Thanks, Rob. This thread has been unusually short of the bickering that undermines too many of our discussions.
As for my role, two friends, Michael Lebowitz and Sam Lanfranco told me about the technology of mail lists. Pen-l then consisted of the three of us. It (not me) attracted a terrific list of participants, which made the list hum, except for the all-too-frequent bickering. The list itself is a collective process in which many people contributed more than I have. Thanks to all of you! Michael. Michael Perelman Economics Department California State University Mperelman at csuchico.edu Chico, CA 95929 530-898-5321 fax 530-898-5901 www.michaelperelman.wordpress.com From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Rob George Sent: Thursday, May 28, 2015 4:12 PM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [Pen-l] Better Than Raising the Minimum Wage & SOCIOECONOMIC DEMOCRACY Thanks, Gene, and all the thoughtful responders to Eugene's suggested subject, for initiating a much needed, neglected and patiently awaited conversation by the participants on this so-called Progressive Economics List about what needs to be done. The suggestions of forms of Universal Guaranteed Income, aka BIG, UGI, BI, etc., for every passenger on this potentially pleasant Spaceship Earth, clearly beat by decades pen-l's quibblings, concerns and questions about what is to be done regarding humanity's obvious, obscene and surely unnecessary painful suffering. As an Engineer (Arsenal Technical High School, Berkeley, Purdue and UCLA) who has silently been on this mailing list for a couple of decades, I too, at 83, am becoming desperate. May Michael Perelman's insights and contributions to the creation of this channel of information be further recognized, soon. ~~~~~~~~ We respectfully suggest the serious consideration of Socioeconomic Democracy as a peaceful, just and democratic resolution to the myriad unnecessary and pain-filled problems confronting humanity caused by the present mal-distribution of both "Income" and far more importantly "Wealth" about this world. Socioeconomic Democracy is a theoretically consistent and peacefully implementable socioeconomic system wherein there exists both locally appropriate Universally Guaranteed Personal Income (UGI) and locally appropriate Maximum Allowable Personal Wealth (MAW), with both the lower bound on personal material poverty and the upper bound on personal material wealth set and adjusted democratically by all participants of a democratic society. Socioeconomic Democracy is easily realized with elementary Public Choice Theory. Socioeconomic Democracy further encourages voter participation and provides the essential economic funds and more importantly psychological incentives for all to work productively and satisfyingly to realize a sustainable socioeconomic system seriously and successfully dedicated to the betterment of all humanity, here presumed a desirable endeavor. It has been demonstrated in detail how Socioeconomic Democracy would simultaneously eliminate or significantly reduce a multitude of serious-to-deadly and intimately intertwined societal problems including (but by no means limited to) those familiar ones associated with: Automation, Computerization and Robotization; Budget Deficits and National Debts; Bureaucracy; Maltreatment of Children; Crime and Punishment; Development, finally sustainable; Ecology, Environment, Resources and Pollution; Education; our Elderly mothers and fathers; the Feminine majority; Inflation; International conflict; Intranational conflict; Involuntary Employment; Involuntary Unemployment; Labor Strife and Strikes; Medical and Health care; the necessary global Military Metamorphosis; Natural Disasters; Pay Justice; Planned Obsolescence; Political Participation; Poverty; Racism; Sexism; and the General Welfare. These ramifications of Socioeconomic Democracy emphasize that whatever one’s “favorite few" societal problems requiring solution, they are inseparably interrelated with dozens of others just as serious. This implies that to significantly resolve or reduce any societal problem requires the simultaneous resolution of them all. Those interested in contributing, in any way, to the further understanding, development, realization and distribution of the ideas and benefits described here are urged to contact this writer as well as your own thoughtful readers and associates. A few relevant links: "A Democratic Socioeconomic Platform, in Search of a Democratic Political Party" http://www.centersds.com/dsep.html Socioeconomic Democracy: An Advanced Socioeconomic System (Praeger Studies on the 21st Century, 2002) http://www.centersds.com/thebook.htm "Bibliography of Socioeconomic Democracy" http://www.centersds.com/biblio.htm "Socioeconomic Democracy" International Journal of Science, vol.1, February 2012, (pp.33-48). http://ijosc.net/index.html "Socioeconomic Democracy: A Progressive Societal Arrangement" Studies of Changing Societies: Comparative and Interdisciplinary Focus, vol.1, June 2012. http://www.scsjournal.org<http://www.scsjournal.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=section&layout=blog&id=1&Itemid=8> "Rapids of Change" http://www.centersds.com/rapids.htm Robley E. George An Unrepentant Democrat, to borrow one word from Louis (hopefully Rent free), Founder and Director, Center for the Study of Democratic Societies http://www.centersds.com/index.html ~~~~~~~~~ -----Original Message----- From: Eugene Coyle <[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>> To: Pen-l Pen-L <[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>>; LBO <[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>> Sent: Thu, May 21, 2015 10:19 pm Subject: [Pen-l] Better Than Raising the Minimum Wage Here is something from WSJ.com that might interest you: Better Than Raising the Minimum Wage http://on.wsj.com/1EmPumR Perhaps you have noticed the ideas coming from the Right that are eagerly embraced by many on the Left. As jobs disappear and perhaps will never reappear, the Right asks "How can we keep the party going if there are no jobs? Occupies and worse will spring up everywhere." The Right answers "Let's cut taxes on the workers. That way they'll have more money and we won't have to give it to them." Those on the Right, looking further into the dim -- and dimly lit -- future, say "Let's create a Basic Income Guarantee (BIG) like Milton Friedman and Nixon spoke of, so some can drop out and more can work for little with the BIG covering their shortfall." And here's Warren Buffett, right on cue, before he dies and leaves multi-billions to charity. And here's the Left, or some of it, conceding that workers won't get a share of the GDP and settling for BIG and maybe part-time work behind the wheel of an Uber. And raising a few chickens in the yard. Will another slice of the Left do else? Gene PS And, of course, Buffet's analysis of why some people, those talented folks, get rich, and others, hard working and decent as they are, do not, is, in one word, farcical. In two words, historically farcical. _______________________________________________ pen-l mailing list [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]> https://lists.csuchico.edu/mailman/listinfo/pen-l
_______________________________________________ pen-l mailing list [email protected] https://lists.csuchico.edu/mailman/listinfo/pen-l
