Critique on "Robert Kurz * Die universelle Harry-Potter-Maschine" (was: Re: [ox-en] Jacques Wajnsztejn's new book)
- From: Stefan Merten <smerten oekonux.de>
- Date: Wed, 28 Nov 2007 19:27:21 +0100
Hi list!
Last week (9 days ago) josx wrote:
There some texts about Kurz that critics free software movement.
DIE UNIVERSELLE HARRY-POTTER-MASCHINE
pt: http://obeco.planetaclix.pt/rkurz208.htm
de:
http://www.exit-online.org/html/link.php?tab=autoren&kat=Robert+Kurz&ktext=Die+universelle+Harry-Potter-Maschine
Thanks for the link. I'll present my criticism here quoting from the
text and translating.
The first part of the text relates mainly to Hardt/Negri which I don't
like either because of their strong operaist touch.
Immateriell sind großenteils die Produkte dieser Arbeit, aber eben
deshalb können diese Sektoren nicht die gesellschaftliche
Reproduktion tragen, deren Basis der "Stoffwechselprozeß mit der
Natur" (Marx) und damit materiell bleibt.
=>
The products of this work are mostly immaterial, but because of that
these sectors [of production / work -- SMn] can not bear the
societal reproduction for which the basis the "material exchange
process with nature" (Marx) [I don't know the correct translation
for Stoffwechselprozeß -- SMn] is and therefore material.
Which is really, really stupid. The very word process already points
to the fact that there is a lot of information processing involved.
Even biological exchange processes are based on information processing
- where the information is stored in the DNA.
Also since money as a concept is also immaterial he could also argue
that a "material exchange process with nature" can not be based on
money. Which defines the problem with capitalism away. Very nice...
If we do one step back in history with the same argument one could say
that capitalism with its concentration on textile production can not
be the base for a society because it doesn't cover production of food.
Das Konzept der "immateriellen Arbeit" hat sich auch im neuen
Utopismus der internationalen Bewegung "Free Software"
niedergeschlagen.
=>
The concept of "immaterial labor" has also consolidated in the
utopism of the international movement "Free Software".
Which simply makes clear that Kurz doesn't know what he talks about.
There is simply no such utopism in the Free Software movement. Indeed
a few Free Software developers don't like Oekonux for thinking in this
direction.
Aber diese Kritik des Geldes bezieht sich im Unterschied zu
derjenigen von Marx nicht auf die gesamte Produktionsweise, sondern
allein auf die Sphäre der Zirkulation.
=>
But contrary to Marx' critique this critique of money [in that
imagined utopism] does not relate to the whole mode of production
but only on the sphere of circulation.
Because the utopism he refers to is not where he thinks it is it is a
bit difficult to criticize. However, if Oekonux thoughts clearly refer
to the whole mode of production.
Mag der spielerische Konsum von "Usern" im speziellen Fall von
Computer-Programmen eine begrenzte Weiterentwicklung ermöglichen, so
ist derselbe anonyme Kollektivismus von "produzierenden Konsumenten"
bei kulturellen Gegenständen eine völlige Illusion.
=>
While in the special case of computer programs the playful
consumption by "users" may make a limited development possible, the
same anonymous collectivism of "producing consumers" for cultural
artifacts is a complete illusion.
So all these Free Culture things we see explode are probably just an
illusion. Probably just like capitalism above...
Well, this is all so stupid and especially for the parts referring to
Free Software the best insight from this text is that Kurz does not
know what he is talking about.
I once kind of admired Kurz. Today I think he is a tragic figure. It
is hard to witness such a decline :-( .
Grüße
Stefan
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