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Necessity of socialism, formation of joint-stock companies. Marx.
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In 2021, [[Haz Al-Din]] put forth the theory that [[''We already live in socialism''|we already live in socialism]], stating that we have already transitioned into an incipient socialist mode of production, but that this is not reflected by society's institutions, which are characterized by the continued rule of the now dynastic and semi-hereditary capitalist class who accumulate derivative profits from a more or less centrally planned economy. | In 2021, [[Haz Al-Din]] put forth the theory that [[''We already live in socialism''|we already live in socialism]], stating that we have already transitioned into an incipient socialist mode of production, but that this is not reflected by society's institutions, which are characterized by the continued rule of the now dynastic and semi-hereditary capitalist class who accumulate derivative profits from a more or less centrally planned economy. | ||
===The Need for the Transition to Socialism=== | |||
Marx noted that the growing accumulation of capital naturally supposes its growing concentration and power. The contradiction between the general social power into which capital has developed and the private power of the capitalists over these social conditions of production develops more intensely and blatantly. At the same time, this development also contains its solution - that the the conditions of production are now raised into general, communal, ''social'' conditions in accordance with its social power. This transformation is brought about ''by the development of the productive forces under capitalist production'' and is the manner and form in which this development is accomplished. The natural development of capitalism, of its internal contradictions, forms the basis for socialism.<ref>Capital Volume III (Penguin Edition), p. 373.</ref> | |||
This is illustrated, briefly, by two 'cardinal facts' of capitalist production outlined by Marx in Volume III: | |||
(1) The concentration of the means of production into few hands, which means that they are transformed on the contrary to the social powers of production. | |||
(2) The organization of labor itself as social labor through cooperation, the division of labor, and fusing of labor with the natural sciences. | |||
Marx then notes that on both accounts (1) and (2), the capitalist mode of production ''abolishes'' private property and private labor, ''even if in antithetical forms''.<ref>Capital Volume III (Penguin), p. 375.</ref> | |||
=== The Formation of Joint-Stock Companies and the Credit System === | |||
Marx & Engels saw in the emergence of joint-stock companies the following: | |||
(1) Tremendous expansion in the scale of production at enterprises which would be other impossible for individual capitalists (read ''development of productive forces''). | |||
(2) At the same time, capital, which is inherently based on a social mode of production and presupposes a social concentration of means of production and labor-power, bow receives the ''form'' ''of'' ''social capital'' (this is what a joint-stock company is, i.e. a public company) in contrast to private capital, and its enterprises appear as ''social enterprises'' ''as opposed to private ones.'' This is the ''abolition of capital as private property within the confines (context) of the capitalist mode of production itself''. | |||
Marx calls this precisely the abolition of the capitalist mode of production within the capitalist mode of production itself, and hence a self-abolishing contradiction, which presents itself as a mere point of transition to a ''new form of production''.<ref>Capital Volume III (Penguin), p. 569.</ref> | |||
==Notable socialist states== | ==Notable socialist states== | ||
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*[[Cuba|Republic of Cuba]] (1959- ) | *[[Cuba|Republic of Cuba]] (1959- ) | ||
*[[Laos|Lao Democratic People's Republic]] (1975- ) | *[[Laos|Lao Democratic People's Republic]] (1975- ) | ||
* [[Polish People's Republic]] (1947-1989) | *[[Polish People's Republic]] (1947-1989) | ||
* [[Socialist Republic of Romania]] (1947-1989) | *[[Socialist Republic of Romania]] (1947-1989) | ||
*[[Yugoslavia|Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia]] (1945-1992) | *[[Yugoslavia|Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia]] (1945-1992) | ||
*[[East Germany|German Democratic Republic]] (1949-1990) | *[[East Germany|German Democratic Republic]] (1949-1990) | ||