| Profit: Its Social Motivation and FunctionA brief treatise | | | | lifestyle, a worker would have to take on additional |
| on this commonly referenced and highly sought | | | | work hours. In an economy with this shift, one would |
| subject of economics...By Punkerslut[Author's Note: | | | | see the general trend of workers giving a little more |
| Started on Thursday, September 9, 2005. Completed | | | | labor, consumers getting a little less wealth, and the |
| on Thursday, October 6, 2005.]The Economic Function | | | | Capitalist class gaining privilege. In some cases, this |
| of ProfitProfit serves primarily as an economic idea. If | | | | could reflect a recession, the upswing of a depression. |
| a merchant were to purchase a single loaf of bread | | | | These are the guidelines that the Capitalist class will |
| for one dollar and to sell it for two dollars, that would | | | | always operate on; the Capitalist class will suddenly |
| be a single dollar of profit, or what many economists | | | | relieve their purchasing habits, causing unemployment, |
| would call a 100% profit return. What does money | | | | or increasing their purchasing habits and causing a less |
| translate to for the merchant? It translates specifically | | | | amount of wealth for the workers.When looking at this |
| to privilege: the right to possess and consume products | | | | social organization, one might ask: why should we live |
| and services, which would otherwise be unreachable, | | | | in such an economy? It seems clear that a group of |
| had the merchant sold his labor, instead of selling | | | | workers is capable of producing enough necessities |
| commodities. By selling one loaf of bread and gaining | | | | for themselves and the others; everyone should just |
| one dollar of profit, we could just as well say that by | | | | work together, everyone contributing to their own |
| selling one loaf of bread, he is gaining another loaf of | | | | common wealth, so that no strictly idle or strictly |
| bread for personal use. If the merchant was doing | | | | working class exists. If everyone worked to produce |
| poorly at his business, if he wasn't profiting and his | | | | wealth to be used by the majority, instead of working |
| needs as a human being were still just as strong, then | | | | for the luxury of a few, then workdays would probably |
| he could satisfy his economic position by entering the | | | | be cut to a third or a fourth of what they are today. |
| laboring class. That is one very obvious microeconomic | | | | Wages would increase, bringing a real improvement in |
| example of what profit translates to. Consider | | | | living and working conditions. Poverty, crime, and |
| something more on the macroeconomic scale. An | | | | unemployment, all products of this Capitalist |
| investor purchases two hundred thousand dollars | | | | organization, would disappear if workers were allowed |
| worth of stock. The dividends pay him only two | | | | to freely produce and exchange products without |
| percent every quarter, or $4,000 every three months. | | | | profit. It is simply the possession of wealth, of capital, |
| This money he spends on clothing, food, luxury, | | | | that allows one group to maintain economic dominance |
| transportation, housing, all imaginable needs. His | | | | over the other group. Since one group possesses |
| investment was the spur to an economy to get people | | | | capital, they are allowed to be idle and gain wealth by |
| to manufacture a product that would be sold at a | | | | the labor of a Proletariat worker. It is the social |
| profit. When people bought this product with their | | | | organization of Capitalism that creates a type of |
| money, they not only paid for the production cost of | | | | wage slavery. A worker is forced to produce more |
| the product, but they paid an additional portion, called | | | | wealth than they are given. The extra wealth is |
| the "profit;" which means they were paying for the | | | | exchanged for something that satisfies the interest of |
| merchant's food, clothing, and other items of | | | | a person who did no labor. The social situation at hand |
| purchase.The function of profit as a motivator to the | | | | begs one final conclusion. Private property is theft. It is |
| capital-owning class, the Capitalist class, is very | | | | by private property, the idea that a person can own |
| apparent. Capitalists make wealth by possessing | | | | capital, that a person can exploit another individual, |
| wealth, which is why their property is a different type | | | | whose only crime was not being a possessor of |
| of property: capital. The alternative to their method of | | | | capital. All of the wealth of society is produced by the |
| making wealth is to exchange their labor as a | | | | working class, but the rules of Free Enterprise have |
| commodity. It is also quite apparent that those who | | | | dictated one unfair judgment: the tiny, idle minority class |
| make wealth by possessing wealth prefer that | | | | is to be given more wealth than those responsible for |
| method of sustenance. They do not labor, yet they | | | | creating it.The Political Function of ProfitIt is ironic today, |
| enjoy the fruits of the labor of others. We never see | | | | to see black and Asian businessmen who are willing to |
| billionaires maintaining power lines or serving fast food. | | | | contract slave labor in third world nations. The facts |
| Those who are forced to do these otherwise stressful | | | | are out there: children work twelve hours a day in |
| occupations are people who must trade their labor as | | | | hazardous conditions for little pay. It is ironic, because |
| a commodity out of necessity. To be able to satisfy | | | | both blacks and Asians were once slaves in this |
| their needs of shelter, food, water, and other | | | | country, yet today they participate in the slavery that |
