Slides for a conference of the Moscow Academic Internet Forum, Moscow 18-19 April 2019. These are the translation of the English slides of the same title
The Pursuit of Class Struggle By Other Means: presentation to a conference of the World Association for Political Economy (WAPE) on 'Modernization', in Pingtan, Fujian, September 2023
This document proposes developing a theory of "Noonomy" to measure and account for intangible resources and production, especially of "mental objects."
It notes that creative and science industries now employ a large portion of workers and discusses extending measurement techniques from creative industries to general intangible production. Mental objects like scientific theories can take various forms.
The document argues modern production increasingly transforms immaterial resources and outputs immaterial objects, so planning needs a theory of quantifying and accounting for these. It explores how to measure intangible products and resources by attributes like price and labor, and defines services as specialized productive functions rather than a catch-all category. Specialization and cooperation of skilled labor are key to int
The Material Balance Accounting SystemAlan Freeman
The material balance accounting system was the main instrument of economic planning in the Soviet Union and other centrally planned economies of Eastern Europe. It provided data on production targets and achievements, but was best understood as a planning instrument rather than just a source of accounting data. Key questions around the system included how outputs were measured, prices were set, and any surpluses were disposed of by the state. The system also had interfaces with commodity sectors and consumption, which was not itself part of the material balance planning system.
This document discusses why cities are not states and explores governance issues related to London. It examines how cities have historically assumed some state functions but were later absorbed by larger territorial projects. While the nation state is the dominant form, globalization has undermined multilateralism and the adequacy of the national form. Cities can only optimize in the context of their relation to the national and world economy, but which nation? The document explores definitions of world cities and challenges in measuring and comparing cities economically. It considers how London's economy has shifted towards services and creative industries.
This document discusses the origins and consequences of war from a globalization perspective. It makes three key points:
1) A seminar with authors from five continents concluded that globalization is in structural crisis, governance is failing, and major powers are increasingly turning to war as a solution, similar to the imperialism of 1873-1914.
2) This has consequences for political theory, requiring a new synthesis, and for practice, with social justice movements needing greater cooperation.
3) Globalization has led to stagnation, growing inequality, and the failure of states to govern, forcing direct intervention by dominant powers and risking more open conflict if continental unity and South-South cooperation cannot provide a counterweight.
The Pursuit of Class Struggle By Other Means: presentation to a conference of the World Association for Political Economy (WAPE) on 'Modernization', in Pingtan, Fujian, September 2023
This document proposes developing a theory of "Noonomy" to measure and account for intangible resources and production, especially of "mental objects."
It notes that creative and science industries now employ a large portion of workers and discusses extending measurement techniques from creative industries to general intangible production. Mental objects like scientific theories can take various forms.
The document argues modern production increasingly transforms immaterial resources and outputs immaterial objects, so planning needs a theory of quantifying and accounting for these. It explores how to measure intangible products and resources by attributes like price and labor, and defines services as specialized productive functions rather than a catch-all category. Specialization and cooperation of skilled labor are key to int
The Material Balance Accounting SystemAlan Freeman
The material balance accounting system was the main instrument of economic planning in the Soviet Union and other centrally planned economies of Eastern Europe. It provided data on production targets and achievements, but was best understood as a planning instrument rather than just a source of accounting data. Key questions around the system included how outputs were measured, prices were set, and any surpluses were disposed of by the state. The system also had interfaces with commodity sectors and consumption, which was not itself part of the material balance planning system.
This document discusses why cities are not states and explores governance issues related to London. It examines how cities have historically assumed some state functions but were later absorbed by larger territorial projects. While the nation state is the dominant form, globalization has undermined multilateralism and the adequacy of the national form. Cities can only optimize in the context of their relation to the national and world economy, but which nation? The document explores definitions of world cities and challenges in measuring and comparing cities economically. It considers how London's economy has shifted towards services and creative industries.
This document discusses the origins and consequences of war from a globalization perspective. It makes three key points:
1) A seminar with authors from five continents concluded that globalization is in structural crisis, governance is failing, and major powers are increasingly turning to war as a solution, similar to the imperialism of 1873-1914.
2) This has consequences for political theory, requiring a new synthesis, and for practice, with social justice movements needing greater cooperation.
3) Globalization has led to stagnation, growing inequality, and the failure of states to govern, forcing direct intervention by dominant powers and risking more open conflict if continental unity and South-South cooperation cannot provide a counterweight.
