Economic Nonsense.

Maoriland Worker, Volume 3, Issue 76, 23 August 1912, Page 5

Economic Nonsense.

THE DRIVEL OF MUTUAL INTERESTS.

Of all the drivel of which we read and hear in the discussion of Labor, and Capital and their relation to each other the very worst is that, which relates to rhe alleged mutual interests of these antagonistic forces and, to the brotherly goodwill that should prevail between them. How often we hear this nonsense about Capital being dependent upon Labor and Labor being dependent upon Capral. This drivel is true only in the sense that a slave needs a master to rob him of what he produces and to prod him as he docs his other domestic stock to keep him producing. • As a matter of fact, Labor is not in the slightest degree dependent upon Capital, and the man who says it is a knave if he has any intelligent conception of what constitutes Capital. We do not propose here to go into any technical discission of this question or attempt any scientific analysis of Capital, but we want to set forth the fact and make it clear that- Capital reduced to its simplest terms is simply the power of the capitalist to rob the laborer of what ho produces. Land, factories, mines and machinery in themselves are not Capital, although under certain conditions they function as Capital, and are factors in the sum total of capitalistic production. But it is only when these are privately owned and serve to exploit the workingclass who use them in producing wealth that they constitute Capital in the scientific meaning of that term. Capitalist ownership of the tools of production rests, and must rest, upon exploitation and working-class slavery. Capitalist ownership and capitalist exploitation are synonymous if not interchangeable terms. The interests of Capital and Labor are not mutual, nor identical, nor reciprocal in any sense of the term. On the contrary, they are in diametric opposition to each other. Under Socialism Capital will cease to exist and capitalists will disappear. There is no longer any use for either. "When tho means of production, which is to say, the means of life, are socially owned and production of wealth is carried on for social use, the exploitation of the working-class will be at an end and with it v\ill vanish the last form of slavery to curse mankind.—"Appeal to Reason."