jewishblues

In reading Marx's Capital I encountered an idea that I found very personally evocative. In Volume 2 Marx spends quite a bit of time analyzing the concept of fixed capital, things such as factories, machine, ports, warehouses and the like. In fixed capital, Marx sees one of the contradictions endemic to capitalism as a whole; capitalism is a process that thrives, in fact really only exists, when it is in motion, and a fixed capital asset is by definition not in motion. (Of course, this is true literally but false in some metaphorical sense; a building may be fixed but its owner may change hands many times, and if you watch a building and notice the people entering and exiting you will become aware of the flows that the building makes possible.) Despite the fact that the asset is fixed and thus completely at odds with the very nature of capitalism, nevertheless capitalism requires fixed assets in order to function. Goods need to be stored somewhere; ships need to land somewhere; railroads need to stop somewhere. Ever since I encountered this idea of fixed capital, it has been a very convenient way for me to describe myself. Some people are airplanes; it's in their nature to fly from place to place. But every airplane ultimately needs a place to land, to refuel, undergo maintenance, change crews, etc. Some people are airplanes. I am an airport.