Poli 64 Modern Political Thought

1. Poli 64 Modern Political Thought TURN YOUR PHONE OFF! JOHN LENNON SHOT:December 8, 1980 John Lennon, a former member of the Beatles, the rock group that transformed popular music in the 1960s, is shot and killed by an obsessed fan in New York City. The 40-year-old artist was entering his luxury Manhattan apartment building when Mark David Chapman shot him four times at close range with a .38-caliber revolver. Lennon, bleeding profusely, was rushed to the hospital but died en route. Chapman had received an autograph from Lennon earlier in the day and voluntarily remained at the scene of the shooting until he was arrested by police. For a week, hundreds of bereaved fans kept a vigil outside the Dakota--Lennon's apartment building--and demonstrations of mourning were held around the world.

2. Better Dead Than Blue? The Theory of Smurfean Communism Poll    1. Papa Smurf has many features that link him to communism. First, he wears RED which is different than the other Smurfs, and represents the flag of the U.S.S.R. and the Red Scare. Second, his beard is strikingly similar to Karl Marx's, the founder of communistic ideals.     2. All Smurfs wear a standard issue uniform, except Papa Smurf and Smurfette. The White trousers and cap are the only clothes worn by a Smurf.     3. The Smurfs have a caste system where they are classified by their job and personality. They all do common good for all of the community and share totally. For example, Handy Smurf builds houses for all the Smurfs.     4. There is no currency in Smurfland. Handy does all that work for no gain.     5. Smurfs like Handy and Hefty (the soldier) are held in a positive light, while Vanity and Greedy are viewed negatively.     6. Brainy Smurf, like Papa Smurf, is a symbolic character. The nerdy, always cynical blue being is the Smurf equivalent of Trotsky, Stalin's rival who questioned the political system in Russia. Neither Trotsky or Brainy were well liked in their homeland. Trotsky was banished to Mexico.     7. Gargamel enters the scenario, too. The human-sized Smurf nemesis represents capitalism. His goal is to capture the Smurfs and turn them into gold. Hence, children associate capitalism with evil.     8. The last point made in the Web page was that the Smurfs have no church or religion which is a fundamental of Communistic politics as religion is banned.

4. Marx’s Materialist Conception of History Descriptive: What is society, how is it structured? Society = “Mode of Production” Causal effects? Ideology Superstructure OR Relations of production Base Forces (means) of production Analytical points: Base “conditions” superstructure “Ruling ideas” reflect interests of “ruling class” Revolutionary change: resolving the “primacy puzzle”

5. Marx’s Materialist Conception of History Explanatory: How do societies change? Conditions of change subjective objective Forces change Crisis Revolutionaryconsciousness Stability Logic of change: Revolution material class ideological Contradictions Analytical points: Ruling classes try to “fetter” development of productive forces Revolutionary classes try to advance development of productive forces Revolutions can only succeed when all necessary conditions are present

6. Marx’s Materialist Conception of History Practical: How can we emancipate ourselves? Prerequisite of action: knowledge of historical possibilities The development of human societies Social structure Material conditions “Mode of production” Pre-class/classless Extreme scarcity “primitive” communism Unequal scarcity Ancient Class based Feudal Capitalist Early capitalism Artificial scarcity Late capitalism Post-class/classless Abundance Communism

7. Marx’s Materialist Conception of History Practical: How can we emancipate ourselves? Prerequisite of action: knowledge of historical possibilities Analytical points: Historical progress advances development of productive forces Capitalism enables – and is – the realization of the possibility of abundance Historical change “simplifies” class structures In capitalism, classes are “reduced” to 2: those who own, and those who work the means of production. Relations are “reduced” to economic exploitation Capitalism must be overthrown for progress – and freedom – to be realized. Capitalism is the first mode of production predicated on the development of productive forces. Capitalism cannot continue by developing productive forces.

8. Marx’s critique of capitalism Capitalism is self-subverting: The premise of capitalist production is continuous development of productive forces, BUT The social relations of capitalism cannot sustain continued development of productive forces The logic of capitalist production “Capital” (productive capacity) has two components: “Constant” capital (resources, tools, machinery); “Variable” capital (human labor) Process of competition: 1. Goal of capitalist: maximization of profit. Means: raise prices and/or cut costs 2. Competition makes price raising untenable; costs must be cut 3. Cost cutting achieved by reducing “variable” expenses, increasing ratio of “constant” expenses to “variable” expenses 4. Successful firms are “efficient” – producing more for less

9. Marx’s critique of capitalism Process of competition (continued): 5. Effects on social relations: for capitalists, “proletarianization”; for workers, “emiseration” 6. Effects on productive activity: Concentration of capital: growth of monopolies Contraction of markets: less wealth available for consumption of products Decline of profits, further sharpening of competition CRISIS OF “OVERPRODUCTION” Repeated cycling of process 7. Solution to crises of overproduction: Suppress demand (“dictatorship of bourgeoisie”) and/or suppress production Capitalism cannot enable the continued development of productive forces, or the realization of freedom for all. Capitalism is “self-subverting.”

10. The effects of “alienated labor” (or, the moral dimension of the material critique) • Alienation from the product of labor (products become commodities, and • objects “control” people) 2. Alienation from the process of labor (labor becomes “work,” controlled by others) 3. Alienation from one’s “species being” (labor is stripped of individual meaning;relations between individuals are stunted, mediated by objects) 4. Alienation from other laborers (labor becomes basis of competition) The point of Marx’s account of alienation: In conditions of scarcity, alienation is inevitable. In conditions of abundance, alienation is inefficient – and morally reprehensible

11. Marx on Communism Transitional stage: “Socialism” – the “dictatorship of the proletariat” -- “The only way for individuals to control modern universal interaction is to make it subject to the control of all” -- The proletariat is the “universal class”; its interest is the interest of freedom for all -- Working class uses state power to suppress the interests of the bourgeoisie, and eliminate the vestiges of capitalist social relations -- As the need for class competition decreases, the state “withers away” Communism: The end of “prehistory” and the beginning of human freedom -- “The administration of things replaces the administration of men” -- “The free development of each is the condition for the free development of all” -- A “Society of free social individuals” -- In a condition of abundance and freedom, the principle of production and distribution should be “From each according to his ability, to each according to his need” The failure of Marxism in practice: Bad theory or inappropriate application?