On 2014-01-21, at 7:32 PM, Eugene Coyle wrote: > Marv, > > I'm chagrined to learn (and not for the first time) that I;m such a > poor communicator. You do misunderstand me and the blame is mine. I should > make up a signature block that says "NO CUT IN PAY" several times.
Thanks for clarifying, Gene. In my time, I've run into many well-intentioned people on the left who have advocated for "work sharing" - ie. voluntary pay cuts in a bid, usually unsuccessful, to avoid workmates being laid off - and constrained mass purchasing power in the interests of the environment. Glad to see you're not among them. > On Jan 21, 2014, at 12:50 PM, Marv Gandall wrote: > >> >> On 2014-01-21, at 1:38 PM, Eugene Coyle wrote: >> >>> What progressive economists must provide is a path to Visualizing a >>> different future. I see that as happening through a repeated shortening of >>> working hours, till wants and aspirations can include something beyond >>> consumption that can never deliver a better life. >> >> There has been a repeated shortening of working hours expressed in a steady >> increase in part-time, term, and casual employment over recent decades at >> the expense of full time employment - all accompanied by a corresponding >> loss of income. Most workers who have been forced to accept these precarious >> forms of employment are living near or below the poverty line. That's why >> the once powerful working class trade union and socialist movement insisted >> on shorter hours at no loss in pay. If, as is increasingly feared, the pace >> of jobs lost to automation will this time far outstrip new job creation, a >> dramatic reduction in work time accompanied by at least the maintenance of >> current living standards will become a pressing political issue. Most >> workers are currently scrambling to meet their basic needs, and they will >> not want to visualize a different future which threatens to erode their >> conditions still further. Unless I'm misunderstanding, your reference to >> moving "beyond consumption" suggests this is what you have in mind. >> _______________________________________________ >> pen-l mailing list >> [email protected] >> https://lists.csuchico.edu/mailman/listinfo/pen-l > > _______________________________________________ > pen-l mailing list > [email protected] > https://lists.csuchico.edu/mailman/listinfo/pen-l _______________________________________________ pen-l mailing list [email protected] https://lists.csuchico.edu/mailman/listinfo/pen-l
