RebelDog
22nd April 2006, 10:14
In recent years surplus value has rapidly increased in the factory I work in. Wages are relatively the same, however the amount we produce has quadrupled. New technology has allowed substantial mechanisation and has meant less labour costs for the owner. Clearly surplus value is limited. It must have a 'world value' (for example a percentage point of all the wealth produced against labour costs worldwide) Surely this has a critical point. There has to be a 'critical value' whereapon capitalism is no longer sustainable because the victim of surplus value does not take home enough to be a relevant consumer to sustain any kind of growth for capitalism. Capitalism is reliant on growth and increasingly massive surplus value will surely have a great effect on growth. Even if there are future world resessions to rebuild from this doesn't allay the fact that the technology will already be there to exploit massive surplus value. Is worldwide pooled surplus value increasing at a rapid rate? I know economists will say that the purchasing power of the worker will increase by reductions in prices, but less and less people produce more and more, where do the wages come from to purchase?