Just finished the book below which addresses some of the questions you raise.
See also http://www.theglobeandmail.com/commentary/who-has-the-power/article4189516/ Power: Where Is It? by Donald J. Savoie <http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/139770.Donald_J_Savoie> Power: Where Is It? 3.0 of 5 stars 3.00 . rating details <http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8508266-power> . 5 ratings <http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8508266-power#other_reviews> . 2 reviews <http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8508266-power#other_reviews> In this informative critique of contemporary leadership, renowned political scientist Donald Savoie poses and answers the crucial questions: where is power located, and who is in charge? <br><br>In recent years it has become extremely difficult to pinpoint the location of political and economic power, making it complicated to determine who is to...more <http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8508266-power> In this informative critique of contemporary leadership, renowned political scientist Donald Savoie poses and answers the crucial questions: where is power located, and who is in charge? <br><br>In recent years it has become extremely difficult to pinpoint the location of political and economic power, making it complicated to determine who is to blame for political and economic catastrophes and leading to increased disenchantment with Western politicians and bureaucrats. Power considers how forces such as globalization, the new media, the changing role of the courts in parliamentary democracies, the partisanship of political parties in shaping policy, and collapsing boundaries between governments and within government departments have caused citizens to feel their countries are less democratic. Savoie argues that power is leaving institutions and organizations and going to powerful individuals in both the public and private sectors, who often push aside formal processes in order to drive change.(less) <http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8508266-power> From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Ed Weick Sent: Friday, April 12, 2013 5:12 PM To: 'RE-DESIGNING WORK, INCOME DISTRIBUTION, EDUCATION' Subject: Re: [Futurework] Gelt You're right, Ray, we are indeed overlooking something much deeper. Not wanting to be an economist anymore, I've taken to rereading some of the stuff I have on existentialism and once again I've encountered Nietzsche and the will to power. I'm also looking at a book by John Gray, "Black Mass", in which the author argues that social and political movements that were intended to develop an ultimately good and equitable society typically turned out to be great disasters. The enlightenment led to the head choppings of the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars, while the rational arguments posed by Marx led to Stalinist Russia. American democracy was, and still is, a great idea, but we now have a society deeply divided into the 99% and the 1%. (80% and 20% according to Keith.) And this is where Nietzsche comes in. It seems that it's not the acquisition of wealth that's at play, but the acquisition of power. In the case of the US, the accumulation of wealth is a means of achieving great power; the more of the nation's wealth under your control, the more powerful you are. During the past decade or so, and especially during the sub-prime mortgage debacle, there was a major shift toward concentrating wealth in the hands of the few as the finance, insurance and real estate (FIRE) sector became a much larger part of the economy. So, you really have to wonder who it is that holds power. The US strikes me as a deeply divided system. Obama has been under considerable criticism because he can't do what's expected of him as President. But maybe he really can't do it because other more powerful interests won't let him. Americans pretend they live in a democracy, but do they really? I read something today that said there were four lobbyists in Washington for every elected member of the House and Senate. Who pays the lobbyists and sends them in? Who determines what the politicians decide? Not likely the people who voted for their representatives. Having demonstrated that I'm neither an economist nor a philosopher but just an old guy babbling I'll stop here. Ed ----- Original Message ----- From: Ray Harrell <mailto:[email protected]> To: 'RE-DESIGNING WORK, INCOME DISTRIBUTION, EDUCATION' <mailto:[email protected]> ; 'Ed Weick' <mailto:[email protected]> Sent: Friday, April 12, 2013 2:05 PM Subject: RE: [Futurework] Gelt The problem I would argue, is that balancing the economy is not the same as balancing the national culture. The rise in guns in America is more troubling to the bankers than they know. My parents knew Pretty Boy Floyd and Goldie McIntyre during the Depression. Today there are more guns in the lower classes than ever before. These gun owners have also bought the Hollywood myths about a Western US that never was. Criminals like the James brothers and Quantrill were from an earlier generation after a disastrous Civil War and Reconstruction. It