A substantial part of Marx’s original writing discussed modes of production. Modes of production were/are the things which are used to make things. A shoe factory is the mode of production for shoes.
In Marxism the capitalist is seen as the owner of the modes of production. The owner controls the modes of production, and the worker is alienated from the process of production because the owner takes what is produced. Marxism desires to see the worker take control of the modes of production.
Production is necessary for survival. Humans must “produce” food, water, shelter, etc. to survive. (No one “makes” water, but to dig a well is to make water.)
Harvey emphasizes differences in capitalist modes of production from humanist modes of production. Capitalist modes of production seek to make only one thing, money. A capitalist produces shoes to make money. The goal is not to put shoes on people’s feet. The goal is to put money in his pocket.
If you buy a factory to make shoes to give to children in Buenos Aires you are not a capitalist. Your mode of production is designed to make shoes, not money.
In Marx’s time a man would buy a factory to make shoes because he wanted to make money, to be rich and powerful. The mode of production made a product and that product was turned into money.
Now Harvey says that capitalists seek to make money without even manufacturing a product. “Booking Companies” in the US are an example of this. Insurance companies are another example. Neither of these companies “produce” anything. They make money, but they do not manufacture a product. Hospitals and doctors and nurses are modes of production that manufacture health care that is sold to people in the US. Insurance companies sell customers health insurance but do nothing to make a person more healthy. Insurance companies only take part of the money a patient would spend on doctors, and medicine and all. Insurance companies make money but they produce no products. Insurance companies are a mode of production with no product. They make money but manufacture nothing. The hospitals and doctors and nurses manufacture health care. The insurance companies make money off of their work without even building a hospital or manufacturing drugs or anything.
Uber, and Lyft, and other gig economy “jobs” in the US are other examples of modes of production that do not make anything. They only make money from nothing, except manipulation of information and knowledge and exploitation of other people’s resources.
This is what David Harvey sees as the foundation for a postmodern world or postmodern economy. It is what separates contemporary economics from and economics of the past. Marx saw the factory owner as exploiting the employee through control of the factory. Harvey sees the capitalist as exploiting both factory owner and employee through control of information and technology.
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Tonight I watched these videos. They are sad and hard. Also I do not know how to share videos because of language. I know that when I communicate with you that you seem so very able to understand all that is said and shared. I know though that English in not first for you, and that listening is harder than reading, and especially when words and information are not commonly used words. So I do not know if I would recommend any of these for you.
It is only what I watched.
Anti-Capitalist Chronicles: CO2 Emissions and Climate Change — YouTube
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