Date: Sat, 9 Mar 1996 21:32:51 -0500
From: orgone@shore.net (true paranoia..reads)
Message-Id: <199603100226.VAA25916@relay1.shore.net>
Subject: Reich quotes
To: orgonomy@jefferson.village.Virginia.EDU
Sender: owner-orgonomy@jefferson.village.Virginia.EDU

In order to facilitate the presence of a little more Wilhelm Reich on this
list, I've decided to periodically post quotes that I run across that I like
by Wilhelm Reich. I invite others to participate that we might get some
exposure for Reich's words. Since there is so much material written by Dr.
Reich, this will allow us to sample some stuff that we weren't able to
access or perhaps didn't know about. I don't think the quotes have to be
limited to Reich, but if they are compatible with and concerning of Orgonomy
then quote away. Please give the name of the reference as well as the page
number and other relevent info so that others can find the source if they like.
 - dave huisken

This quote is from "People In Trouble", chapter three, (The Living
Productive Power, "Work-Power," of Karl Marx) pages 54-5.

        "Marx defined the concept "capitalist" scientifically. It is not, as
is commonly assumed, an individual who possesses a lot of money, but a
person who is able to buy and make use of the work-power of others on the
basis of the laws of market economy. If, as a doctor, I am proficient in my
field, cure numerous patients, and discover good methods of healing, then
many sick people will come to me. They pay for my time and, along with this,
for the value of my work-power. In order to do my work I must repeatedly
renew my work-power, that is, I must eat, house myself, buy clothes, etc.
This constitutes one part of the value of my work-power. But with this alone
I could not carry on my specific work. I need, additionally, certain
training which requires work and money, continuous expenditure of effort for
further development, instruments, etc., upon which others have exerted their
work-power. I pay for all this with portions of my work-power. Hence the
patient must pay not only for my work-power but for all the work-power
expended upon him through my work. This is done through the conventional
value substitute "money," by means of which I, in turn, may purchase the
results of other people's effort, such as shelter, food, clothing, etc.,
i.e. use values. As long as I myself work, I am not a capitalist no matter
how much money I earn. However, if I were to employ, let us say, four
doctors, pay them a fixed salary of two hundred kronen a month, and use
their eight-hour work-power to treat patients for me, then I would be a
capitalist. Then I would be "exploiting" the work-power of others and
appropriating the the value of their work-power in the form of money. In
eight hours, I myself could treat eight patients and earn eight hundred
kronen in twenty-five workng days. Four doctors, however, could earn four
times as much, namely thirty-two hundred kronen. While I would have to pay
the four doctors a total of eight hundred kronen, I could keep what was left
of the thirty-two hundred kronen they had earned, thus acquiring twenty-four
hundred kronen through the exploitation of other people's work-power without
having worked for it myself. According to the laws of market economy, I
would not be considered a swindler but would be acting entirely within the
law. No one could prosecute me or accuse me of wrongdoing."

                                                                            
         Wilhelm Reich



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