The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1927-02-04


within different countries standing at different
stages of their economic development, the rela-
tionships between human beings are different.
This is why there cannot be one single science
which should be able to find one general law, IL
Eliminating the relationships between human be-
ings at different periods. Science has to study
various historical epochs; it has to deal with an
economy which is undergoing changes in the
course of historic Development
In the patriarchal commune where there sCI
exists (communal) ownership of land and nat
ural form of economy, human relations SIM
pie and easy to understand But with time, with
the appearance of exchange and property, 7con-
omical relations become complicated; nacural
economy passes into simple commodity, and then
into capitalistic commodity economy This cap
italistic commodity economy presents infinite
ly closely INTERVIEWING network of operations of
production and exchange, and for this reason it Is
particularly difficult to establish the economic
! laws which govern this type of economy
If we were to take such different KINGS OF
epochs as, let say the patriarchal-communal
and the capitalistic, and attempt to derive the
economic laws which govern social-economic reia-
lions in both of these epochs, we would get moth
ing except generalitieS Because, when 1nvesti-
eating such different types of epochs, can
tablsh between them only the most general, sup
CRITICAL connections which do not enable to
derstand in all their fullness the laws governing
one the other of these societies. Therefore, If
we wish to acquaint ourselves as deeply as pos
sible and from every side, with the substance and
the motivatng forces of capitalist society, we
must turn to the study of this society alone, Ieav
ing aside pre-capitalistic societies. The science
which studies the peculiaries belonging only to
capitalist society," in contradistincton to other
cities, is called political economy. The greatest
and preeminent role in the discovery Of the whole
economic mechanics of capitalism was displayed
by Karl Marx
2. WHAT ARE THE FUNDAMENTAL CHAR
ACTERISTICS OF THE CAPITALIST SYS-
TEN?
There are three main characteristics. l. The
commodity character of products 2. Private
ownership of the means of production Gland, fac
tories, plants, mines, raw materials, fuel, etc. }
concentrated in the hands of small group OF
capitalists. 8. Wage labor.
8. WHAT FORMS OF COMMODITY ECONOMY
ARE KNOWN?
Two forms; l. Simple commodity economy. 2
Capitalistic commodity economy
A. WHAT IS A COMMODITY IN GENERAL?
o A commodity is any product of labor satisfy
n ing need of society and coming upon the mar
ket to be exchanged for another commodity or fol
f money.
5. WHAT IS THE BASIS OF COMMODITY
+ ECONOMY?
The basis of commodity economy is the opera
ton of exchange Exchange of products), which
came into existence as result of the social divi
sion Of labor and private property. Commodit!
economy is the opposite of natural economy, TIL
z characteristic of which is that one lives by tn
products of his own production, without exchang
ing his products for others through the medium
of the market To the extent that there has ap
j. peared in society division of labor between econ
fe omic units and they have begun to produce pro
IN ducts not only for their own but also for ex
change or sale, to that extent have the product
Of the economic system become commodities, an
~ the system itself commodity economy.
VS. 6. WHAT IS SIMPLE COMMODITY ECONOMY
d Under simple commodity economy we under
c stand an economy based on the property of tn
st peasant-producer or artisan, the product pre-
W duced by him; economy which does not us
n hired labor and exchanges its products not wit
n the aim of profit but with the aim of satisfyn
its needs.
nd AS long as the means of production (tool
on simple equipment land) are still in the hands {
We the majority of independent small peasants
ew artisans who exchange their products (commod
Ia tes) one for another through the medium of Il
an market, consequently as long as the means
up production have not yet been detached from Il
RI producer, until by of running these artisan
zen and working peasants a sufficient number ha,
NE been deprived of the means of production al
The .,,-, :"
no ~ 'ii''' ieaSOn 70 sen CheH iaoor POI
ger er-until that time we have simple commodi
ips economy.
cry Ito Be Continued next week.