The question is raised as to why Marx starts Capital with the ‘commodity’. It’s right there in the first line of the first chapter of the first volume: “The wealth of societies dominated by the capitalist mode of production appears in the form of an ‘enormous accumulation of commodities’ “. Why did Marx start withContinue reading “In the beginning was the commodity”
Category Archives: Uncategorized
eye massage
Once a year I go to hospital to have my eyes photographed. There is a growth behind one of them and if it changes, then as I understand the procedure, my eye gets taken out of its socket, the growth removed and the eye put back in it’s proper place. It’s always good news toContinue reading “eye massage”
Garden Cities in Vienna
From as early as 1915 onwards the people of Vienna began to appropriate land to grow their own food. By the time the Austro-Hungarian Empire collapsed at the end of October 1918 it was estimated that there were over 100,000 people living in makeshift shelters and working towards being self-sufficient. The empire was bought downContinue reading “Garden Cities in Vienna”
A Pint of Beer
Someone brought me a pint of beer. You know, in the great scheme of things; this is nothing at all. Or…means a great deal. To me, at the moment, in that pub in a London street it was one of the most lovely things that had happened all week. She stood up in her glassContinue reading “A Pint of Beer”
Bon Weekend
The train from Reims to Nancy moves in a dream-like state through the French countryside. Waves of hills and hedgerows, yellow fields of rape crop, clusters of trees on the horizon, deep greens of ripening wheat and barley. There are low lying clouds and as the train hits them at speed they burst and fillContinue reading “Bon Weekend”
Hufeisensiedlung – One & One is Three
A list of streets were written by hand into a small notebook. This is much easier to use than any sort of digital device. There is no signing on, no search button, no need for a G4 or wifi connection. The list is important because sometimes you arrive at a place and you are notContinue reading “Hufeisensiedlung – One & One is Three”
War Primer
A woman is sitting on a bench by the shore. She is wearing a black coat and a green scarf. She holds a phone in her hand and dials a number. She holds the phone to her head and then she moves again to dial a number. She does this over and over again butContinue reading “War Primer”
Seascapes
The beach was deserted. The sea scapes and the sky scapes and the sense of being alone were ideal. A perfect time and place to plan a revolution. The container ship Hong Kong Express sailing from Antwerp to Southampton. The coast of France. Earlier I met some French swimmers in the harbour who are trainingContinue reading “Seascapes”
Look both ways
The relations of production are invisible. People work hereDesk topslaptopsendless powerpoint presentationsof great corporationscultureof great corporationsambitionsaims and objectivesmission statementsA red angle poise lamp In offices, at workstations,in the streetrailway stationsunderground andconstruction What strange symmetryof these contradictions and tensions
Consumption
MSC Sao Paulo on its way from Bremenhaven to Le Havre. An earlier voyage this year included Liverpool, Montreal and Antwerp. It has a carrying capacity of 4688 TEU. It sails under the flag of Liberia and its home port is Monravia. Over 50 percent of the population of Liberia live below the poverty line.Continue reading “Consumption”
Commodity Fetishism 