Joan Robinson really did say the thing about "being exploited is better than not being exploited." (I'm looking for the reference.) I understood it as saying that _under unfettered capitalism_ it's better to be in the active army of labor (employed) than being part of the reserve army (unemployed). Following Marx, the two have a symbiotic relationship: the existence of the non-exploitation in the reserve army (garbage-pickers, etc.) keeps wages down and allows the exploitation of the active army.
But it's possible that we could change the equation, allowing for some social democracy. For example, a tax on the rich or on the sale of diamonds (for Nambia) or oil (for Iraq, etc.) could allow a government to pay poor kids to go to school while providing useful jobs (like turning the garbage piles into more ecological sites) to the adults. The Kristof, Friedman, Krugman interpretation ignores this kind of alternative. Of global capitalism militates against such social democracy, especially in these neoliberal days. And these authors take the logic of neoliberalism for granted, even if they want to sand off some of the rough edges. -- Jim Devine / "Segui il tuo corso, e lascia dir le genti." (Go your own way and let people talk.) -- Karl, paraphrasing Dante. _______________________________________________ pen-l mailing list [email protected] https://lists.csuchico.edu/mailman/listinfo/pen-l
