In any case, I have believed for some
time that we are going into a
recession. I think that people are
going to be more receptive of left
ideas. I would like to see pen-l
function as an incubator for good
economic thinking.
--
Michael Perelman
Economics Department
California State University
Chico, CA 95929
Tel. 530-898-5321
E-Mail [EMAIL PROTECTED]
*************
Events would have to get really nasty for the US to get out of it's
neoliberal slumber. People really hate the government. Even the Fed thinks
Congress is full of yahoos. The left needs to talk and walk democracy first,
lest we live in a decade of total mistrust. Whether a US in vertigo would
allow other societies to create a counter-hegemonic bloc is an open question
at this point.
A slim book debunking "Maestro" and the Fed would be great. Young people
would by 'em up in a heartbeat; they know what is at stake.
A certain D. Henwood has a piece in the latest issue of NACLA on US economic
plans for Latin America. In the article he states that FTAA has a long way
to go but a crucial first or second step would be extending NAFTA to Chile
[the other is fast track authority]. This would in all likelihood quicken
the privatization pace of Social Security in the US because Chile's SS is
administered by Citigroup. <http://www-tech.mit.edu/Bulletins/nafta.html>
Esp. chapters 10, 11, 12 14, & 15. On these types of issues, lefty
economists need to make friends with trade lawyers who have misgivings about
the current international law regime.
Related to that issue is the growing anti-corporate/anti-capitalist
"movement" that is hungry for alternatives. While left [dis
:-)]organizations never have much $$, there is no dearth of talent that
could come up with some enticing alternatives that learn from the mistakes
of the past and at the same time offer ways of both throwing sand in the
gears while coming up with new approaches to engaging in production and
trade. There are lots of great teachers who both write on the list and lurk
here. The next few years present us all with opportunity for greater
outreach to fellow citizens. Lets go for it.
Ian
