Michael:
Speaking for my self, the reason I do not contribute answers to
questions is because I simply lack the expertise to answer them within the
Marxists framework as seems to be de riguer on this list.
The sum total of my knowledge about Marx came from having read and learned
almost by heart the chapters Loucks and Hoot devoted to Marx in their
"Comparative Economic Systems text. I made it mandatory reading for my
course on the Soviet Economic System
I might note, I've never felt I needed Marx to tell me that there is
rampant exploitation, injustices and human misery and suffering in the
capitalist world.
You suggest that we might discuss the question of "over capacity". This
old dog has never understood how economists can talk about over capacity in
a world where so many are homeless, hungry and sick � a world with so many
unmet humans needs.
As regards Tom Kruse's question regarding the count of
unemployment, following are my notes on that subject one of the last times
I taught Econ 101. I know it is not at the level of sophistication he is
searching, but he might pick up a thought or two from it.
==============================================================
ON AUGUST 7 1992 THE GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCED THAT IN JULY,THE NATION'S
UNEMPLOYMENT RATE HAD EDGED DOWN TO 7.7% OF THE WORKFORCE AND THAT THERE
WERE 9.8 MILLION PEOPLE OUT OF WORK.
UNEMPLOYMENT NUMBERS ARE EXTRAPOLATED BY THE BUREAU OF labor STATISTICS
FROM SURVEYS CONDUCTED BY SOME ONE THOUSAND BUREAU OF THE CENSUS POLLSTERS
IN A CANVASS OF SOME 50,000 HOUSEHOLDS.
THE POLLSTERS ASK RESPONDENTS OVER THE AGE OF 16 WHETHER OR NOT THEY
HAD WORKED THE PREVIOUS WEEK. IF THE RESPONSE IS 'YES' THAT IS THE END OF
IT. IF THE RESPONSE IS 'NO' THE RESPONDENT IS ASKED WHETHER OR NOT HE OR
SHE HAD ACTIVELY SOUGHT WORK THE PREVIOUS WEEK. IF THE PERSON RESPONSE
'YES', THAT PERSON IS COUNTED AS UNEMPLOYED. IF THE RESPONSE IS 'NO', THAT
PERSON IS NOT COUNTED AS UNEMPLOYED.
THE 9.8 MILLION UNEMPLOYMENT COUNT THE BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS CAME
UP WITH GROSSLY UNDERSTATED THE NUMBER OF PERSONS WHO WERE ACTUALLY
UNEMPLOYED.
A) BEING BASED ON A HOUSEHOLD SURVEY IT DOES NOT INCLUDE THE
HOMELESS WHICH, BY MOST ESTIMATES RUNS ABOUT 3 MILLION PERSON.
B) IT DID NOT INCLUDE THE SOME 1.1 MILLION PERSON WHO HAD BECOME SO
DISCOURAGED SPENDING BUS FARE AND TIME IN THE PURSUIT OF NON-EXISTENT JOBS
THAT THEY CEASED TO LOOK.
C. It did not count the nation's 800,000 persons behind bars, there
for the most part because they had no job in the first instance.
D. In ADDITION TO THOSE 14.7 MILLION PERSONS, THERE WERE ANOTHER 6.6
MILLION, WHO, ALTHOUGH THEY WANT FULL TIME WORK WERE FORCED TO WORK PART
TIME.
Length of the lines
If all of those 9.8 million officially unemployed , i.e out of work
and recorded as actively seeking it) were lined up with each person placing
his or her hand on the shoulder of the person in front, that line would
stretch 5,568 miles.
(9.8 million times 3 feet equals 29,4 million feet, divided by 5,280
feet equals 5,568 miles.
We could have a phlanax of people 55 in each row which would stretch
from Portland to Boston. Or we could run a line Portland
to Miami 5 persons wide.
Adding the 3 million homeless lengthens the line by another 1,705
miles.
Adding
the 1.1 million person who out hopelessness have given up
on the hope of ever finding a job and another 625 miles to the line.
