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this post was submitted on 19 Jul 2024
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Would Marx be opposed to shopping malls in a socialist society? As a transitionary mechanism to communism would Marx not approve of shopping centers or modern market places?
Call it something like "According to Your Needs Outlet"
Idk much about the guy but, I don't think a socialist society would outright oppose a shopping mall. I could see a use for them.
Even a fully communist society would need means of distributing the goods. Somewhere you could go and see what exists and choose what suits your needs.
The only difference would be the lack of monetary exchange.
Yes, but it would not exist in the form of one large building with dozens of competing clothing stores. Shopping Malls are structured in the manner that they are to entice consumerism and generate profit from having many slightly different stores competing for your attention.
Without the profit motive, this would likely be phased out. Certain Markets would exist, as would stores, but not in the specific organization of a shopping Mall. It may exist in Socialism, but likely not lower-stage Communism, and certainly not upper-stage Communism.
“Choose what suits your needs”???????
Decadent pig.
Victor Gruen is widely considered the inventory of the modern shopping mall. He was an Austrian Jew who immigrated to the US when the Nazi's annexed Austria.
I can't find much specific on his political views, but I've seen him described by historians as "far-left" and "socialist".
Shopping was originally a small part of his vision. He wanted to make an indoor, air-conditioned version of European pedestrian areas. Residences, schools, libraries, hospitals, parks, etc. He hated how the mall he envisioned became the shopping mall. He was influenced by Disney Land - trying to make a planned neighborhood that optimized the human experience. In turn, Disney took a lot of influence from him to make EPCOT.
So I don't know that he was a Marxist, but he denounced the capitalist hellscape that his malls eventually became.
How painfully ironic
Coincidentally, there are malls in Asia that actually meet some of those requirements. Big indoor malls with residential condos attached to them, a park on the mall rooftop, clinics and health services inside the mall, hardware store, bookstore where you can read inside, gym, etc.; plus the standard mall stuff (cinema, restaurants, spa, etc.)
Marx and Engels were very clear, that the transition from value-exchange, i.e. money, has to happen as soon as possible, because otherwise, the system will begin to reproduce capitalist dynamics. So, as shopping malls, yes, very much opposed. As distribution/leisure centers? Sure, whatever the dynamics of the new materialist situation will favour/need.
It depends on what stage in the Capialism -> Socialism -> Lower-Stage Communism -> Higher-Stage Communism -> Fully-Automated Luxury Space Gay Communism -> Whatever comes next.
Essentially, having places to get goods in small, compact areas is probably a good thing, but in Socialism or Lower-Stage Communism it would make more sense to have them be one large store, or specialized stores. The myriad different brands would not need to exist in competition with one another, regular stores would exist and eventually Money would be phased out in favor of Labor Vouchers, or some other tracker of Inputs and Outputs.
However, Germany is Capitalist and is Imperialist, we aren't looking at the People's Mall, here. Not only that, but it's an American themed mall. Marx obviously would not be a fan of a Capitalist Shopping Mall in any manner.