Accelerationism and Political Violence (feat. Grady Page)

Das Kapital is a comprehensive critique of capitalism written by Karl Marx. The work is divided into three volumes. Volume I, published in 1867, focuses on the production process of capital, introducing the concept of surplus value and the exploitation of labor. Volume II, published posthumously in 1885, examines the circulation of capital, while Volume III, published in 1894, discusses the capitalist process as a whole, including the internal differentiation of the capitalist class and the tendency of the rate of profit to fall. Marx argues that capitalism is characterized by the exploitation of labor, leading to class conflict and eventual crises that necessitate the emergence of a new mode of production.

A Thousand Plateaus is a key text in the 'Capitalism and Schizophrenia' series by Gilles Deleuze and Félix Guattari. It advances a unique philosophical approach that draws from but critiques both Freudian and Marxist theories. The book is structured as a series of 'plateaus' that can be read in any order, each exploring different concepts such as rhizomes, stratification, and the distinction between smooth and striated space. It is essential reading for those interested in critical theory, feminism, literary theory, and contemporary Western culture.

Das Kapital, Volume 3 delves into the process of capitalist production as a whole, focusing on the equalization of profit rates and the formation of market prices. Marx analyzes the roles of merchant capital, interest-bearing capital, and landed property in the distribution of surplus value. He examines the tendency of the rate of profit to fall, exploring the counteracting influences and the resulting crises. The book elucidates the relationship between capital accumulation and the expansion of the world market. Marx's analysis reveals the contradictions and limitations of the capitalist mode of production, paving the way for socialist revolution.

In this essay, Marx examines how the class struggle in France led to the circumstances that enabled Louis Bonaparte to seize power. He discusses the role of the individual in history, noting that 'Men make their own history, but they do not make it as they please; they do not make it under self-selected circumstances, but under circumstances existing already, given and transmitted from the past. ' The work is also significant for its insights into the nature and meaning of fascism, with Bonaparte's coup seen as a precursor to 20th-century fascist movements.