Comments | erudito: Global modes

erudito

Global modes

Mar 19, 2006 16:22

The late Eric Wolf produced (including a revised edition before his death) a notable study on the response and interaction of non-European peoples to the rise of European dominance, Europe and the People Without History. It is a fine piece of global historical anthropology (if a little dated in some aspects due to the way understanding of global ( Read more... )

mode of production, books, class, deurope, economic history

Comments 6

taavi March 20 2006, 10:00:21 UTC

Considering that I use modes of production as one of my analytical tools, I will have to take you up on this. Unfortunately, I haven't read the book in question.
The problem with considering tributary modes of production as a "deal" rather than an abuse is that in many cases the people who are being protected against are no worse (or better) than the people doing the protecting. It made very little difference to your average peasant who his overlord was. What they were offered was a protection racket not a public good.
gotta go. will rant later.

Yes and no erudito March 20 2006, 12:11:59 UTC

I wasn't trying to clam that no exploitation was taking place, merely that there is some provision of public goods going on. Which, in fact, is generally true of protection rackets. (It says something about Hong Kong that the Triads' protection rackets are actually economically efficient ...)

Presumably it is possible to have an accurate concept of mode of production. It is just that the actual Marxist one isn't.

Re: Yes and no taavi March 23 2008, 01:26:34 UTC

Have you got a ref for that triad thing btw? I came across the concept of "competitive corruption" in a paper on Thailand a while back and found it quite intriguing.

Re: Yes and no erudito March 23 2008, 01:43:16 UTC

Unfortunately no, it was explained to be in person by a former resident.

The idea that corruption can reduce transactions costs is around. (Of course, it is very much an nth best solution.)

taavi March 23 2008, 01:23:58 UTC

I'd like you to expand on this bit ( ... )

Capital/labour ratios erudito March 23 2008, 01:41:38 UTC

Over the last 30 years or so, woman have flooded into the Western workforce, as have migrants. This is what has created the downward pressure on wages. The expansion in capital and efficiency of capital use has ameliorated the effect of this increase in labour supply ( ... )