The document discusses whether there is a definable "creative sector" and what it might constitute. It summarizes that while standard economic classification systems may not fully capture emerging industries, there are signs that a new creative sector is developing, characterized by:
1) A stable, global rise in demand for cultural goods and services.
2) A qualitative reshaping of industrial structure around flexibly specialized, high-tech production of differentiated, cultural products and services.
3) The rise of cities as locations for clustering and agglomeration economies in the new paradigm of small-run, customized creative production.
This document discusses globalization trends from 1970 to 2000. It shows that:
1) Global GDP and GDP per capita increased substantially over this period, with advanced countries seeing faster growth.
2) GDP per capita in Southeast Asia grew the most between 1980-1990, while the Eurozone saw a decline between 1990-2000.
3) The share of global GDP for North America and the Eurozone declined while Southeast Asia increased.
Computers are increasingly being used in space exploration and scientific research. They help analyze data collected from satellites and space probes. Advances in computing also allow for new forms of digital and online learning that make education more accessible.
Este documento presenta tres hechos fundamentales: la crisis económica, la crisis generalizada y la desigualdad creciente. Explica que se necesita una teoría endógena del mercado que pueda dar cuenta de estos hechos de manera comprensiva, general y simple. Propone que la teoría del valor puede cumplir este rol al conceptualizar la producción en términos del esfuerzo humano organizado por el mercado, permitiendo derivar leyes específicas como la ley de acumulación y la circulación desigual entre naciones.
What economics should learn from China’s Economic SuccessAlan Freeman
This document discusses the need for a Chinese political economy that is based on Marxism but distinct from Western interpretations. It presents graphs showing China's strong economic growth compared to other regions since 1970. It argues that mainstream Western economics, from neoclassical to neoliberal thought, have failed to explain current economic realities. The document advocates interpreting Marx's concepts, like the tendency of the rate of profit to fall, in a way that is grounded in China's experience rather than Western assumptions.
Presentation to Auckland City Council on the living wage, Tuesday 25 July 2017.
See also video of interview with NewsHub (NZ Television) at https://studio.youtube.com/video/qQIbY920_aA/edit
1) The document analyzes the Columbus myth as an origin story that justifies the dominance of powers from the global North since 1492.
2) It argues that while their dominance is declining, these powers refuse to understand that their wealth came from acquiring the wealth of others through imperialism and slavery, not from any inherent superiority.
3) The Columbus myth disguises this by portraying Columbus as discovering America and creating a model of progress, rather than enslaving and wiping out indigenous populations for profit. The myth sustains the dominant worldview.
Mental labour, ecological crisis, and the future of workAlan Freeman
This document discusses the transition from material to mental production and its implications for the future of work. It argues that growth has slowed in developed nations and most workers are now engaged in services rather than material production. However, the concept of "services" is problematic and does not capture the human-centered and mental aspects of much modern work. The document defines mental production and mental objects which can exist independently of physical forms. While automation can handle repetitive mental tasks, creative work that involves problem-solving and collaboration cannot be mechanized. The private property system fails to support creative workers and restricts access to mental objects. A post-growth economy should focus on human-centered development, validating creativity as a human capacity, and restructuring property
Slides of a talk given at the Autonomous University of Mexico (UAM) on 9th September 2021, for the 15th international conference on 'Administration and Technology Design for Architecture, Design and Engineering'. Mainly in Spanish. The video of the event will be uploaded to utube shortly
The document discusses the impact of COVID-19 on culture and the creative industries. It provides statistics showing that in Manitoba pre-pandemic, creative industries like arts and entertainment experienced strong employment growth compared to other sectors. However, data on job losses from January-July 2020 indicate that the creative sector was hit harder by the pandemic than non-creative industries. The reliance on in-person activities makes creative jobs more vulnerable to lockdowns and social distancing measures.
Why we need a theory of Mental ObjectsAlan Freeman
This document discusses mental objects and their role in modern production. It makes three key points:
1) Mental objects like computer programs, scientific knowledge, and artistic works are increasingly important inputs in production, especially in services, technology, and creative industries. However, they behave differently than physical inputs.
2) There are two types of mental objects - algorithmic ones with predictable results, and predicative/poetic ones whose results depend on human judgment. Producing the latter is challenging as their creation process is undefined.
