Would Marxism make all incomes equal ?

[tradeunionsupporter]

Would Marxism make all incomes equal ?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_income_equality

[Revolution starts with U]

Not necessarily. Workers may still decide someone in the company is more valuable, in a transitionary socialist phase.
In a full blown communist phase, where scarcity is (nigh well) eliminated... income would become meaningless. In that case... yes.

[Misanthrope]

Nope.

[sattvika]

Not necessarily. Workers may still decide someone in the company is more valuable, in a transitionary socialist phase.
In a full blown communist phase, where scarcity is (nigh well) eliminated... income would become meaningless. In that case... yes.

I challenge you on this. How can you "nigh well" eliminate scarcity? It is as much a psychological desire that manifests itself through the consumption of resources in the manufacture or procurement of goods/services to satisfy wants as it is a reality in the production of goods physically necessary for survival.

Example: most humans live in cities. Cities have numerous buildings to fulfill various functions. Assume that a particular city contains both a factory and a library, interspersed with residential towers. Let's say this factory emits an odious stench while the library is a necessary for schoolwork. Obviously, more people would want to live closer to the library than the factory (doesn't have to be a factory, could be a loud public area, school with screaming children, other negative externality, etc.) Since there is demand for units next to the library but the city can't pack everyone in there, the blocks next to the library are desirable and in limited supply. Thus, "scarcity" exists. In the absence of income, housing decisions could seem arbitrary and potentially negatively impact some people.

[ZeroNowhere]

No, of course not. I might prefer a book of poetry by Nora May French, somebody else might want a pogo stick.

[robbo203]

Would Marxism make all incomes equal ?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_income_equality


No. It would abolish the very concept of an "income".

...which implies a quid pro quo exchange economy and hence the absence of communism

In communism, no one will have an "income" and the demeaning burden this places on us to prostitute our human potential so that it can be sold to some employer for a wage or salary.

We will be free individuals, freely giving according to our abilities and freely taking according to our needs

Besides, as Marx himself pointed out trying to operate a wages system on the an egalitarian basis is an utter absurdity



"The cry for an equality of wages rests, therefore, upon a mistake, is an insane wish never to be fulfilled... To clamour for equal or even equitable [distribution] on the basis of the wages system is the same as to clamour for freedom on the basis of the slavery system (http://www.marx2mao.com/M&E/WPP65.html)

[Nofuture]

I think the example of scarcity you suggested presupposes the now dominant model of city planning which has been exposed as a reflection of capitalist isolation..I mean, a post-capitalist future opens up new solutions..i.e. we won't be simply remodeling the old structure, we will be undermining its very nature..for instance, in your case a solution might be to create specific ''zones'' within the city where there would be housing and relevant spaces in comfortable isolation from the industrial zones..when we aren't dealing with wage inequality or inequality in general we can focus or productive energy on solutions that work! that's the whole idea.

[Aurora]

The transition from capitalism to the lower stage of communism will necessarily involve the eroding of capitalist forms in society and the development of communist ones, one of these will be the leveling of income across the whole of society until it's possible to scrap money entirely.
In the lower phase of communism income will be equal in that it will be measured with an equal unit, labour-time. But people have different needs so in reality some will have more than others, the person with 2 kids will have less than the person with no kids etc in order for people to receive truly equally income instead of being equal must be unequal.
Once the economic level of society and the cultural level conditioned therein has developed sufficiently then the Higher phase of communism becomes a reality and all can receive according to need.

[ColonelCossack]

I challenge you on this. How can you "nigh well" eliminate scarcity? It is as much a psychological desire that manifests itself through the consumption of resources in the manufacture or procurement of goods/services to satisfy wants as it is a reality in the production of goods physically necessary for survival.

Example: most humans live in cities. Cities have numerous buildings to fulfill various functions. Assume that a particular city contains both a factory and a library, interspersed with residential towers. Let's say this factory emits an odious stench while the library is a necessary for schoolwork. Obviously, more people would want to live closer to the library than the factory (doesn't have to be a factory, could be a loud public area, school with screaming children, other negative externality, etc.) Since there is demand for units next to the library but the city can't pack everyone in there, the blocks next to the library are desirable and in limited supply. Thus, "scarcity" exists. In the absence of income, housing decisions could seem arbitrary and potentially negatively impact some people.

elimination of the distinction between town and country is a part of marxism. i think...

[Rafiq]

No. Marxism is an understanding of human history.