I hate to sound like J-P Sartre, who insisted on following "consciousness" with "of" all the time, but one key question is what kind of "growth" are we talking about? "growth" of _what_? The orthodox economics & business view is that "growth" is of real GDP, which is Good. In that case, "growth" means the growth of exchange-value (adjusted for inflation). Given capitalist power, Tom's absolutely right that "Ultimately what growth refers to is the accumulation of capital." One could also talk about the growth of use-value. Perhaps a first approximation for that would be something like the Genuine Progress Indicator or some other GDP-substitute. Of course, there's a contradiction between exchange-value (surplus-value) and use-value, as some hairy old Teutons noted. Jim Devine [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://myweb.lmu.edu/jdevine
________________________________ From: PEN-L list on behalf of tom walker Sent: Thu 3/10/2005 10:02 PM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [PEN-L] Worker rights versus growth Bill Lear wrote: > At dinner this evening a friend of mine made the > claim that the easier > it is to fire workers, the better the growth rate of > the economy --- > "That's Germany's problem right now", he said, > perhaps with good > reason. > > Is there any empirical support or refutation of > this? I think it is a mistake to view this question as an empirical one that can be empirically refuted. The growth v. rights framing is an ideological one that can only be addressed through a fundamental rejection of the paradigm of economic growth. And I don't mean that you, Bill, will necessarily be able to persuade your friend that this growth shit is a bogus concept. I simply mean that it is naive to think that empirical evidence will turn the trick. Ultimately what growth refers to is the accumulation of capital. Even though it may well be that within a particular regime of accumulation worker rights are compatible with capital accumulation, eventually the universal extention of those rights stands in opposition to the continued accumulation of capital. Capital will therefore oppose even the accumulation of capital that relies on the univeral extension of worker rights. What do you think the role of ol'Greensponge squarebob is? Personally, I think the question can better be addressed through allegory and emblem than through analysis and evidence. Your friend didn't arrive at his claim through analysis and evidence. What makes people think he will abandon it through that route? The Sandwichman ______________________________________________________________________ Post your free ad now! http://personals.yahoo.ca