3) Current intellectual property models restrain use of mental objects rather than encouraging their application and innovation. Alternative models that provide income to both creators and users could better support continued development of mental labor and
The document discusses the falling rate of profit and includes 4 charts showing:
1) The UK profit rate made consistent by including financial assets in capital over 1970-2005.
2) The US profit rate made consistent by including financial assets in capital over 1946-2006.
3) US capacity utilization and recessions from 1987-2009.
4) The ratio of the UK corporate sector's cumulative purchase of financial vs. fixed assets from 1987-2009.
Unexplained persistence: Essential facts for a theory of postcolonial imperia...Alan Freeman
Slides for paper presented at the annual conference of the World Association for Political Economy (WAPE) hosted by the Geopolitical Economy Research Group (GERG) at the University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, July 2019. Short introductory video is on utube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rt4mWagp58Q&feature=youtu.be
The long slump: The economic facts behind the present protracted political cr...Alan Freeman
Second of two slide packs dealing with the current world economy and its protracted crisis; used for presentations at the annual conference of the World Association for Political Economy (WAPE) hosted by the Geopolitical Economy Research Group (GERG) at the University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, July 2019.
Accompanied by short video presentation at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRuKiXR6LcA&feature=youtu.be; see academia entry at https://www.academia.edu/41884367/Unexplained_persistence_Essential_facts_for_a_theory_of_postcolonial_imperialism
From humanitarian poster-child to war criminal: Canadian foreign policy towar...Alan Freeman
From humanitarian poster-child to war criminal: Canadian foreign policy towards Venezuela. Presentation to the 2019 conference of the Society for Socialist Scholars at the Congress of the Humanities, Vancouver 4 June 2019.
The document discusses trends in GDP per capita in the USSR compared to other parts of the world from 1950 to recent times. It shows that Soviet GDP per capita rose relative to Western nations from 1950 to 1986, but then collapsed after economic reforms in the 1990s to the level of other developing nations. Under Putin, GDP per capita recovered somewhat but this relative growth has now plateaued.
Originally published in Marxism 21, this paper was located on a former academia site for a while. I have moved it here for convenience
This article investigates the mechanisms and causes of recessions and depressions, and their relation to the more spectacular financial crises which announce them. It demonstrates how the concept of the Monetary Expression of Labour Time (MELT) allows us to understand the most difficult aspect of this relation, namely how money acquires value, and thereby serves, under definite conditions which characterise recessions and depressions, as self-expanding value, so becoming an alternative use of capital to production.
Culture, Creativity and Innovation in the Internet AgeAlan Freeman
This slideshow accompanies a paper summarising the conclusions of the author's work at the GLA on the creative industries. It contains several graphics used in the paper
The Origins of Western Hubris and the destiniy of Northern exceptionalism (西方...Alan Freeman
Slides (in English and Chinese) presented at Beijing Sports University at the conference organized by the School of Marxism entitled “Thinking of Different Nations with a Philosophical view”. The topic is the arrogance of the nations of the global North, its economic origins, and the punishment this arrogance invites.
See https://tinyurl.com/tcfbob8 for the paper
The document discusses whether there is a definable "creative sector" and what it might constitute. It summarizes that while standard economic classification systems may not fully capture emerging industries, there are signs that a new creative sector is developing, characterized by:
1) A stable, global rise in demand for cultural goods and services.
2) A qualitative reshaping of industrial structure around flexibly specialized, high-tech production of differentiated, cultural products and services.
3) The rise of cities as locations for clustering and agglomeration economies in the new paradigm of small-run, customized creative production.
This document discusses globalization trends from 1970 to 2000. It shows that:
1) Global GDP and GDP per capita increased substantially over this period, with advanced countries seeing faster growth.
2) GDP per capita in Southeast Asia grew the most between 1980-1990, while the Eurozone saw a decline between 1990-2000.
3) The share of global GDP for North America and the Eurozone declined while Southeast Asia increased.
Computers are increasingly being used in space exploration and scientific research. They help analyze data collected from satellites and space probes. Advances in computing also allow for new forms of digital and online learning that make education more accessible.
Este documento presenta tres hechos fundamentales: la crisis económica, la crisis generalizada y la desigualdad creciente. Explica que se necesita una teoría endógena del mercado que pueda dar cuenta de estos hechos de manera comprensiva, general y simple. Propone que la teoría del valor puede cumplir este rol al conceptualizar la producción en términos del esfuerzo humano organizado por el mercado, permitiendo derivar leyes específicas como la ley de acumulación y la circulación desigual entre naciones.
