Is globalization a new Marxist Avatar?

      (Or Heterogeneous Societies and the Mode of Production)

Note: Prior to my music research, I was associated with Periyar Movement (social Atheist Body), specialising in Marxism. Failing to find a person in Marxist & ML groups to discuss the following during that period, I prepared a core draft while migrating to music research. After few decades, I had added the subsequent developments to the draft to circulate it and activate a debate on the relevance of ancient wisdom to the modern world.          

                                                   

Abstract:

The productive forces and production relations were conferred homogenous character in traditional Marxist view. This view in turn led to homogenous conception of the surplus product, the surplus value and the appropriation of the surplus product. Most of the Marxist predictions failed forcing the need to re-examine the postulates of Marxism

The fatalistic dimension (& the related fears) of Marxist theory becomes irrelevant to a heterogeneous society. In heterogeneous mode of production, the multi directional displacement of the contradictions may lead to a complex combination of peaceful and violent resolutions.

The socialist experiments in the former soviet bloc countries and China had proved that the financial capital is subservient to the power of contacts and networks. The above homogenous experiment done in the name of ‘free labour’ Marxism, is now repeated in the name of free capital through globalisation. An open minded review of ancient thoughts in our heritage in modern context may have the keys to understand the heterogeneous mysteries and their relation with globalisation.

Introduction – The Need to re-examine the postulates of Marxism

Before discussing the relevant aspects of the concept of the mode of production, let us  recall that in traditional Marxist view, the social history was divided into primitive, slave, feudal, capitalist and future socialist-communist phases identifying each phase with a particular mode of production. In other words each phase was considered to have a homogenous society having a homogenous mode of production in this over simplified view. As more and more details of past history in different parts of the world unfold, it is becoming clear that these divisions were oversimplified.  Obviously the productive forces and production relations were conferred homogenous character in such a traditional Marxist view. This view in turn led to homogenous conception of the surplus product, the surplus value and the appropriation of the surplus product. 

Most of the Marxist predictions failed, leaving the Marxists all over the world to look for a way out to rescue its relevance.  In the field of science, any failure of a prediction on the basis of a theory will lead to a re-examination of the postulates. One such effort in the case of Marxism will be to a re-examination of its postulates.

Homogeneous & heterogeneous dimensions of the mode of production

In the homogeneous conception, the contradictions in a homogenous society with homogenous mode of production will have a positive unidirectional progression towards maturing and bursting giving birth to a higher phase of society with higher mode of production. But in a heterogeneous society exhibiting heterogeneous character in the mode of production, the contradictions will have a multi directional displacement ruling out positive unidirectional progression towards maturing and bursting giving birth to a higher phase of homogenous society with higher homogenous mode of production. The multi directional displacement of the contradictions may lead to a complex combination of peaceful and violent resolutions.  Thus the fatalistic dimension (& the related fears) of Marxist theory (A feudal society is certain to transform to capitalistic first and socialistic next) becomes irrelevant to a heterogeneous society.

To understand the shortcoming of the homogenous conception of a society, mode of production, surplus product, surplus value and the appropriation of the surplus product, let me illustrate it with my experience.

During 1980’s I was a visiting a village in a backward area in Tamilnadu, South India to give a lecture to a group of youth. Due to poor public transportation facilities I stayed there overnight. To my total surprise, I found villagers purchasing in a small shop consumable items like washing soap manufactured in Bombay under a license from an MNC. Instead of cash, they were paying the paddy. I was witnessing a commodity exchange involving a capitalistic product in a village where the mode of production mainly in agriculture involved tools of early colonial period.

Most of the villages bordering around the districts Pudukkottai, Ramnad and Madurai in Tamilnadu were like that. Most of these villages had a small town at a distance of about 30 K.M where no such commodity exchange was in practice. Even during 1980’s Tamilnadu was one of the well developed states in India leading in literacy next only to Kerala.

Unlike the above example, many parts in the under developed and developing world have been compartmentalised into different kinds of undeveloped/unevenly developed societies. In other words, world economy is subjected to different kinds of heterogeneous mode of production in different countries.

