▁not ▁sell ▁their ▁labor , ▁but ▁their ▁labor ▁power , ▁making ▁possible ▁a ▁prof itable ▁difference ▁between ▁what ▁they ▁are ▁paid ▁and ▁the ▁new ▁value ▁they ▁create ▁for ▁the ▁own ers ▁of ▁capital ▁( a ▁form ▁of ▁economic ▁explo itation ). ▁Thus , ▁the ▁very ▁foundation ▁of ▁capital ist ▁wealth ▁creation ▁involves ▁– ▁as ▁Marx ▁says ▁explicitly ▁– ▁a ▁" mask ". ▁More ▁generally , ▁Marx ▁arg ues ▁that ▁transactions ▁in ▁the ▁capital ist ▁economy ▁are ▁often ▁far ▁from ▁transparent ▁– ▁they ▁appear ▁different ▁from ▁what ▁they ▁really ▁are . ▁This ▁is ▁discovered , ▁only ▁when ▁one ▁prob es ▁the ▁total ▁context ▁in ▁which ▁they ▁occur . ▁Hence ▁Marx ▁writes : ▁ ▁This ▁implies ▁another ▁level ▁of ▁mask ing , ▁because ▁the ▁economic ▁character ▁mask s ▁are ▁then ▁straightforward ly ▁(" v ul gar ly ") ▁equ ated ▁with ▁authentic ▁behaviour . ▁The ▁effect ▁in ▁this ▁case ▁is , ▁that ▁the ▁theory ▁of ▁" how ▁the ▁economy ▁works " ▁mask s ▁how ▁it ▁actually ▁works , ▁by ▁confl ating ▁its ▁surface ▁appearance ▁with ▁its ▁real ▁nature . ▁Its ▁general ities ▁seem ▁to ▁explain ▁it , ▁but ▁in ▁reality ▁they ▁do ▁not . ▁The ▁theory ▁is ▁therefore ▁( ult imately ) ▁arbitrary . ▁Either ▁things ▁are ▁studied ▁in ▁isol ation ▁from ▁the ▁total ▁context ▁in ▁which ▁they ▁occur , ▁or ▁general izations ▁are ▁formed ▁which ▁leave ▁essential ▁bits ▁out . ▁Such ▁dist ort ion ▁can ▁certainly ▁be ▁ide olog ically ▁useful ▁to ▁justify ▁an ▁economic ▁system , ▁position ▁or ▁policy ▁as ▁a ▁good ▁thing