Louis writes:
Peter, your problem is that you are not really interested discussing real
countries in the real world. It is much more convenient to discuss
abstract models.
Louis, a few points. I am not an economist, professional
or otherwise. I am someone with an interest in socialist
political economy, and in particular how it could be
viably implemented with beneficial results for the mass of
ordinary people in real countries around the real world.
I spoke in front of TV cameras not so long ago in support
of the delivery of computer supplies to Cuba, sponsored by
Pastors for Peace after some of their number went on a
fast to pressure the US government, etc. I went to Cuba
for a couple of weeks 2 summers ago, and am very
interested in the economic realities on the ground there
and elsewhere.
The fact of the matter, though, is that despite many great
achievements, which I laud and support, the Cuban economy
is in considerable trouble. All countries which have
tried to institute a centrally planned economy have 1)
generally not produced a very high standard of living for
their own work forces, and 2) not succeeded in building a
type of society that is generally attractive to workers,
or a (net) credit to the cause of socialism, in other
countries. Unless you can persuade working class people
how a socialist economy would succeed for them better than
capitalism, socialism has no hope of political success.
So my question was prompted not in the least by a taste
for academic pedantry, but by a strong personal interest
in how successfully to win people over to socialism. One
question which even only mildly informed people are going
to ask is, "Hasn't central planning of the economy been a
disaster everywhere it's been tried?" You're going to
say, the USSR didn't really have a planned economy, etc.
OK. But the question then becomes, "How come *attempts*
to centrally plan an economy keep ending up in a mess?"
As a socialist, I accept the need for planning in some
aspects of economic life--education, health, social
services, macroeconomic policy (particularly with respect
to aggregate investment and its broad composition). But
it is my understanding, based on the *concrete realities*
of *actual historical attempts* to institute widespread
economic planning by nominally socialist governments--NOT
on the Hayekian or other academic critiques--that these
experiments have on the whole not been successful.
Certainly not successful enough to convert the masses to
fervent support for socialism.
Peter
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
