[FM Discuss] the muddle the model

[Joshua Facemyer]

mark wrote:
> On 30/01/10 18:00, Joshua Facemyer wrote:
>   
>> Huh?  DIY just means you've done something yourself rather than relying
>> on someone else.  Pretty general conept.  The DIY part would be having
>> the books printed yourself without having FM or someone else get them
>> printed for you.  Meaning no middle-man.  Hence, you've done the thing
>> yourself.
>>     
>
> Sorry if this is heading a bit off-topic. My point was that exchanging
> goods for currency can never be DIY, because it depends upon the
> functioning of the economic system underpinning currency. So by taking
> goods (books) and selling them for money one accepts the capitalist
> model of valorisation, which is quite explicitly not DIY.
>   

*First fallacy: currency-based economy does not equal capitalism.*

If you think about any bartering system (indeed, any act of bartering), 
it implies an economy according to which the goods in question have 
value.  Simply because an economy is involved does not imply 
capitalism.  Money represents value - certainly in different times and 
places it represents it in different ways.  Money does not represent 
capitalism.  Talk to all the economies which have money and are not 
capitalist.

*Second fallacy: one cannot do things oneself in a way that involves 
capitalism/monetary exchange.*

That's just absurd.  I do lots of things for myself within the context 
of a capitalist economy.  Capitalism (devoid of the unfortunate 
corruptions which often invade such a system, or any economy, really) is 
simply making a profit by selling or trading goods or services.  This 
does not prevent anyone from doing for himself.

I think, even if your assertions were close to the truth, which they are 
not, they are certainly an extreme point of view and very cynical.  
Basically your point comes down to this:  don't pretend to take your 
projects into your own hands if you're paying for goods or services in 
order to do so, because really you're just fooling yourself.

That's a silly point of view.

JF