"The capitalist mode of production, for example, rests on the fact that the material conditions of production are in the hands of nonworkers in the form of property in capital and land, while the masses are only owners of the personal condition of production, of labor power. If the elements of production are so distributed, then the present-day distribution of the means of consumption results automatically. If the material conditions of production are the co-operative property of the workers themselves, then there likewise results a distribution of the means of consumption different from the present one."
The day after tomorrow in Communist America: May 1, 2057. Private Journal Western High School was restored as a secondary school in 2041, with its small quaint class rooms and gymnasium. The "School Restoration and Preservation project" (SRPP) felt a lottery should be held to determine who would fill the 1800 slots. This was rejected by the "Area-wide Neighborhood Committee" (AWNC). Based on the old zip code system embracing block club associations, AWNC proposed setting aside no more than 100 slots for students outside its zip area. Attendees would be chosen through block club associations rather than lottery. AWNC won the political fight for exclusion right to determine method of selection. Our 14 year old was enrolled after the usual placement scuffle. It helped that my wife Malaika worked the restoration program ensuring its speedy completion. Being Secretary of the Block club association, an old party member or "party hack" depending on who you asked, helped in our public advocacy for our daughter. Actually, party membership did not help anyone in neighborhood based selection. On the other hand leadership in non-party organizations tipped the scale in ones favor. II. Immigration continues to drive America's population increased of 370,000,000. The official "Statistical Analysis" estimate showed a need for a mere twenty eight million people to supply the field of "needs" classified as "socially necessary means of life." In all fields individuals signed up for placement only to run into the hard rock of "to much society ability." As fifth generation Detroiter, the "Labor Placement System," denied me an opportunity to work in auto as did the last four generations of our families. Every year 30,000 people in Detroit sign up for the one thousand labor slots allocated for Detroit. Neither of us had a job as "work and job" were understood in the bourgeois order. Trained as a doctor with nine years of specialized education and practice, Malaika became frustrated when "Labor Placement" denied her a slot at the 10 city hospitals. It was in hospitals that one could engage the best technology. Like auto there was too much "ability" in her field with 130,000 people - 100,000 outside Detroit, seeking placement in three thousand hospital slots. Actually, there were only two thousand slots with the hospital committees routinely exercising authority to retain individuals. Improved health of the individual was becoming the prime desire in society and fundamental to enhanced ability. Although highly automated everyone hates the "Labor Placement System" and the nasty letters of rejection. "At this time . . . the fair reporting act of 2039 requires allowing access to our method of selection . . . . perhaps applying for over sea placement in your field of interest . . . your application will remain active for 36 months." Malaika applied her ability to diagnosis via Internet acquiring ten years "certified ability" classification. Then she became part of the Restoration Project. Like most adults our ability was applied outside the sphere of "socially necessary production," with me hanging out in the old library system and periodically working the secondary economy. With the value system and exchange abolished in the realm of socially necessary means of life, our proletarian dictatorship did not just tolerate but nurtured the "script market." "Script" was currency of a vast chain of production and distribution of many items classified as luxury. I had used script to acquire old style wooden audio speakers to give the house a warm green and brown feel, working various small individually owned restaurants, ice cream parlors and selling home grown specialized tomatoes. 40% of the city population ability goes into home gardening of vegetables and fruit. III. The labor time in producing our population "socially necessary food staple," and then export of produce, is so insignificant no measurement of time is attached to the individual. A life time of food consumption for the individual was estimated at 1440 minutes per year. Milk, cereal and meat consumption dropped another 60% between 2040 and 2050. The human body is taking on a more enhanced symmetry or post industrial shape. The old meat and potato three meals a day glutton of the industrial era is a thing of the past. Mostly young men seeking military adventure combine in associations opting for the "muscular look" of the symbolic metal men of the industrial era. These are the last meal and potato men. Consumption of fruits, with new exotic "winter fruits" skyrocketed. A full 50% of this fruit stuff is grown in private homes as a hobby. "Reason Journal" states the 60% drop in meat and milk consumption was the result of the individual eating less in the context of ending mass advertising of "consumption," rather than an ideological victory for the vegan groups. In the sphere of food consumption, "socially necessary food consumption" by the individual has dropped every year since victory of the proletariat despite the enormous increase in the productivity of dead labor. Time to talk another walk. Waistline _______________________________________________ Marxist-Leninist-List mailing list Marxist-Leninist-List@lists.econ.utah.edu To change your options or unsubscribe go to: http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/listinfo/marxist-leninist-list
