Mises vs. Marx

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 Ludwig von Mises attempted to dismiss Marx's class analysis based on the fact that capitalists compete with each other for capital, for workers, and for customers.

All that is true. And yet it does not refute Marx.

Consider: the football players on the Bengals compete with each other for playing minutes.

And yet when they go up against the Rams, they will all unite to help defeat this opponent.

People can compete within some class, and yet unite as a class when faced with a challenge from a different class.

Comments

  1. BZ12:34 AM

    I think another issue that libertarians have whenever they debate Marxists is that the 2 groups have fundamentally different definitions of capitalists. Marxists use the popular definition (a wealthy person who uses money to invest in trade and industry for profit in accordance with the principles of capitalism) while libertarians seem to use a much broader definition of anyone who participates in a capitalist system and earns their living through market principles. This is why most libertarians don't believe in a class framework as in their minds, both workers and owners of capital are both groups of individuals that compete and sell their services and employment to one another through market principles. I personally dislike both definitions. The first is too specific while the 2nd is too broad.

    ReplyDelete
  2. BZ11:34 PM

    Just a quick question. Do you still believe that US states should have the right to secede?

    ReplyDelete

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