M-TH: Fwd: UK Labour MP on globalization
I forward this, complete with my comrades intro. Macdonald >Something to brighten your day and bring a smile to your lips! > > > > > >The Threat to Globalization > > <<...>> > >It doesn't come from those who will gather in Seattle, but from darker > >political forces > > <<...>> > >By Denis MacShane > >Newsweek International, November 1, 1999 > >There is a new political specter haunting the world. The politics of > >antiglobalization are growing into a powerful force aimed at liberal > >democracy and market economies in a way not seen since communism's heyday > >earlier this century. Like all major new ideologies, antiglobalization > >conveys a surface message of a better, purer, more honest life. Yet it >also > >masks darker and more dangerous forces. > >Supporters of democratic, open economies should not worry too much about >the > >green eco-warriors who plan to turn the World Trade Organization's > >conference in Seattle into the biggest political demonstrations seen >since > >1968. Rather, they should be concerned about the backlash against > >globalization that is being integrated into national politics and taking >new > >and dangerous forms. The most obvious expression of this phenomenon is >the > >rise of the nation, of religion and of ethnicity as causes that have to >be > >protected against outside influence. > >The world is seeing a rash of nation-first-or region-first- politics. It >can > >be seen in the success of politicians like Jorg Haider in Austria, in the > >Northern League of Italy, the neo-communist PDS party in eastern Germany, > >and in the turn to isolationist anti-European politics by Britain's > >Conservative Party. All of these are expressions of the fear of the >other, > >the outsider and the foreign which lies at the heart of >antiglobalization. > >The BJP rides the same tiger in India; so do fundamentalists who adopt a > >politics that elevates religion over all. The same fear of the unknown is >at > >work among those who dislike new sciences like biogenetics, as it is in >the > >U.S. Senate's refusal to ratify a global nuclear test ban. It can even be > >seen in those-like the mayor of New York-who treat foreign art with > >contempt, or among those French politicians determined to block the free > >flow of mass entertainment originating outside France's borders. > >Historically, the antiglobalization backlash represents the revenge of >the > >19th century-nationalist, protectionist, racist, credulous and >gothic-over > >the values of the 18th century-rational, universalist, modernizing, >humanist > >and classical. We are witnessing, if you like, a fight between Voltaire >and > >Nietzche; between Adam Smith's commitment to free trade and Otto von > >Bismarck's preference for tariff barriers. There is a political contest >too. > >On the one hand are those who welcome the international economy and > >understand the need for postnational rules set by imperfect but necessary > >international bodies. On the other hand are those, of left and right, who > >want national or ethnic vetoes on any interference from outside. > >Those who stand for open economies and liberal democracies need to face >the > >new threat. After a decade of denying the linkage, there is now belated > >acknowledgment that global trade does need to take into consideration > >environmental and social issues. Bill Clinton stressed the connection >when > >he became the first American president ever to address the annual >conference > >of the International Labor Organization earlier this year. World trade > >bureaucrats have finally begun to understand the real political threat >posed > >by their arrogant dismissals of the claim that nature nor human beings > >should not be penalized by global trade. > >In truth, the removal of barriers to trade has not caused world poverty, >but > >revealed it. Compared to the 1960s there are hundreds of millions of >people > >who have a better life because of world trade. In 1960, South Korea had a > >per-capita annual income of $250. Now the country exports whole auto >plants > >to provide new jobs and an entry into the world market for workers in >East > >Europe and Latin America. Life expectancy has shot up everywhere; decent > >health care is no longer the preserve of the rich north. A liberalized >world > >economy has allowed millions more people to reach adulthood and have > >children. > >Unfortunately, those who have a stake in world trade have been its worst > >advocates. Too many banks and multinational businesses still refuse to >heed > >calls for ethical trading and social responsibility. Too often, > >organizations like Transparency International and the International Labor > >Organization are ignored. Governments from poorer countries in Asia and > >Latin America-often ones that waste money on weapons, security police and > >the trappings of power-have demanded protection from global rules which > >would permit their civil society, consume
Re: M-TH: Virtual Capitalism
At 15:55 28/10/99 GMT, you wrote: > >Have peep at this one rather than flogging a dead goat: >http://www.bized.ac.uk/virtual/economy/ >and play at being Chancellor of the UK economy. Neat how they cannot even >begin to conceptualise their way beyond the commodity form, eg the only key >variables: >http://ve.ifs.org.uk/Hard.shtml. > >Russell Forgive me if I do not get lost in the Chancellor's rooms. Any initial impression what the hidden assumptions are which favour capitalism? Chris Burford London --- from list [EMAIL PROTECTED] ---
Re: M-TH: Fw: A new regular feature in LM magazine
Could the World Social etc avoid announcing itself entirely in capital letters. Nothing personal, but I keep on thinking hariette is coming back. Illogical I know because that name is not in CAPITAL LETTERS. Something discrete like LM might be a compromise. WSM? Chris --- from list [EMAIL PROTECTED] ---
M-TH: Re: C'mon you lot!
