- 11 Dec 2017 20:20
#14870123
No. I am the one who is identifying the deceptions practiced by capitalists and socialists.
No, of course it cannot. "Labor-power" is a Marxist fabrication, an anti-concept Marx concocted to prevent use of the valid economic concept of labor.
<sigh> Like Goon, you are just refusing to know the fact that a contract of employment does not involve purchase or sale of any owned asset, but only payment for provision of a service. A service is not something that can be owned, as it does not exist except in the moment it is rendered.
No, it is crucial because it DOES NOT EXIST except in the moment it is expended, and is therefore not an asset that can be owned.
It's nothing like a futures market. In a futures market, you do not own the item or commodity in question, and no one else does, either; you only own a legal right to buy or sell it at a certain price. Owning a legal right to obtain something is not the same as owning that thing.
It's a fundamental economic error to aggregate labor with assets like land and capital that can be traded at arm's length.
It's obvious to any normal human being with a functioning brain (i.e., not socialists) that no one can own human effort.
Potemkin wrote:You are deceiving yourself, TtP.
No. I am the one who is identifying the deceptions practiced by capitalists and socialists.
Of course human labour-power can be owned.
No, of course it cannot. "Labor-power" is a Marxist fabrication, an anti-concept Marx concocted to prevent use of the valid economic concept of labor.
It gets bought and sold every time somebody signs a contract of employment.
<sigh> Like Goon, you are just refusing to know the fact that a contract of employment does not involve purchase or sale of any owned asset, but only payment for provision of a service. A service is not something that can be owned, as it does not exist except in the moment it is rendered.
The fact that this labour-power will only be expended in the future is irrelevant;
No, it is crucial because it DOES NOT EXIST except in the moment it is expended, and is therefore not an asset that can be owned.
you can think of the labour market as a 'futures' market if you like.
It's nothing like a futures market. In a futures market, you do not own the item or commodity in question, and no one else does, either; you only own a legal right to buy or sell it at a certain price. Owning a legal right to obtain something is not the same as owning that thing.
This is so fundamental to economics that it shouldn't even need to be stated;
It's a fundamental economic error to aggregate labor with assets like land and capital that can be traded at arm's length.
it should be obvious to any normal human being with a functioning brain.
It's obvious to any normal human being with a functioning brain (i.e., not socialists) that no one can own human effort.