capitalism Archives

A capital question: How did Marx identify accumulation of capital?

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Paul Zarembka argues that a more holistic definition of capital accumulation invites a better understanding of the social conditions by which people are transformed and made exploitable under capitalism.

‘Accumulation of capital’ is a ubiquitous concept in political economy and central to Marxist theory. Classical economists before Marx defined the concept as gathering ever-greater means of production – ie tools, machinery, buildings, and raw materials. Marxist theorists commonly accept a classical understanding and fail to exploit the essence of Marx’s own concept. Paul Zarembka, Research Professor of Economics at […]

Homelessness and the American dream: An inconvenient truth

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The widely accepted narrative around homelessness places the blame on poor life choices, conveniently absolving society of responsibility. However, at Eastern Washington University, Dr Matthew Anderson and Dr Stephen Tsikalas, with graduate students Elijah C. Hansen and Zachary Arms, are highlighting large-scale political, economic, and social drivers of the problem, which is inextricably linked to capitalism. In Portland, developers collaborate […]