wasn't a good romantic time. It was more like the soldiers in "Dances with Wolves." This aggressive ignorance came back in the 1930s Depression which the Rockefellers claimed wasn't happening. Today the upper classes mirror the same entitled arrogance. Howeve today the lower classes have Assault rifles that can take out a whole swat team protecting the banks. Between the images from the violent commercial entertainment and the video games, we have what constitutes "practice" for the conflict to come. If a video game can be practice for an Apache Helicopter, why can't it be practice for a criminal family? Meanwhile is it really only about Gelt? Or are we looking at something much deeper here? What is your understanding of this on the deeper levels of social balance and public mental health? I find the "Invisible Hand" and the preaching of self interest over everything to be narcissistic drivel. I believe economists should police themselves and their Domain, much more rigorously if for nothing else, to protect their children from the people with the assault weapons. REH From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Arthur Cordell Sent: Friday, April 12, 2013 12:24 PM To: 'RE-DESIGNING WORK, INCOME DISTRIBUTION, EDUCATION'; 'Ed Weick' Subject: Re: [Futurework] Gelt So it looks like a long slow immiseration of the middle class, the savings and pension class. There will be consequences. Hard to predict but equally hard to say that this will all go off smoothly. Arthur From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Keith Hudson Sent: Friday, April 12, 2013 11:58 AM To: RE-DESIGNING WORK, INCOME DISTRIBUTION, EDUCATION; Ed Weick Subject: Re: [Futurework] Gelt Ed, But governments don't print money "recklessly"! Whoever said they did? Certainly not me. Governments print money carefully. In recent years the Fed and the BoE have been printing more than would be strictly justified (productivity alone) in order to make sure that their central bank rates are always less than inflation. For an interesting discussion of this by one of the most respected US economists, Carmen Reinhart, read the following converstion: http://www.spiegel.de/international/business/interview-with-harvard-economis t-carmen-reinhart-on-financial-repression-a-893213.html Keith At 16:30 12/04/2013, you wrote: Undoubtedly, if money were printed recklessly and in large quantities, the result would be runaway inflation. But what modern central bank is going to do reckless printing? Not likely any. Modern central banks don't behave that way. Typically, the money supply rises gradually and inflation is a gradual process, rising by two or three percentage points per year at the most. In Canada, a basket of goods purchased for $100 in 2003 would cost about $120 today. This poses no problem for people who have managed to keep their incomes growing at a rate equivaletn to inflation, but it is hard on people who rely on incomes that do not change or change only slowly. It therefore is a factor in the growing gap between the high incomed and the low incomed. Ed ----- Original Message ----- From: Arthur Cordell <mailto:[email protected]> To: 'RE-DESIGNING WORK, INCOME DISTRIBUTION,EDUCATION' <mailto:[email protected]> ; 'Keith Hudson' <mailto:[email protected]> Sent: Friday, April 12, 2013 10:52 AM Subject: Re: [Futurework] Gelt Krugman But the runaway inflation that was supposed to follow reckless money-printing - inflation that the usual suspects have been declaring imminent for four years and more - keeps not happening. Me Stay tuned. From: [email protected] [ mailto:[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> ] On Behalf Of Ray Harrell Sent: Friday, April 12, 2013 1:36 AM To: 'Keith Hudson'; 'RE-DESIGNING WORK, INCOME DISTRIBUTION, EDUCATION' Subject: Re: [Futurework] Gelt http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/12/opinion/krugman-lust-for-gold.html?hp REH From: Keith Hudson [ mailto:[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> ] Sent: Thursday, April 11, 2013 11:27 AM To: RE-DESIGNING WORK, INCOME DISTRIBUTION, EDUCATION; Ray Harrell Subject: Re: [Futurework] Gelt The NYT article is all very glib and I'm sure a lot of readers will be encouraged to sell their personal gold. If there was any clear logic in the article it's to be found at the end with what Peter Schiff says. Keith At 14:29 11/04/2013, you wrote: According to the Science Channel, the Ancient Astronauts no longer need gold to run their space ships. REH http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/11/business/gold-long-a-secure-investment-los es-its-luster.html?hp _______________________________________________ Futurework mailing list [email protected] https://lists.uwaterloo.ca/mailman/listinfo/futurework _____ _______________________________________________ Futurework mailing list [email protected] https://lists.uwaterloo.ca/mailman/listinfo/futurework _______________________________________________ Futurework mailing list [email protected] https://lists.uwaterloo.ca/mailman/listinfo/futurework
_______________________________________________ Futurework mailing list [email protected] https://lists.uwaterloo.ca/mailman/listinfo/futurework