Adding the 800,000 persons in prison, adds another 454 miles the
line. 2,601 of those prison inmates are on death row and when their
sentences are carried out the line will shorten by 4.43 miles.
the entire line of those 14.7 milliON PERSONS WOULD STRETCH A TOTAL OF
8,325 MILES, I.E. ENOUGH TO FORM A LINE WITH TWO ROWS OF PERSONS STRETCHING
FROM NEW YORK TO SAN FRANCISCO, PLUS ANOTHER LINE WITH TWO ROWS OF PERSON
STRETCHING FROM PORTLAND TO JACKSONVILLE. THOSE LINES WOULD CONTAIN SOME
65-70% OF THE\ALL OF THE NATION'S YOUNG BLACK AGED 16-25 (50% UNEMPLOYED
AND 50% BEHIND BARS)
IN ADDITION TO THAT MASS OF HUMANITY THERE ARE ALSO 6.6 MILLION PERSONS
WHO WANT FULL TIME WORK BUT CAN ONLY FIND PART TIME WORK. IF WE HAVE THOSE
PEOPLE JOIN THE LINE DURING THAT PART OF THE WORKING DAY IN WHICH THEY ARE
NOT ENGAGED IN THEIR PART TIME WORK THE LINE WOULD LENGTHEN BY ANOTHER
3,750 MILES BRINGING IT TO A TOTAL OF `11,473 MILES.
TAKING AN ULTRA CONSERVATIVE STANCE AND IGNORING THE 800,000 PERSONS
BEHIND BARS ( AT A COST OF $30,000 PER PERSON PER YEAR) AND THE 6.6 MILLION
PERSONS ON SHORT TIME, THE IDLING OF THOSE 9.8 MILLION PERSONS OFFICIALLY
DECLARED AS UNEMPLOYED, THE 1.1 MILLION DISCOURAGED AND THE 3 MILLION
HOMELESS IS THE EQUIVALENT OF SHUTTING DOWN AND IDLING THE ENTIRE canadian
LABOR FORCE AND SHUTTING DOWN THE ENTIRE CANADIAN ECONOMY. In 1989 THE
CANADIAN LABOR FORCE WAS 13.4 MILLION AND IT PRODUCED A gnp OF $471 BILLION
WHICH IS ALMOST EQUAL TO THE TOTAL 1989 gnp ($492) OF ALL OF THE NATIONS OF
south AMERICA COMBINED..
Idle workers mean idle factories. DURING THE FIRST QUARTER OF 1992
THE NATIONS' PLANTS WERE BEING OPERATED AT AN AVERAGE OF ONLY 78% OF
CAPACITY. THE NATION HAS MILLIONS OF PEOPLE OF MYRIADS OF UNMET NEEDS
(HOUSING, DAY CARE, FAMILY SERVICES, ACCOMMODATIONS AND CARE FOR THE
ELDERLY, RENOVATIONS OF CRUMBLING ROADS, BRIDGES, SCHOOLS, IT HAS
MILLIONS OF PERSONS WHO ARE ABLE AND WANTING TO SATISFY THOSE NEEDS BUY IT
HAS AN ECONOMIC SYSTEM WHICH HAS NEVER BEEN ABLE TO HITCH THE TWO UP.
THE COSTS OF UNEMPLOYMENT BY FAR TRANSCEND THE CURRENT LOSS OF $450-500
BILLION IN LOST INCOMES AND OUTPUT. THEY INVOLVE INCREDIBLE HUMAN SUFFERING
AND SOCIAL COSTS. THE CONNECTION BETWEEN UNEMPLOYMENT ON THE ONE HAND AND
CRIME, FAMILY AND STREET VIOLENCE,(WIFE AND CHILD BATTERING) MENTAL AND
PHYSICAL ILLNESS, SUICIDES, DIVORCE,ARE CLEAR. A STUDY BY DR. HARVEY
BRENNER OF JOHN HOPKINS COVERING THE PERIOD 1940-1973 SHOWED THAT FOR EVERY
SUSTAINED ONE PER CENT INCREASE IN UNEMPLOYMENT, THE NATIONS SUICIDE RATE
INCREASED BY 45.`12%, HOMICIDE 5.7%, ADMISSIONS TO STATE MENTAL
INSTITUTIONS 1.4%, STATE PRISON ADMISSIONS 4% AND MORTALITY RATES BY 1.4%>
A STUDY BY CURT DONIG, HEAD OF A BERLIN PHYSCRAITIC CLINIC REVEALED THAT
"ONE YEAR OF UNEMPLOYMENT CAN REDUCE THE LIFE EXPECTANCY OF THE JOB LOOSER
BY FIVE"/
