[WikiEN-l] Test case: policing content

Fri Mar 25 23:52:25 UTC 2005

Ed Poor wrote,

>Googling the quoted definition easily shows that several sources
>regard "private ownership of the means of production" as an
>essential part of the "Marxist definition" of Capitalism.

Alas, sometimes the Web is not the best place to do research.  I think if 
Wikipedia wants to establish itself as an outstanding on-line encyclopedia, 
its editors sometimes have to do some off-line research.

In most of the cases Ed is referring to, people are taking sentences by 
Marx and Engels out of context.  Abolishing the private ownership of 
capital is but one element of the communist program -- but that doesn't 
mean that they defined capitalism as ownership of the means of 
production.  Another part of their program was free education for children 
-- certainly we don't think that the "Marxist" definition of capitalism is 
a system where children are uneducated!  Moreover, in the Communist 
Manifesto they actually argue that capitalism is destroying private 
property!  And in various other books by Marx, Marx and Engels, and their 
followers, they define capitalism quite differently.

In any event, Ed at least provided an actual source. Now we can have 
hopefully fruitful discussion of the usefulness of this source, if there 
are better sources, etc.  In short, what Ed wrote was verifiable.

Several weeks ago Ultramarine and I asked RJII to provide his source.  Now, 
wouldn't it have saved everyone a lot of trouble if he just provided it?

Steve

Steven L. Rubenstein
Associate Professor
Department of Sociology and Anthropology
Bentley Annex
Ohio University
Athens, Ohio 45701