[PEN-L:3050] Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Ernest Mandel on long waves

[Rosser Jr, John Barkley]

Doug,
    The usual argument is that there are "critical masses" 
of a certain technology that bring about qualitative change 
in the economy.  The steam engine was around after Newcomen 
in 1701 but could not be said to qualitatively transform 
the economy until it was much improved and much more 
widespread.  The same applies to computers.  And the 
internet is largely a 1990s phenomenon.
Barkley Rosser
On Mon, 8 Feb 1999 17:36:01 -0500 Doug Henwood 
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:

> Rosser Jr, John Barkley wrote:
> 
> >    And that political victory has freed up funds for a
> >major investment drive in computers and internet systems
> >that is now affecting the economy significantly.
> 
> Computers have been around for over 50 years, and the microcomputer for 20.
> They've been "affecting the economy significantly" for a long time, in
> other words.Dating a long wave on that would be to use the same flexible
> timing as monetarists, with their "long and variable lags." Why not throw
> in the phone, which has been around for 100, while we're at it?
> 
> Doug
> 

-- 
Rosser Jr, John Barkley
[EMAIL PROTECTED]