variable capital, n.All

Variable capital (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠the source of surplus-value, so everything that hides its role in the capitalist's enrichment mystifies the entire system.

Variable capital (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠not variable at all while it is money — just a given, constant sum; it varies only inside production, where value-creating power stands in for the value paid.

Variable capital (n.) matters ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠not for the value it has but as a mere index of the total labour it sets in motion — and the less labour it contains, the more surplus it commands.

Variable capital (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠the only part of his capital that makes the capitalist rich — and the part he usually cannot even name, since his books know only fixed and circulating capital.

Variable capital (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠the alchemy at the root of capital: a given, constant sum of value exchanged for a value-creating power, a fixed quantity turned into a variable one.

Variable capital (n.) paid ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠by the makers of machines comes home only by a detour: their workers cannot buy machines, so the money passes through the bakers and tailors, who buy machines with it.

Variable capital (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠not the worker's bread but his active labour-power: the capitalist buys the power, and it is the worker himself who turns the wage into bread to keep that power alive.