Ed's point is very well taken, but the other side of that argument is that
there needs to be mechanisms in place (the redistributive role of the
state?) to ensure that such product while "belonging" to society as a whole,
is in fact "possessed" by as reasonable a facsimile of "society as a whole"
as is possible. The problem of course is that more or less since the
mid-70's, it is precisely this role of the state which has rather rapidly
been dismantled.
The dilemma here is that in a condition of open markets/open borders
(WTO) there seems to be a contradiction between productivity and social
redistribution since capital is free to roam away from requirements to share
its return.
Here as everywhere else in social causality, the challenge is to figure out
which way your causes are running.
MG
----- Original Message -----
From: Ed Weick <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: Michael Gurstein <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; futurework
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Sunday, December 05, 1999 5:17 AM
Subject: Re: WILL A SOCIAL CLAUSE IN TRADE AGREEMENTS ADVANCE INTERNATIONAL
SOLIDARITY?
>
> But surely these things can't be separated. Since our productivity
downturn
> in the mid-1970s, unemployment has risen, real wages have risen only very
> slowly, if at all, and poverty and homelessness have become part of
everyday
> life. My point is that increasing product belongs to society as a whole,
> not only to capital, and is shared by society by legislatively or
> contractually established rules.
>
> Ed Weick
>
