In recent times, industrial production has existed only as a condition for profit, for the expansion of the power of groups and individuals over human labor. Hunger itself provides no reason for the production of consumer goods. To produce for the insolvent demand, for the unemployed masses, would run counter to the laws of economy and religion that hold the order together; no bread without work.
Marx’s theory of value (re divergence of value from price) explains the foundation of surplus profit, which is significantly related to the unprecedented wealth of contemporary moguls, and its association with technological advancements/ increased productivity— eg in industrial production, specifically improvements in machinery, more productive factories. With related technological improvements, more productive units become the measure of price (exchange value). But these technological improvements are not instantaneous — eg because all branches of production are not the same. Thus there are varying degrees of productivity. And the least productive initially influences market price/ exchange value. Hence surplus profits for higher productivity, while market price fluctuates above market value. However, after a certain point, surplus profits “equalize” with average profits via competition, market price gravitates closer to market value, and the rate of profit becomes the same for capitals across the board. Again.. this presupposes that re- production of means of subsistence/ labor/ society is determined by production of surplus value (profits / rent) and the “law of market value”.
Finally, Marx’s examination of surplus profit notes how the law of market value creates a “false social value”, based on exchange value instead of value, that exploits society in terms of consumption/ consumers. For me, this offers an important theoretical foundation for organizing exploited workers at the point of consumption in addition to organizing at the point of production. And not only against capitalist producers but against the landlords as well; particularly with present, even more exorbitant rents and related surplus profits.
Hebrews 4:2 (WEB) -
For indeed we have had good news preached to us, even as they also did, but the word they heard didn’t profit them, because it wasn’t mixed with faith by those who heard.
Doctor Beverly Crusher
@SpaceDocMom
There can never be quality health care in any system that lets economic forces dictate care, be it for-profit care that pushes for what's profitable or underfunded care that allows insufficient care. You will all keep suffering until the money comes out of care entirely. emojis: black heart, blue heart, masked
12:47 PM · Oct 1, 2023
There's something extremely funny (and by that I mean sad) in the fact that, not only entertainment american productions are entirely directed by the old white men executives at the top of the companies and not the diverse, multicultural ensemble of people who worked hard on them, but that the execs actually are inconsistent about it.
This year is filled with perfect examples: you have Strange World this november, an animated movie with POC and lgbtq+ rep, happening in a freshly odd universe, and the execs went 'oh no a liberal movie let's do our best to sink it so people never talk about it and give the studios 0 marketing budget so that it looks like there's no audience for this movie, and we'll have a good reason to never make one ever again'.
And then on the other hand you have the tv series Severance that released in february which is a psychological thriller with mystery and a white main character so the execs went 'ooooh a large audience to market on' so they boosted it up. But what they didn't realize and frankly it's hilarious, is that Severance, in the same vibe than The Boys on Amazon Prime Video, is a show that mocks the system of its own production company. Severance mocks formatted dull work places and formatting and is produced by Apple. The Boys mocks rotten corporate means and is produced by Amazon.
So that MEANS that executives, who work in those shitty companies, and you would expect them to have at least a few brain cells since they are multi billion international companies, don't even check what a media is about if it looks from afar that they can market on it and make a lot of profit, but will stop right in its tracks a media that remotely looks like it's out of the mold.
TL;DR: Executives from the world's biggest entertainment companies not only have trash opinion, but they don't even do they job correctly on stuff they approve.
good god, do I miss playing magic the gathering with the weirdos at my local card shop, but i'm so sick of WotC/Hasbro's anti-consumer practices.
If you want alternatives to D&D you have plenty of options. With MtG your alternatives are yugioh (turn one win or you lose) and pokemon(lol).
I get random feelings of wanting to go to the local shop/club and join a draft with the local nerds. Then I remember the current state of the hobby and I get so turned off by the blatant enshittification of MtG.