Affiliating to your favoured mode of production

Me, driving along:

"Isn't it interesting. There are three modes of production - the slavery of antiquity, feudalism and bureaucratic socialism - all of which showed extreme stagnation in the development of their productive forces. Productivity stayed low and technological creativity was minimal. Only capitalism has been able to sustain technological progress."

Clare: "I thought you were a Marxist."

"I am."

"But you're just saying the capitalism is better than all the others."

"It is. I'm a Marxist because I think Marx's method is right. He's the only one who really understood how capitalism (and the other modes of production) really worked. It's his utopianism I have a problem with, his starry-eyed view of an entirely socially-determined human nature."

"You can't be a Marxist, not with all those conditions. You don't understand about labels. You're either a Marxist or you're not. You're not. No-one would understand you."

(A pause before I continue).

"I'm still thinking about some kind of token to show that I adhere to a higher ideal, that I'm self-disciplined and ethical. That's what a uniform buys you, or a religious badge showing you're a good Catholic."

"Your hair's short enough. Why don't you get some saffron robes. That would convince people."

"I'm not a Buddhist. I would sign up to philosophical Taoism, but would a Yin-Yang tattoo convince anyone .. wouldn't you just be self-labelling as new-age and flaky?

(I muse).

"I guess I could have a hammer and sickle tattoo, but who these days associates that with iron discipline and a higher morality? Most likely they'd think I was some kind of hipster who ran a microbrewery."

---

What I was really interested in was just why capitalism is such a growth machine, despite human nature's natural inclination to find a quiet rut and enjoy it - certainly not to over-exert oneself for some abstract 'higher common good'.

I know the answer: it's fear. The unique insight of Marx was that a capitalist who doesn't ruthlessly innovate will be outcompeted - and ruined - by their competitors. Without fear, without skin in the game - no progress.

But there's no virtue-advertising insignia which celebrates that insight.