This question <692|692> overall <691|694> Jason: <687|73>.  
  Question 745: What does capital need this surplus-population for? (How come it produces exactly what it needs?)   
  [692] Jason: First of all, as was mentioned in a prior submission [2005fa:1796] by ADHH, capitalism requires a significant amount of laborers in order to function. If capital increases that will force there to be an increased need for more laborers. One point that I liked from ADHH was that he mentioned that with the increased amount of technology, there is an increased need for laborers. However with the increase in technology there will be a gradual decrease in the need for laborers, because various machines and tools can be used to replace some laborers over time, which will create an increased level of competition amongst the labor force. With this phenomenon there will be a surplus labor supply which is beneficial to the capitalist in that the laborers want to work and with the decline in the need for laborers because of the advance in technology the labor force is forced to accept whatever the capitalist is willing to give him/her for their labor. For the laborer, it is either he/she works for the wage that the capitalist is willing to pay or he/she receives nothing because the capitalist has the surplus labor force to fall back on and will find someone who is willing to work for the wage he/she is going to pay.   
  Hans: Very sloppy writing.   
  It may seem as if the capitalists can pay whatever wages they please. This is so because the labor movement at the present time is extraordinarily weak. Things could also be otherwise.   
 
 
 
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