In Part 1 of this book originally published in France in 1995, Claude Bitot addresses capitalism’s imminent contradictions from the perspective of Marx’s theory of the falling rate of profit and in the context of the role of automation, rising productivity and relocations since the crisis of the 1970s, and concludes that capitalism has entered a stage of permanent crisis he defines as “the end of its cycle”; in Part 2, he discusses some of the ideological and social consequences of this crisis that signal the definitive decline of the republican and secular values that characterized the rise of the nation state in the springtime and maturity of capitalism.
Comments
Where's the actual text? To
Where's the actual text? To be uploaded? Looks really interesting.
Yes, I'm interested in
Yes, I'm interested in reading it too. Perhaps the upload is still pending.
Nope, nothing pending as far
Nope, nothing pending as far as I can tell.
I will get round to reading
I will get round to reading this soon as I found his 'Communism has not yet begun' a stimulating read before, though it seems I only ended up discussing it with myself!!
Does this text added substantially to the other?
Oh, thank you for the
Oh, thank you for the suggestion of the author's other text, Spikymike! It's a pity nobody found the time to read it and debate with you there, as I was also interested in the discussion, but at least your comments are there as interesting complements to the after-reading.
This text ("An
This text ("An Investigation...") was written before Bitot's "Communism..." book, and goes into more detail, details that are perhaps elementary for initiates, about the Marxist critique of political economy that constitutes the basis of the "Communism..." book (the falling rate of profit), and adds some comments on the cultural, ideological and political implications of the decline of capitalism, many of which will probably appear to be "conservative" to Libcom adepts (Part 2). Although it would appear that the author has not completely assimilated Mattick's interpretation of Marxism (I am referring in particular to Bitot's reference to the Marx quotation about the limited consuming power of the masses), I thought it would be a valuable contribution nonetheless. I found the book illuminating and hope others find it to be of interest as well.
Well it's the second part
Well it's the second part which adds some points of interest - in it's description of trends towards 'regionalism' and 'communitarian ideologies' and the decline of bourgeois nations under the impact of 'globalisation' and the decomposition of the past cross-class ideological glue of capitalism in at least the most advanced sectors of the economy. There are echoes here for me in it's 'conservatism' of the ICC's most recent categorisation of the current capitalist period as one of ' social and economic decomposition' though located in a very different basic analysis. Certainly as a description of trends in the period Bitot is dealing with they are accurate enough and apart from a short respite they appear to have continued with even more vigor most recently following the global financial and particularly the current Euro crisis. Some of the phraseology used in sections dealing with the 'new middle class' would not be amiss in some of my Nihilist Communist comrades interventions but Bitot describes material changes affecting that 'middle class' which are more likely to bring them to rebel against, at least the effects of, capitalism as much as other proletarians. Bitot certainly in his rather limited references to communitarianism and ''identity consciousness'' identifies only their most negative elements perhaps failing to recognise any contradictory tendencies that might offer potential for some future unity rather than further separation and disintegration - in the absense of this we are certainly left with a rather bleak outlook it seems? But definitely worth a read.
Still relevant and best read…
Still relevant and best read together with Bitot's 'Communism has not Yet Begun' also on this site.