3 Replies to “WWMS: What Would Marx Say about Digital Commons”

  1. This is a really fun and thoughtful post, Becca. I think it’s interesting that you say Marx would see the Internet as symptomatic of capitalism’s downfall. I’m definitely inclined to agree with that. However, I think Marx might also notice the diverse and very creative ways that corporations have found to exploit this “equalizing” market. Maybe this is the Lessig hangover talking, but if legal and monetary red tape is keeping people from accessing information (and you do have to pay to get to some parts of the web, like getting a ‘premium’ account on Pandora so my Led Zeppelin marathon isn’t interrupted by a lipstick ad), isn’t that what capitalism is all about? Those with wealth and power calling the shots? If Lessig’s dream of “free culture” on the Internet is realized, then I totally agree that Marx would see it as capitalism’s death knell. As of today, though, I think that no matter how much piracy, screen-shot-stealing, etc. happens, there will always be a MPAA or RIAA around to sue some poor college student for millions of dollars.

  2. Thanks for the response Christine! I totally see what you’re saying. Of course, according to Marx, nothing that we ever do can be outside of the mindset and goals of capitalism. So any attempts to move past that, whether it be opening up property on the internet of even communism itself, will necessarily be tainted and mere bandaids used to protect capitalism until its downfall. So, if the internet still has red tape and fences put up as you suggest (and I agree usually….one exception may be Project Gutenberg), then I think you’re right in saying this is actually capitalists fighting back and keeping strong footing. In the end, I’m not suggesting that Marx would actually think that open sourcing on the internet is a good thing; I think he’d say that it’s part of the process toward decline (because of over-production, etc.), and what will follow is unimaginable to us today. Anyways, I’m no expert on Marx, economics, or the apocalypse, and I get fed up with Marx’s dead-ends and ambiguities. So I’m more interested in the ways in which open-sourcing challenges traditional capitalism, and how the it-will-curb-creativity argument sounds like arguments against capitalism and in support of competition. Thoughts?

  3. Hey Becca, sorry it took me so long to get back to you. I’m certainly not a Marx expert either, but what you say makes a lot of sense to me. The thing is, Marx’s claim that capitalism will eventually fall reminds me of a random little parable my sister once told me. Two men, one smart and one dull, stood in front of a treasure chest with the inscription, “He who opens this will die.” The smart man tells the dull one to go open it for him, thinking that the fool will take the bullet for him, and he can swing by later to pick up the treasure. But the dull man opens it, takes the treasure, and lives a long, happy, wealthy life. What happened? Everybody dies. The treasure chest never said when. It was totally unnecessary for me to tell you that story, but the point is that Marx’s prediction that people will keep putting band-aids on capitalism until it collapses is… well… almost a tautology. Everything collapses. Marx made his claim almost 200 years ago and capitalism doesn’t look anywhere near the sort of overthrow he described.
    As far the role the Internet plays in it, I don’t think it will speed up or slow down this fall. I think it will impact the nature of the path it takes there, but like we both already said… the Internet is just a virtual version of the real world, where sometimes you have to deal with capitalist red tape (lipstick ads), and sometimes you enjoy socialist open-access (Gutenberg’s a great example).
    Furthermore, I don’t think open-sourcing is a hit to creativity at all. We’ve all heard stories about best selling authors who started out by getting big followings for their fan-fiction pieces, or prominent comedians, actors, and singers who went viral on YouTube. Some writers may find an e-zine that will pay them to write articles whereas others might be more eager to share their work in blog form, the same way someone could start their own community newsletter if they couldn’t get paid to work as a columnist.
    Again, sorry it took me so long to see your response!!

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