Commodifying Information...

...and Our Externalized Collective Consciousness

AI - Informational Shanzhai...

...& the Fight for IP Property Rights (Ownership of the Informational Commodity)

Drawing the Lines Between Cooperation (Socialism) and Competition (Privatization)

"Publicize Losses, Privatize Gains!"  ;)

Hording Suplus Values (Wealth)

Man is a Horde (not Herd) Animal!

Use vs Exchange Values/ Labour vs Economic Values

from Google AI:

In political economy, use value is the physical utility of a good that satisfies human needs. Exchange value is a good's quantifiable worth when traded on the market. These core concepts form the bedrock of economic theories—such as those formulated by Adam Smith's Wealth of Nations and Marxist economics.

The Core Differences

Use Value: Focuses on qualitative utility. It answers the question: What does this do for you?

• Example: A loaf of bread provides vital carbohydrates and nourishment. Water is essential for human survival.
• Nature: It is entirely subjective and tied to the material properties of the object. It exists independently of the market.

Exchange Value: Focuses on quantitative proportions. It answers the question: How much of another commodity or money is this worth?

• Example: A loaf of bread might trade for $3 or exchange for two quarts of milk. Water is virtually free in most municipalities.
• Nature: It requires a market to exist and relies on a product having a use-value to others. It forms the basis of Price.

Other Notable Economic Values

While use value and exchange value form the basic duality of a commodity, economic theory categorizes value in several other distinct ways:

• Labor Value: The intrinsic value of a product determined by the total labor time necessary to produce it. Classical economists like Adam Smith and Karl Marx viewed labor as the fundamental "substance" that makes different commodities comparable in the market.
• Economic Value (Market Price): The actual, real-world price at which a good or service is bought and sold. This fluctuates dynamically based on the interaction of supply and demand, rather than just the underlying labor cost.
• Subjective/Marginal Value: Modern (Neoclassical) economics pivots away from labor theories of value, arguing that a good's value is determined by the consumer's subjective evaluation of its usefulness at the exact moment of consumption.
• Surplus Value: In Marxist theory, this is the additional value created by workers that goes beyond their wages, which becomes the basis for capitalist profit.