Subject: Re: AUT: The term "left-wing"
Date: Mon, 11 Feb 2002 18:40:36 -0000


I'm not so sure about labour chits and capital.  If labour chits were simply
a voucher to draw gods from communal stores on an egalitarian basis,
excluding 'slackers'/'free-riders' from such access then okay, not nice but
probably not capitalistic.  But if these chits measured the value to society
of your work, and which could then be exchanged for goods of equal value (eg
goods would be priced at "two chits" or ".5 chits per dozen") then they
could clearly be capitalistic.  For instance, in times of shortage certain
collectives with a supply of goods could charge a higher price in chits.
People with low needs could either accumulate chits (in order to purchase
pieces of machinery with which to commence independent production of goods
that could then be eg bartered for value perhaps ?) or could 'sell' their
chits for goods outside the system.

Whatever, if 'unofficial' use of chits was possible (and I've not read any
syndicalist explanation of how an informal economy could be prevented), then
either capitalistic accumulation is possible or you would need a 'labour
police' to regulate the labour force or the economy or both.  Neither is a
palatable prospect for anarchists.

I actually think that, for a short period until planned production was
established, you might need revolutionary militias to prevent
quasi-capitalist relations lingering or re-emerging during the immediate
post-revolutionary period, but the best way to give socialisation momemntum
is to abolish money, waged labour and all form of exchange relations through
full socialistaion of production and consumption.

John Owens
----- Original Message -----
From: "Tahir Wood" <twood-AT-uwc.ac.za>
To: <aut-op-sy-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu>
Sent: Monday, February 11, 2002 7:08 AM
Subject: Re: AUT: The term "left-wing"


>
>
> >>> commie00-AT-yahoo.com 02/10/02 11:44AM >>>
> actually, in my estimation, anarcho-collectivists (which some syndicalists
> are) argue for wage labor continuing after the overthrow of capitalism...
> abeit, in the form of "labor chits", etc.
> edu ---
>
> I doubt whether labour chits are the same as wages, since they would not
have many of the characteristics of money, for example to accumulate as
captital. I also wonder how in a transitional situation one would begin to
distribute the social product without something like this. Anyone care to
take up this point?
> Tahir
>
>
>
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