Saturday, October 15, 2011
Occupy Wall Street and Technology
There are quite a few demonstrations going on about economic exclusion. It is not surprising as a society where the numbers of people who participate in society is continue reducing is not a good society to have.
The error is, however, to believe that it arises from capitalism per se. There is a real problem, but it arises from the economic changes that result from technology.
Whereas in the past large numbers of people used to get reasonably good rates from pay from metal bashing, now machines do a lot more of the work. The people who use the machines make a good living, those who own the machines make a much better living and there are a lot of people not working on the same projects.
If we are going to have greater economic participation we need to respond to that and aim to share out the participation. There are difficulties in doing this in an interconnected world, but it must be recognised.
Firstly, that there is a real problem. There is.
Secondly, that communism is not the answer. posted by John Hemming ¶ 5:42 pm
The error is, however, to believe that it arises from capitalism per se. There is a real problem, but it arises from the economic changes that result from technology.
Whereas in the past large numbers of people used to get reasonably good rates from pay from metal bashing, now machines do a lot more of the work. The people who use the machines make a good living, those who own the machines make a much better living and there are a lot of people not working on the same projects.
If we are going to have greater economic participation we need to respond to that and aim to share out the participation. There are difficulties in doing this in an interconnected world, but it must be recognised.
Firstly, that there is a real problem. There is.
Secondly, that communism is not the answer. posted by John Hemming ¶ 5:42 pm
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Course, Marx would say: The whole point is that technological change only occurs due to the coercive laws of competition. Capitalists invest in new technologies to outdo competitors. In some sense this is what technology is.
Check out David Harvey's course - it's dead good http://davidharvey.org/
It's not got any answers, but certainly a whole load of interesting questions.
Check out David Harvey's course - it's dead good http://davidharvey.org/
It's not got any answers, but certainly a whole load of interesting questions.
think it's about a bit more than this 'prverted' capitalism system we got at the moment....but then you never could have a 100% capitalist system anyway, no NHS for a start (sme people seem to like that....)
shame on folk though that they only get up off their colelctive arses and try and do soemtghing when it starts hittig tem in the pocket....when there are so many other far more worthy causes to go to war over....
on another note, anybody know why Gordon sold all that Gold at rock bottom prices....? we could use soem of that now....anything to do with the Chinese? ;-)
shame on folk though that they only get up off their colelctive arses and try and do soemtghing when it starts hittig tem in the pocket....when there are so many other far more worthy causes to go to war over....
on another note, anybody know why Gordon sold all that Gold at rock bottom prices....? we could use soem of that now....anything to do with the Chinese? ;-)
Not sure that many people are suggesting that communism is the answer. Thanks for that insight, though.
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