Also important to note that the TRPF is largely about new machinery. Competition involves increasing technology, which raises the mass of commodities and usually the mass of profits, but lowers the rate of profit. This is only fought by further raising the mass of profits via expansion, which is why we get imperialism as capitalism grows.

  • Dragon@lemmy.ml
    2·
    1 day ago

    No, the capitalists can’t consume the surplus product. This has been considered and it has been proved not to work (eg by Luxemburg). The reason is, that capitalists are in competition with each other and are thus forced to invest in constant capital (machines etc) expanding circulation and making the problem worse. Capitalists who only consume the surplus are outcompeted and cease to be capitalists.

    One of them just needs to find a product that is so good it makes their fellow capitalists forget about their desire for capital.

    In all seriousness, I appreciate the thoughtful response. You might be on to something about the use of war to eliminate overproduction.