{"resolved":true,"match_type":"uuid","source_type":"original_book","book_id":"4a3d22bd-c5b9-47a4-a022-bd35d44d9bfe","title":"Zombie Capitalism Global Crisis and the Relevance of Marx","author":null,"edition":null,"publisher":null,"year":null,"isbn":"9781608461042","requested_by":"printed_page","book":{"source_type":"original_book","book_id":"4a3d22bd-c5b9-47a4-a022-bd35d44d9bfe","id":"4a3d22bd-c5b9-47a4-a022-bd35d44d9bfe","uuid":"4a3d22bd-c5b9-47a4-a022-bd35d44d9bfe","title":"Zombie Capitalism Global Crisis and the Relevance of Marx","normalized_title":"zombiecapitalismglobalcrisisandtherelevanceofmarx","author":null,"edition":null,"publisher":null,"year":null,"isbn":"9781608461042","isbns":["9781608461042"],"parsed":true,"ai_readable":true,"document_type":"book","page_count":426,"navigation_url":"https://workshop.closeclaw.top/ai/book/4a3d22bd-c5b9-47a4-a022-bd35d44d9bfe","title_url":"https://workshop.closeclaw.top/ai/title/Zombie%20Capitalism%20Global%20Crisis%20and%20the%20Relevance%20of%20Marx","fixed_page_url_template":"https://workshop.closeclaw.top/ai/book/4a3d22bd-c5b9-47a4-a022-bd35d44d9bfe/page/{printed_page}","path_api_url_template":"https://workshop.closeclaw.top/api/ai/book/4a3d22bd-c5b9-47a4-a022-bd35d44d9bfe/page/{printed_page}","read_url":"https://workshop.closeclaw.top/api/ai/read/4a3d22bd-c5b9-47a4-a022-bd35d44d9bfe","page_url":"https://workshop.closeclaw.top/api/ai/books/4a3d22bd-c5b9-47a4-a022-bd35d44d9bfe/page","search_url":"https://workshop.closeclaw.top/api/ai/books/4a3d22bd-c5b9-47a4-a022-bd35d44d9bfe/search"},"page":{"printed_page":35,"pdf_page":35,"physical_index":35,"physical_index_base":0,"printed_page_status":"recognized","page_sha256":"2dfb4954261ce4ea50956a7668b73ac28993215aea8ce42815648c7f5eb44132"},"chapter":"Zombie Capitalism Global Crisis and the Relevance of Marx","content":"Taylor believed that every task done in industry could be broken down into individual components and timed, so as to determine the maximum which workers could accomplish. In this way, any breaks in the tempo of work could be eliminated, with Taylor claiming he could increase the amount of work done in a day by as much as 200 percent.\n\n\"Taylorism\" found its fullest expression with the introduction of the assembly line in Henry Ford's car plants. The speed at which people worked now depended on the speed at which the line moved, rather than their individual motivation. In other industries the same pressure on people to work flat out was achieved by increasing surveillance by supervisors, with, for instance, mechanical counters on machines indicating the level of work achieved. And today a similar approach is being attempted in a variety of white collar occupations with increased use of assessment, attempts at payment by results, the use of key stroke counters on computers, and so on.\n\nAccumulation and competition\n\nA world of commodity production is a world of competition between producers. It is this element of competition which distinguishes a society based on commodity production and exchange value from one where individuals or groups decide on what use values to produce for their own consumption. Through exchange the effort put in by those working in one unit of production is linked to those of millions of other individuals in other units, but the link only takes place through competition between those taking the decisions about production in the individual units. In Engels' phrase there is \"social production but capitalist appropriation\" .30\n\nThe capitalist firm which exploits the worker is therefore, necessarily, in competition with other capitalist firms. If it cannot out-compete them, eventually it will be forced out of business. To out-compete means keeping ahead in developing new, more productive techniques-only in that way can it ensure that it is not going to be driven out of business by rivals producing and selling goods more cheaply than it can. It cannot guarantee being able to afford new equipment using such techniques unless its profits are as high as possible. But if it raises its profits in order to be able to reinvest, so must its rivals. The fact that each firm is involved in exploiting wage labour means that none of them dare rest on its laurels.\n\nMarx's Concepts\n\n35","previous_page":34,"next_page":36}