[Marxism] Adam Smith

[Mehmet Cagatay]

Doğan wrote:

"I was trying to say that neoliberalism originates from 
Malthus not from Smith."

and

"In his seech about free trade even Marx defended free 
trade."

...

To my knowledge, whenever Malthus expresses 
something that evokes free market economy it almost
always indicates the freedom of labor market, the
antithesis of feudal monopoly:

"The whole business of settlements, even in its present 
amended state, is utterly contradictory to all ideas of
freedom. The parish persecution of men whose families 
are likely to become chargeable, and of poor women 
who are near lying-in, is a most disgraceful and 
disgusting tyranny. And the obstructions continuity 
occasioned in the market of labour by these laws have a 
constant tendency to add to the difficulties of those 
who are struggling to support themselves without 
assistance."

...

"Every endeavour should be used to weaken and destroy 
all those institutions relating to corporations, 
apprenticeships, etc., which cause the labours of 
agriculture to be worse paid than the labours of trade 
and manufactures."   

... 

In contrast, Malthus envisages strictly regulatory 
measures as regards to the question how these freed 
men would be employed:

"Lastly, for cases of extreme distress, county 
workhouses might be established, supported by rates 
upon the whole kingdom, and free for persons of all 
counties, and  indeed of all nations. The fare should be 
hard, and those that were able obliged to work. It would 
be desirable that they should not be considered as 
comfortable asylums in all difficulties, but merely as 
places where severe distress might find some 
alleviation."

On the subject of free trade, Malthus, displays a 
contradictory attitude by initially criticizing the 
protectionist laws and then supporting protectionism.

In my opinion, nothing has originated from Malthus 
except the fumes of the notorious population theory.

He is a joke:

"It has appeared, that from the inevitable laws of our
nature some human beings must suffer from want. These 
are the unhappy persons who, in the great lottery 
of life, have drawn a blank."     

.....

Actually, in his speech "On the Question of Free Trade", 
Marx rigoriously criticises the supporters of free trade:

"Do not imagine, gentlemen, that in criticizing freedom 
of trade we have the least intention of defending the 
system of protection. One may declare oneself an enemy of 
the constitutional regime without declaring oneself a 
friend of the ancient regime." 

His last remarks about its revolutionary character is
a bitter sarcasm:

"It is in this revolutionary sense alone, gentlemen, 
that I vote in favor of free trade." 

 
  
Mehmet Çagatay
http://weblogmca.blogspot.com/