| requirements, they exchange labor as their only | | | | destroyed their people. The face of authority always |
| commodity. The class that labors to produce wealth to | | | | changes, but the trends of authority are never absent. |
| exchange has been referred to by Marxists as the | | | | The United States, for instance, has a long, dark |
| Proletariat class, borrowing terminology from a low | | | | history, of manipulating international laws, subverting |
| caste of the ancient Roman Empire. The class that | | | | revolutionaries who are overthrowing a dictator, or |
| exists off of the labor of others has gone by the | | | | setting up slave labor in third world countries. Again, the |
| aforementioned popular term: Capitalist.The Capitalist | | | | irony is still painfully present: the United States was |
| and Proletariat class are both consumers; that is, they | | | | formed by a cluster of colonies that believed in the |
| both are purchasers and users of the wealth created | | | | idea that people have a right to govern themselves. |
| by society. When a person purchases a loaf of bread, | | | | America's involvement in Vietnam, for example, was |
| what they pay can be divided up in to two parts: one | | | | solely to prevent the popular Democratic uprising. |
| part to pay for the actual production costs of the | | | | Perhaps centuries worth of infertile soil and millions of |
| bread, and one part to pay profit. When it happens | | | | dead people was America's plan. I watch these |
| that the consumer is also a member of the Proletariat | | | | societies today with pain, as everyone is induced by |
| class, there are some other deductions that we can | | | | the hypnotic glare of the establishment's propaganda, |
| further. The Proletariat can pay with the only thing | | | | through television, radio, and all media.The newest Iraq |
| afforded to them: their labor. When a member of the | | | | War produced for us pictures and photographs of US |
| Proletariat decides to purchase a loaf of bread, he is | | | | soldiers torturing prisoners. It was widely known and |
| paying with his labor. If a loaf of bread costs only $2.00 | | | | understood by almost all individuals of the press and |
| and the worker is paid $6.00 an hour, which means | | | | government, but they both refused to let the media |
| that the loaf of bread would cost him twenty minutes | | | | channels distribute the information. It wasn't until the |
| of labor. Let's say, for the sake of this example, that | | | | photographs were distributed that the government |
| the Proletariat consumer here is a bread worker. Since | | | | needed to take action, "on this horrible thing which we |
| he would be paying for the cost of the bread and | | | | could never have imagined." The words faintly remind |
| profit of the merchant, he would already be making an | | | | us of commanders finally believing the stories of Nazi |
| unfair exchange at the moment of producing the | | | | war crimes only when they crossed the border in to |
| bread. The Proletariat worker who bakes bread for a | | | | the country. All of a sudden, the world was stricken |
| living will be buying the bread he makes at a loss, and | | | | with the tragedy... despite the decades of information |
| his extra labor will produce bread that will feed other | | | | given to authorities and the press in other countries. I'm |
| workers. Other workers in society produce items that | | | | sure our leaders were thinking more of the interest |
| they would never use in their lifetime. Assembly line | | | | rates of the debt Germany had incurred; their interest |
| workers in expensive automobile factories may never | | | | was profit, not any incidental cost of human lives in |
| buy a car. Since they contribute to the social wealth in | | | | slave camps. In our world's political scene, we find |
| order to have their needs be satisfied, the luxury | | | | factories operated by slave labor and producing |
| workers labor in order to get the produce of other | | | | American commodities, and in every case, there is |
| members of society. So, we see the producing parts | | | | always a tyrannical government, supporting foreign |
| of society in two categories: those who work to | | | | investors and oppressing its own people. The actions |
| produce necessities to feed the majority, and those | | | | of Nazi Germany come to mind. The German |
| who work to produce luxury items and fine items for a | | | | Holocaust is over, that is true, but there are at least a |
| small minority. The proportion of these groups is | | | | hundred situations in the world right now where the |
| probably subject to variation, but it is safe to say that | | | | same thing is happening. Instead of taking the |
| each group of workers plays an enormously important | | | | complacent posture of ignoring this dreadful mess, the |
| role in the Capitalist system. If a Capitalist is selling a | | | | United States government has actively sought to |
| product for fifty percent profit, what he is saying to the | | | | maintain and stabilize the international situation.Our |
| Proletariat consumer is: "For you to accept this | | | | nation's culture is so adamantly moved by the plight of |
| product, I want you to work long enough to feed | | | | the Jews in the concentration camps, yet our people |
| yourself and another person; the other person will | | | | turn a blind eye to the same people today that are in |
| make luxury items for me in exchange for the surplus | | | | the same condition of slavery. Perhaps being Jewish is |
| bread you produced."The Social Function of ProfitThe | | | | a requirement for sympathy. People often quote the |
| origin of a Capitalist's extravagant living, high standards, | | | | "six million Jews" statistic, but nobody quotes the "over |
| financial security, and ease of existence is due to his | | | | twenty five million human deaths" statistic of the Third |
