The People's Line

The People's Line

Should workers own the means of production – or control it?

Carl Beijer's avatar
Carl Beijer
May 21, 2015
∙ Paid

It appears that most people don’t find the distinction particularly important. Both formulations are somewhat unique to Marxist discourse, but a quick Google Ngram tells the story: more people are writing about ownership than control, and since the 50s the ratio has always been at least 2:1.

“own the means of production” vs. “control the means of product…

User's avatar

Continue reading this post for free, courtesy of Carl Beijer.

Or purchase a paid subscription.
© 2026 Carl Beijer · Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start your SubstackGet the app
Substack is the home for great culture