Karl Marx, in his preface to Contribution to the Critique of Political Economy (1857-8) and in Capital, Vol. I (1876), intones what is likely the first utterance of an accelerationist praxis and, thus, the possibility of creating a new world by quickening the demise of the system which binds us:
"At a certain stage of development, the material productive forces of society come into conflict with the existing relations of production or -- this merely expresses the same thing in legal terms -- with the property relations within the framework of which they have operated hitherto. From forms of development of the productive forces these relations turn into their fetters. Then begins an era of social revolution." — Karl Marx, Preface to Contribution to the Critique of Political Economy (1857-8), p. 2
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"The monopoly of capital becomes a fetter upon the mode of production, which has sprung up and flourished along with, and under it. Centralisation of the means of production and socialisation of labour at last reach a point where they become incompatible with their capitalist integument. This integument is burst asunder. The knell of capitalist private property sounds. The expropriators are expropriated." —Karl Marx, Capital, Vol. 1 (1867), Chapter 32, p. 837
These statements are more than Marx's untimely predictions of the future we now inhabit; they are a description of the very situation we find ourselves in here on SteemIt.
Many of us have been driven to seeking out additional means of making money. We have besn driven out of everywhere else. Our sole resting place is the internet, some perceptive network which grants us solace from these relations of production (of getting up to go to work every day at a dead-end job, of being unable to explore interests and hobbies, of seeing the same friends everyday, of paying for healthcare you cant use, etc).
The process has gone on long enough. We can feel the membrane, the integument, which has kept us in this bondage, and we can feel the pressure as we attempt to transgress its limits.
SteemIt has the potential, as with other cryptocurrencies, to radically alter the relations which produce and reproduce our world.
When the market is torn asunder, what remains?
very intriguing post!
I agree that cryptocurrencies are something radically new in terms of economics which can lead to a social transformative effect as well. We are in dire need of such a change as unequality is at an all time high and the current system (traditional labor market) needs to change in light of technological progress.
I am still very much infatuated by the newness of cryptocurrencies. Especially when it comes to its decentralized aspect. But I am not so sure if platforms such as steemit won't also in the long run lead to inequality as steem will get more scarce as time goes on and the people who have built up capital (steem) will have an advantage over others as they get to decide what is deemed as important (correct me if I'm wrong!).
I'll give you a follow :)
No, I definitely agree with that point. We can already see how techno-capital markets have taken on the same vices as their bio-capital predecessors: for example, Bit Coin being used on the black markets to participate in smuggling endangered animals, the traffic of humans and deleterious drugs, and an unknown number of unbecoming financial transactions.
My understanding of cryptocurrency & SteemIt's utility in this matter is one of approaching (in)finite complexity. I havent read much on "smart media tokens," but it has been relayed to me that soon developers will be able to create separate coins particular to their platform.
I dont enjoy the highly technical talk of economics and computers, but I imagine a world of multitudinous, discrete currencies bridges the way to a dissolution of currency altogether.
Who knows? Ive given up the realm of politics which deals in identities, like Marxist, anarchist, etc., as it assumes the future will look anything like what the past has said about it.
As I said above, Im very interested in quickening our release from these fetters, and cryptocurrency, at very least, is a means to such a quickening. Hopefully, I and people like me can assure that these cryptocurrencies work in favor of live and its collective advancement and prevent them from becoming tools for people to exalt themselves above others.
Thanks for the comment.