G'day Jerry, Jerry, what we'd like is for you just not to talk about this particular non-subscriber's personal traits on Thaxis *at all*. It's just about all you do here, and it's all the more annoying for the fact you have much to offer - if only you thought us worthy of your finer efforts. We all know how you feel now, so I reckon we're within our rights to ask, just this LAST one time, that you desist. Seriously. 'Night all, Rob. >If you check the precise wording that I agreed to last month, you will see >that I have lived up to my end of the agreement. The agreement, though, >was violated when certain subscribers forwarded posts from another list >to this one by the non-person in question. At first I let it pass, then >after several occasions, I responded (without, btw, mentioning the name >of the non-subscriber). If you want me never to raise this issue again on >thaxis, just ensure that that non-subscriber's name never appears on this >list again. [There might be a technical way of doing this, btw, by >ensuring that said name is automatically deleted from any posts.] > >Jerry > > > > --- from list [EMAIL PROTECTED] --- > --- from list [EMAIL PROTECTED] ---
M-TH: Virtual Capitalism
[There might be a technical way of doing this, btw, by >ensuring that said name is automatically deleted from any posts.] . Have peep at this one rather than flogging a dead goat: http://www.bized.ac.uk/virtual/economy/ and play at being Chancellor of the UK economy. Neat how they cannot even begin to conceptualise their way beyond the commodity form, eg the only key variables: http://ve.ifs.org.uk/Hard.shtml. Russell __ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com --- from list [EMAIL PROTECTED] ---
M-TH: Re: C'mon you lot!
Rob wrote: > I, for one, intend to observe this list's recently > mentioned and long-standing policy not to engage in discussions > concerning personalities not subscribed to this list (and sad indeed to > see that Jerry couldn't live up to a policy to which he explicitly > committed himself only last month). If you check the precise wording that I agreed to last month, you will see that I have lived up to my end of the agreement. The agreement, though, was violated when certain subscribers forwarded posts from another list to this one by the non-person in question. At first I let it pass, then after several occasions, I responded (without, btw, mentioning the name of the non-subscriber). If you want me never to raise this issue again on thaxis, just ensure that that non-subscriber's name never appears on this list again. [There might be a technical way of doing this, btw, by ensuring that said name is automatically deleted from any posts.] Jerry --- from list [EMAIL PROTECTED] ---
M-TH: C'mon you lot!
