Capitalism Must Die! A Series in Parts: Part 20
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We see this happening with giant multinational retailers such as Walmart and Gildan. […]
Back at the start, the surplus value has to be reinvested. Only through expansion can each company gain a competitive edge over all the others. For capitalism as a whole to function in a reasonably stable way, and for everyone to stay ahead of their interest payments, it must grow about 3% annually. So the [...]
They must continuously force open and seize control of more markets. This is one of the driving forces for imperialism. When more than one country does this, major inter-imperialist conflicts ensue. This rivalry—not any sort of moral issue—was the cause of the two major inter-imperialist wars of the 20th Century. So war both captures markets [...]
The surplus value created in production is locked inside the commodity until the moment of consumption, when it’s released as profit. When you plunk your dollars down to buy the hair dryer or the box of frozen waffles, the capitalist’s goal is realized. […]
Competition drives technological development as each capitalist pursues ever-increasing efficiency and speed. They automate their factories to minimize the number of workers and to stay ahead of one another. […]