tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28755195.post635023611936725129..comments2023-09-25T04:26:51.568-06:00Comments on The Barefoot Bum: CommunismLarry Hamelinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08788697573946266404noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28755195.post-77311127153851037092012-07-22T04:45:25.636-06:002012-07-22T04:45:25.636-06:00I've replied here: Labor and labor power. It&#...I've replied here: <a href="http://barefootbum.blogspot.com/2012/07/labor-and-labor-power.html" rel="nofollow">Labor and labor power</a>. It's a nontrivial concept, so please feel free to ask as many questions as you like.Larry Hamelinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08788697573946266404noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28755195.post-14844200832019208502012-07-19T19:36:06.548-06:002012-07-19T19:36:06.548-06:00theObserver: Good question. I'll explain in mo...<b>theObserver</b>: Good question. I'll explain in more detail as soon as time permits. Stay tuned.Larry Hamelinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08788697573946266404noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28755195.post-77781838434431154752012-07-19T09:31:45.824-06:002012-07-19T09:31:45.824-06:00*sticks up hand*
I don't understand this bit ...*sticks up hand*<br /><br />I don't understand this bit : <br /><br />"Marx’s key insight is that workers do not trade their labour; they trade their labour power, the ability to perform labour. And labour power has a cost: the socially necessary abstract labour time to feed, clothe, house, etc. the workers to enable them to work, as well as to allow them to pop out and rear new baby workers. <br /><br />The cost of labour power is less than the labour afforded: it takes less than one day’s labour to create one day’s labour power. The difference is the surplus value of labour. And the surplus value of labour is the source of profit. That’s all that’s left over to be profit, real profit; that’s all the capitalist can consume or invest."<br /><br />So labour power is the ability to perform labour. And labour power comes with the socially constructed cost of feeding etc workers. The cost of labour power is less than the labour afforded.<br /><br />When you say 'costs', we are talking about costs to the employer class or costs to society ? The costs to employers to have workers with the ability to perform labour is less than the labour afforded ? But less what ? Labour power has less cost than the cost of labour provided ? <br /><br />If labour power is the ability to perform labour, how do you "create one day's labour power" ? I don't understand how the ability to perform labour can be compared to labour itself. They seem like two completely different categories so my brain can't compute statements like "it takes less than one day’s labour to create one day’s labour power".theObservernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28755195.post-27237123667274832782012-07-13T15:46:58.848-06:002012-07-13T15:46:58.848-06:00Anyway, I'm going to share this. I hope that&#...<i>Anyway, I'm going to share this. I hope that's OK.</i><br /><br />Of course! Please do. All my work is licensed under a <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.5/" rel="nofollow">Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5</a>. You are free to reprint any of my work for free according to the terms of the license.Larry Hamelinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08788697573946266404noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28755195.post-49312178706613616012012-07-13T14:08:25.741-06:002012-07-13T14:08:25.741-06:00Larry,
I found this very insightful, and incredibl...Larry,<br />I found this very insightful, and incredibly helpful (it presented communism in terms that I--for the most part-- actually understand). I think the fear of communism comes from our widespread and flawed perceptions of what it truly is. This fear might also stem from our uncertainty--you wrote, "you, the working people of the nation and the world will need to make the decisions on exactly what kind of business, society, and government we want." That's might be a scary thought to some. Anyway, I'm going to share this. I hope that's OK.Simonnoreply@blogger.com