What I witnessed was a unique case of heterogeneous society exhibiting heterogeneous character in the mode of production, surplus product, surplus value and the appropriation of the surplus product.

The Socialist experiments and a new breed of capitalists

The socialist experiments in the former soviet bloc countries and China in fact turned out to be futile experiments of imposing homogeneous character on the societies which were basically heterogeneous. The segregation of financial power and political power coalesced into a complex one through these experiments. These experiments resulted in a new breed of capitalists who reaped profits not possible by the previously known capitalists. These new type of capitalists invested more in developing contacts and networks than any financial investment. In fact they have proved that the financial capital is subservient to the power of contacts and networks. The mathematical equations used by Karl Marx in his Das Capital did not take into account the heterogeneous dimension and financial value of contacts and networks. Those simple equations will become more complex if these factors were taken into them.

Free labour and Free capital experiments

It is interesting and pathetic that the above homogenous experiment done in the name of ‘free labour’ Marxism, is now repeated in the name of free capital through globalisation. Encouraging human tendency to be lethargic with addictions to idiot box and handy gadgets, easy & quick learning for quick earning and converting human beings into consumer thirsty robots, seemed to be the mechanism of this homogenous experiment. This mechanism is developing a culture of imitation and comparison killing creativity and originality wherever it spread. The key players also seemed to have become a special category of human robots that did not care for anything except material success. Due to the decline in the spiritual dimension and respect for the heritage, the loss of a valuable heritage museum in Iraq was not felt even by the so called civilized world.

No wonder USA, once the leading force of the above mechanism of globalisation, had started reaping the consequences, becoming a victim in social and economic terms, now struggling for a way out through protectionist measures. India and China, the two countries with rich ancient heritage had become the engines of the world economy and the very survival of USA depended on these two countries.

More interesting and pathetic in this new experiment is the mode of appropriation of not only the heterogeneous surplus product but also the natural resources. Spiritual dimension of the people and their heritage have become victims in this senseless experiment. A proper theoretical framework to understand this kind of appropriation and the nature of forces behind this may reopen a review of Marxist concept of mode of production with heterogeneous dimension.

Globalisation started when human beings started to travel to distant places. Following a non-linear path depending on the development in technology and social changes, it had undergone several transformations. Its present avatar propelled by reckless thirst for profits is endangering the very survival of the world. This awareness in turn had drawn the attention of all interested in preserving the world. Hence globalisation is under review even by those benefited by it, in view of its (and theirs) uncertain future.

The relevance of the ancient wisdom to the modern world

Globalisation must take into account the heterogeneous dimension of the society if it has to succeed to serve world interest upholding meaningful democracy, freedom and well being of the people world wide. This enquiry will also have to take into account pre-Marxist philosophies. Probably an open minded review of ancient thoughts in our heritage in modern context may have the keys to understand the heterogeneous mysteries and their relation with globalisation.

For example, I had discovered ‘Musical Threads’ in ancient Tamil texts. The discovery will be valuable to the Music Information Technology. The world renowned expert in the new research field of MICROSOUND, Prof.Curtis Road (Media Arts & Technology, University of California) had commented on this discovery as “It sounds potentially interesting”. Also I compose music (to listen visit http://muxel.sg/) using computer following a methodology developed on the basis of my discoveries in the ancient texts of Tamil and Sanskrit.

 Late Dr.V.Ganapathi Sthapati (http://www.vastuved.com/ ) had discovered the five-fold

(Architecture, Music, Sculpture, Dance & Poetry) technology related to Maya in South America and Mayan in ancient Sanskrit and Tamil texts. Under his guidance, I had discovered the logic behind 'de-freezing music from the building architecture', for developing computer based application software.  

The treasures of ancient wisdom in our ancient texts await open minded exploration to discover the keys to solve the problems of the modern society as well as to develop new technologies. The pitfalls in the unidirectional linear concept of the homogeneous mode of production in Marxism may be identified and revised to include the multidirectional nonlinear mode of production by referring to the ancient texts in the light of the modern technologies.

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