| role in the economy: the possessor of wealth. One | | | | Reich. I don't think I'm confused and I don't think I'm |
| might look at the way the wealth distribution system is | | | | misunderstanding the situation. I know the facts. |
| set up and they would say that the only reason one | | | | Whenever the gods of media publish any comedy |
| part is privileged is because it owns capital. Simply by | | | | with any slight relation to the Holocaust, they always |
| possessing wealth does one class gain an advantage | | | | present a disclaimer that they do not wish to offend |
| over another class. When the Capitalist class desires | | | | anyone or cause distress to families that may have |
| profit, it can simply raise the retail cost of products and | | | | been in the Holocaust. Without any sense of irony, any |
| services. A loaf of bread normally costing $1.00 to | | | | second glance, they will stream in to commercials that |
| produce and $2.00 to purchase might then cost $3.00. | | | | advertise products made in slave labor camps. The |
| Instead of a 1:1 ratio proportion of production cost to | | | | discipline of the overseers at these third world country |
| profit, there is a one 1:2 ratio proportion of production | | | | factories does not differ greatly from the discipline that |
| cost to profit. The rising price for the Proletariat | | | | the Reich's slave masters held. Why would the |
| workers and consumers means one of three things: | | | | established authority of America condemn the |
| they will not be able to consume as many goods, they | | | | persecution of minorities in an oppressive, totalitarian |
| will need to work longer, or both. The first case, of not | | | | government, but at the same time, ignore the |
| being able to purchase as many products, is due to | | | | widespread slavery throughout the world? American |
| Capitalists enjoying their wealth and suddenly stopping. | | | | culture and society, which is hopelessly intertwined with |
| There was a well-balanced economy, with one part | | | | authority and the state, allows us to create these |
| creating the necessities for the majority, and another | | | | contradictions. The American CEO today looks back |
| proportionate part creating luxuries for the tiny minority | | | | to Auschwitz and tells us that it is a great crime |
| at the top. The minority at the top stops its | | | | against humanity. But, he continues, "The slave camps |
| consumption, causing massive unemployment of luxury | | | | the Reich created in Poland and France are admirable |
| workers, flooding the other economic sector with more | | | | methods of outsourcing labor; we should hope to |
| laborers but not more consumers. There are more | | | | emulate them in our plan of a globalized economy."The |
| workers competing for the same jobs in the part of | | | | greatest irony of our world is that we will curse |
| the economy that produces the items that the majority | | | | anyone who wants to enslave another man for his |
| uses. But, with the Capitalist class relaxing their | | | | race, but we praise those who enslave another man |
| purchases, there is a lack of people to buy the items | | | | because of his class. America, the state, looks down |
| that the new workers can create. The majority was | | | | on any culture that would put forced labor on a person |
| already having its needs satisfied with the current | | | | because of their racial background. But when any |
| laborers who produce necessities for the majority; | | | | entire people are put in slavery to create products for |
| since people aren't buying more, businesses cannot | | | | Western civilization, words like "rugged individualism" |
| take on the additional influx of workers, causing | | | | and "free trade" are used as a defense. Millions of |
| unemployment. The term used by economists is a | | | | Americans continue shopping at Walmart, Niketown, |
| depression.Then there is the second case, of the | | | | and the other retailers. The crowd mentality survives. |
| Proletariat consumer having to work longer just to | | | | The masters of all publishing houses keep the people |
| purchase the same items. This occurs when Capitalists | | | | from knowing the truth. Everyone proceeds on the |
| want to increase their own items of luxury that they | | | | same grounds, as blind, ignorant, and apathetic as the |
| consume. If the retail cost of items goes up, that | | | | rest. Here is the cost of profit... real Democracy, where |
| means that a Proletariat consumer must exchange a | | | | the people are given the light of truth and a |
| longer amount of labor for the same amount of bread. | | | | conscientious education. Autonomy, rule of the people |
| A bread price increase might mean that the Proletariat | | | | and for the people, is the first casualty in the system |
| baker, for instance, would have to make enough bread | | | | of Capitalism. Life, |
| not just to feed himself and another worker, but he | | | | PunkerslutPunkerslut (or Andy Carloff) has been |
| would need enough bread to feed himself and two | | | | writing essays and poetry on social issues which have |
| others. On the macroeconomic scale, this translates to | | | | caught his attention for several years. His website |
| a migration of workers. Workers who produced | | | | provides a complete list of all of these writings. His life |
| wealth for the masses would instead shift to the other | | | | experience includes homelessness, squating in New |
| occupation: producing luxury for the tiny minority of | | | | Orleans and LA, dropping out of high school, getting |
| Capitalists. If that happened, that means that Proletariat | | | | expelled from college for "subversive activities," and a |
| workers who worked the same amount of time would | | | | myriad of other revolutionary actions. |
| get a smaller amount of wealth. To sustain the same | | | | |