General Law of Capitalist Accumulation, economic law of capitalism according to which the growth of the functioning social capital, the increase of its amount and rate of growth, and hence, the increase of the overall numbers of the working class and the productive power of its labour are accompanied by an increase in relative surplus population and the intensified exploitation of the working class. The accumulation of wealth on one pole of capitalist society results in rising unemployment and poverty on its other pole, which is expressed in the relative deterioration of the condition of the proletariat, and sometimes in the absolute deterioration of the condition of the proletariat as well (see Karl Marx, Capital, Vol. I, p. 603). The operation of this ’law aggravates the antagonism existing between labour and capital, and this inevitably leads to the revolutionary destruction of capitalism. As he formulated the law, Marx found it necessary at the same time to note that, like all other laws, the law in question is modified by numerous circumstances during its operation. Marxist-Leninist theory stipulates the existence of two opposite tendencies in capitalist society: the principal tendency of the position of the working class to deteriorate, caused by the process of accumulation of capital itself, and the opposite tendency, born of the social forces which develop within the capitalist system—the organisational and political consciousness of the working class and its allies. At a certain stage of world history the world socialist system becomes a force which influences the inherent 151 contradictions of capitalism from the outside and creates favourable conditions for the successful struggle by the working class of the capitalist countries against the bourgeoisie. By triumphing in several countries, socialism makes the proletariat’s struggle in the capitalist countries much easier. While steadily fighting to promote its own fundamental interests, the working class wins some of its demands. However, regardless of any great changes in the conditions of the working-class struggle, and no matter what wage increases are won at certain periods of time, the economic laws of capitalism generate the principal tendency—the deterioration of the situation the working class finds itself in.