Quote of the day–Herbert Marcuse

Organized capitalism has sublimated and turned to socially productive use frustration and primary aggressiveness on an unprecedented scale — unprecedented not in terms of the quantity of violence but rather in terms of its capacity to produce long-range contentment and satisfaction, to reproduce the “voluntary servitude.” To be sure, frustration, unhappiness, and sickness remain the basis of this sublimation, but the productivity and the brute power of the system still keep the basis well under control. The achievements justify the system of domination. The established values become the people’s own values: adaptation turns into spontaneity, autonomy; and the choice between social necessities appears as freedom. In this sense, the continuing exploitation is not only hidden behind the technological veil, but actually “transfigured.” The capitalist production relations are responsible not only for the servitude and toil but also for the greater happiness and fun available to the majority of the population — and they deliver more goods than before.


Herbert Marcuse
1971
An Essay on Liberation from the chapter “A Biological Foundation for Socialism?”, page 13.
[It seems to me that those that advocate socialism have a very simplistic, idealized view of the world. And they have this view of “social justice” such that, Susan K. once told me, “They would rather everyone make $1.00/hour than most people make $100/hour if there are some people that make $1000/hour.” Capitalism creates envy because of the disparity of wealth but it also produces the greatest good for the greatest number.–Joe]

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