What economics should learn from China’s Economic SuccessAlan Freeman
This document discusses the need for a Chinese political economy that is based on Marxism but distinct from Western interpretations. It presents graphs showing China's strong economic growth compared to other regions since 1970. It argues that mainstream Western economics, from neoclassical to neoliberal thought, have failed to explain current economic realities. The document advocates interpreting Marx's concepts, like the tendency of the rate of profit to fall, in a way that is grounded in China's experience rather than Western assumptions.
Presentation to Auckland City Council on the living wage, Tuesday 25 July 2017.
See also video of interview with NewsHub (NZ Television) at https://studio.youtube.com/video/qQIbY920_aA/edit
1) The document analyzes the Columbus myth as an origin story that justifies the dominance of powers from the global North since 1492.
2) It argues that while their dominance is declining, these powers refuse to understand that their wealth came from acquiring the wealth of others through imperialism and slavery, not from any inherent superiority.
3) The Columbus myth disguises this by portraying Columbus as discovering America and creating a model of progress, rather than enslaving and wiping out indigenous populations for profit. The myth sustains the dominant worldview.
Mental labour, ecological crisis, and the future of workAlan Freeman
This document discusses the transition from material to mental production and its implications for the future of work. It argues that growth has slowed in developed nations and most workers are now engaged in services rather than material production. However, the concept of "services" is problematic and does not capture the human-centered and mental aspects of much modern work. The document defines mental production and mental objects which can exist independently of physical forms. While automation can handle repetitive mental tasks, creative work that involves problem-solving and collaboration cannot be mechanized. The private property system fails to support creative workers and restricts access to mental objects. A post-growth economy should focus on human-centered development, validating creativity as a human capacity, and restructuring property
Slides of a talk given at the Autonomous University of Mexico (UAM) on 9th September 2021, for the 15th international conference on 'Administration and Technology Design for Architecture, Design and Engineering'. Mainly in Spanish. The video of the event will be uploaded to utube shortly
The document discusses the impact of COVID-19 on culture and the creative industries. It provides statistics showing that in Manitoba pre-pandemic, creative industries like arts and entertainment experienced strong employment growth compared to other sectors. However, data on job losses from January-July 2020 indicate that the creative sector was hit harder by the pandemic than non-creative industries. The reliance on in-person activities makes creative jobs more vulnerable to lockdowns and social distancing measures.
Why we need a theory of Mental ObjectsAlan Freeman
This document discusses mental objects and their role in modern production. It makes three key points:
1) Mental objects like computer programs, scientific knowledge, and artistic works are increasingly important inputs in production, especially in services, technology, and creative industries. However, they behave differently than physical inputs.
2) There are two types of mental objects - algorithmic ones with predictable results, and predicative/poetic ones whose results depend on human judgment. Producing the latter is challenging as their creation process is undefined.
3) Current intellectual property models restrain use of mental objects rather than encouraging their application and innovation. Alternative models that provide income to both creators and users could better support continued development of mental labor and
The document discusses the falling rate of profit and includes 4 charts showing:
1) The UK profit rate made consistent by including financial assets in capital over 1970-2005.
2) The US profit rate made consistent by including financial assets in capital over 1946-2006.
3) US capacity utilization and recessions from 1987-2009.
4) The ratio of the UK corporate sector's cumulative purchase of financial vs. fixed assets from 1987-2009.
Unexplained persistence: Essential facts for a theory of postcolonial imperia...Alan Freeman
Slides for paper presented at the annual conference of the World Association for Political Economy (WAPE) hosted by the Geopolitical Economy Research Group (GERG) at the University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, July 2019. Short introductory video is on utube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rt4mWagp58Q&feature=youtu.be
The long slump: The economic facts behind the present protracted political cr...Alan Freeman
Second of two slide packs dealing with the current world economy and its protracted crisis; used for presentations at the annual conference of the World Association for Political Economy (WAPE) hosted by the Geopolitical Economy Research Group (GERG) at the University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, July 2019.
Accompanied by short video presentation at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRuKiXR6LcA&feature=youtu.be; see academia entry at https://www.academia.edu/41884367/Unexplained_persistence_Essential_facts_for_a_theory_of_postcolonial_imperialism
From humanitarian poster-child to war criminal: Canadian foreign policy towar...Alan Freeman
From humanitarian poster-child to war criminal: Canadian foreign policy towards Venezuela. Presentation to the 2019 conference of the Society for Socialist Scholars at the Congress of the Humanities, Vancouver 4 June 2019.
