense is to plead extenuating circumstances & throw myself on the mercy of the court.

By: xalien

xalien — Thu, 06 May 2010 21:07:33 +0000

The article raises the very difficult problem of the political power action on economy.
Theoric complexity and political pressions make the problem.
To make an approach to the relation power-economy is important take account of:
1. More important source of plusvalue. In XIX century cotton and slavery in USA and Brazil produces big profits for England capitalist main country. USA fights textile England industry and secession war and others affairs occur. In XX Century, oil is industry that realize major plus value. Oil is world industry and requires state power to dominate oil fields excluding other states. President Bush and many others come from oil industries.
2. Heisenberg introduces measure into object. In value law is so more important the measure of value in value. In two places there are two reference systems. International commerce is subject of states dominant politics that receive plus value from different systems of reference in value. This is true in utility value and value law,
3. Excluded: immigrants, migrants, women, children sell their labour cheap. Now, in China, American capital have 150 million of slaves obtaining plus value from very poor internal illegal migrants. This produces the very high plus value factor in historical view. This is obtained from long term strategic accord between Socialist Chine state and American Capitalist state. American state and Americans capitalists receive more interest rate that any other accord. This is a state generated profit.