Capital

[Anti Freedom]

Modern society, as it stands, depends upon capital, so the questions I want to bring forward are on how capital will be created, and how the creation and allocation of capital will be governed.

1) How will a certain level of production be set upon capital goods? Subquestions: Who will be in charge of setting this rate? How will setting this rate be consonant with individual freedom? Why will the rate chosen be that rate?

2) What will regulate the types of capital goods produced and allocated? Subquestions: How will this regulation promote good allocation of resources? How will this regulation be consonant with individual freedom? How will this regulation keep in mind the limitations in resources when allocating resources?

3) What will make this system of capital production be better than capitalism? The metrics I am interested in are the following: growth, accounting for external losses(pollution, etc), equality, freedom, and any others that come to mind.

Yes, I know, this thread could go in a lot of other different forums, however, I also want to have capitalists to see this and be able to pose questions/criticisms. Additional questions can be posed as they arise.

[Dimentio]

Look at "Energy Accounting"

[Anti Freedom]

Look at "Energy Accounting"
Isn't that more along the lines of the distribution system for resources that citizens can use?

I suppose it answers question 1.

But I don't see how it answers questions 2 or 3, as I don't think energy accounting deals so much with creation of more productive capacity as it does with accounting for the use of existing production capacity. I could be wrong though, so elaboration might help.

[RGacky3]

1) How will a certain level of production be set upon capital goods? Subquestions: Who will be in charge of setting this rate? How will setting this rate be consonant with individual freedom? Why will the rate chosen be that rate?

The people producing the Capital in conjunction with those who use it, see "mutual aid".


2) What will regulate the types of capital goods produced and allocated? Subquestions: How will this regulation promote good allocation of resources? How will this regulation be consonant with individual freedom? How will this regulation keep in mind the limitations in resources when allocating resources?


Capital goods by their nature, are only needed or wanted by people who would use them to produce other things, so allocating them is no problem.


3) What will make this system of capital production be better than capitalism? The metrics I am interested in are the following: growth, accounting for external losses(pollution, etc), equality, freedom, and any others that come to mind.


Capitalist production only follows the market, which does not always follow need, it follows supply and demand, and supply is based on the actual resources available AND the ality of the Capitalist or perchase them (important point there), the Demand is based on actual demand AND the ability of the consumer to perchase it (that too).

That means that even though people might need Capital goods to produce something, they might not get it, because the people with money want something else, so producers are going to follow the money.

Thats why people still starve, yet millions of dollors go into making new fancy cell phones.

[PostAnarchy]

Marx' Das Kapital remains an excellent analysis of the features and tendencies of capitalism. Much of it remains pertinent, indeed perhaps even more pertinent nowadays than it did at the time Marx wrote it. For instance the process of globalization and capitalist exploitation all over the world. This is much more true today than it was in the late 19th century. I say this not as a Marxist as well. I think it's important than we all be unsectarian enough to admit and appreciate the works of others who did not happen to agree with us on every important issue (notably here the state) but who nevertheless make important contriubutions to the revolutinoary left.

[Anti Freedom]

I've wanted to read it, it is just that 1000 page works sometimes keep on being shifted to the bottom of my reading list. In any case, Marx's Capital is an analysis of the capitalist system, not of a communist system, right? Just wondering if my facts are right.

[PostAnarchy]

True Marx is not very readable unfortunately