The document discusses trends in GDP per capita in the USSR compared to other parts of the world from 1950 to recent times. It shows that Soviet GDP per capita rose relative to Western nations from 1950 to 1986, but then collapsed after economic reforms in the 1990s to the level of other developing nations. Under Putin, GDP per capita recovered somewhat but this relative growth has now plateaued.
Originally published in Marxism 21, this paper was located on a former academia site for a while. I have moved it here for convenience
This article investigates the mechanisms and causes of recessions and depressions, and their relation to the more spectacular financial crises which announce them. It demonstrates how the concept of the Monetary Expression of Labour Time (MELT) allows us to understand the most difficult aspect of this relation, namely how money acquires value, and thereby serves, under definite conditions which characterise recessions and depressions, as self-expanding value, so becoming an alternative use of capital to production.
Culture, Creativity and Innovation in the Internet AgeAlan Freeman
This slideshow accompanies a paper summarising the conclusions of the author's work at the GLA on the creative industries. It contains several graphics used in the paper
The Origins of Western Hubris and the destiniy of Northern exceptionalism (西方...Alan Freeman
Slides (in English and Chinese) presented at Beijing Sports University at the conference organized by the School of Marxism entitled “Thinking of Different Nations with a Philosophical view”. The topic is the arrogance of the nations of the global North, its economic origins, and the punishment this arrogance invites.
See https://tinyurl.com/tcfbob8 for the paper
3. •К 1982 году советский ВВП на душу
населения в пересчете на ППС
составлял 80% от ВВП встранах Севера
и в четыре раза больше, чемВВП
остальных стран Юга.
•Он рос относительно стран Севера с
1950 по 1986 год, в то время как на
остальном Юге падал
•После шоковой терапии он рухнул до
уровня Юга
•При Путине рост несколько
восстановился,но сейчас это
(относительное) восстановление
достигло максимума
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
1950
1954
1958
1962
1966
1970
1974
1978
1982
1986
1990
1994
1998
2002
2006
2010
2014
ВВП Юга и СССР на душу населения в
пересчете на ППС, относительно глобального
Севера
USSR South
4.
5.
6.
7. В период с 1983 по 2000 год
население Лондона выросло
на 700 тысяч человек.
Это больше, чем проживало
Бристоле, пятом по величине
городе Великобритании
Жилищный фонд оставался
неизменным, не было нового
транспорта, очень мало школ
и почти никаких больниц.
Тэтчер утверждала, что об
этом позаботится «рынок»
Источник: Planning for London’s Growth
8. The market didn’t
take care of it.
The red line shows
how many were
traveling
The blue line shows
how much was
invested
Source: ‘Planning for
London’s Growth’, the
GLA’s first economic
development plan
9. Рынок не позаботился об
этом.
Красная линия
показывает количество
поездок
Синяя линия показывает,
сколько было
инвестировано
Источник: «Планирование
роста Лондона», первый
план экономического
развития Мэрии Большого
Лондона
10.
11. The strange non-disappearance of labour
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
1948
1952
1956
1960
1964
1968
1972
1976
1980
1984
1988
1992
1996
2000
2004
UK US Japan Germany
USA
UK
Japan
Germany
Share of employment 1948-2007
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
1946
1950
1954
1958
1962
1966
1970
1974
1978
1982
1986
1990
1994
1998
2002
2006
2010
Retail+Wholesale Information
Financial Activities Leisure and Hospitality
Government Health and Education
Business services
GovernmentRetail and Wholesale
Business Services Health and Education
Leisure and Hospitality
Financial Activities
Information
Share of employment in US services
12. The strange non-disappearance of labour
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
1948
1952
1956
1960
1964
1968
1972
1976
1980
1984
1988
1992
1996
2000
2004
UK US Japan Germany
USA
UK
Japan
Germany
Share of employment 1948-2007
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
1946
1950
1954
1958
1962
1966
1970
1974
1978
1982
1986
1990
1994
1998
2002
2006
2010
Retail+Wholesale Information
Financial Activities Leisure and Hospitality
Government Health and Education
Business services
GovernmentRetail and Wholesale
Business Services Health and Education
Leisure and Hospitality
Financial Activities
Information
Share of employment in US services