G'day Macdonald, I was hoping to let this unhappy little silliness pass, but you're making it difficult for me. I, for one, intend to observe this list's recently mentioned and long-standing policy not to engage in discussions concerning personalities not subscribed to this list (and sad indeed to see that Jerry couldn't live up to a policy to which he explicitly committed himself only last month). And whilst I reckon this 'I'm gonna take my ball and go home' talk is a bit over-the-top, Macdonald, you do remind me of this list's democratically agreed policy and the role of a co-moderator occasionally to lend such commitments some clout. If Thaxists wanna renogotiate the policy, well, fine (although I'd join Russ in passionately casting a no-change vote in such an event). Failing that, if they wanna keep up unproductive personal sniping, Bill and I would have to assume the balance of the list would want us to slap bottoms accordingly. The list has been regaining just a little of its old zest of late. Let's not squash the phoenix in its egg, eh? Cheers, Rob. --- from list [EMAIL PROTECTED] ---
Re: M-TH: Fw: A new regular feature in LM magazine
George, Surely this cannot be a serious column. Not only is the format, of Furedi as agony aunt simply bizare, but the politics that lie behind it (which is the real point) are beyond comprehension. That we live in a world where one can wander up to the employer and quietly explain that it is inefficient in the long term to make him work long hours is beyond comprehension. And if that isn't possible the problem is some psychobabble about inner unfullfillment. The whole point of the family in bourgeois society should ideally be one that puts up with the worker's long hours and difficult conditions and to selflessly (and at little or no cost to capitalism) maintain and reporduce the worker. As a Marxist, one is reminded of the great stuggle for the eight hour day - which was not fought by careful explaination to bosses - but on the streets, with the support of Marx and Engels. And didn't Karl have a theory of alienation which was a little more scientific than the ideology of the workaholic. But then LM isn't Living Marxism any more. And like the ex-Marxism Today lot they do seem to be moving on a slow drift to the right. If it is - as I initially hoped - merely a hoax then my apologies to Furedi but the fact that it is believable is worrying enough. John Walker > COLUMN: HOW TO SUSTAIN A MARRIAGE > IN AN AGE OF DECLINING EXPECTATIONS > > BY DR. FRANK FUREDI (TENURED SOCIOLOGIST) > > Q: My husband is simply never home. He works until at least 9:00 P.M. > - and for six hours or so on either Saturday or Sunday - because he > says it's expected. Even though I have some household help, it's a > tremendous strain on me to raise two daughters, ages 1 1/2 and 4, > without a father around. On a recent Sunday, I was running a > 102-degree fever, and he still went to the office. How can I cope with > this? > > A: You could tell him, quite seriously, that unless he can create more > time to be a husband and father, you and the children will be forced > to fire him. He needs to find a way to make clear to his employer > that, while he's willing to work overtime in emergencies, this > round-the-clock face time must end. Apart from what it's doing to his > family, his schedule is going to burn him out - if it hasn't already - > and make him a much less effective employee. Of course, the > possibility exists that even if his boss weren't pressuring him to put > in long hours, he would do so anyway because he's a workaholic. In > that case, you both need to figure out what he's trying to escape from > - like other addicts, workaholics are hiding from inner turmoil. It > could be the responsibilities of parenting two preschool-age children. > Clearly, it's time for a frank discussion of what each of you expects > from your marriage and what is missing. If that gets you nowhere, I'd > strongly suggest he carve out time in his schedule for marriage > counseling. Should you keep going on the way you're going, I foresee > disaster. --- from list [EMAIL PROTECTED] ---
M-TH: Australian referendum and ISO
George, hi... On Wed, 27 Oct 1999, George Pennefather wrote: > Kim > Who is the ISO > > Warm regards > George Pennefather The International Socialist Organisation (ISO), also known sometimes by their papers name Socialist Worker(s) are a grouping with leanings towards the Trotskyist tradition. They are an off shoot from Socialist Workers Party in Britian were set in Australia around the late 1970's (I think). They have a number of branches in Australia, with their main bases being Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane. One of their prime influences is Tony Cliffe from the SWP. In the late 1980's or possibly early 1990s (sorry about the haziness of the dates) the Australian group split into two when a group of their tendency were expelled. This group formed Socialist Alternative, which is primarily based in Melbourne. My main understanding of the ISO is that they do not adhere to the idea of a party programme, view the Soviet Union and Cuba as state capitalist (ie that the state has taken on the role previously held by the bourgeois to conduct a capitalist economy- ie. state run capitalism). They also tend to see social movements such as the women's liberation movement as a distraction from the workers movement - ie. that the women's movements should not be organised independently of the workers movement. regards, Kim B > --- from list [EMAIL PROTECTED] --- > --- from list [EMAIL PROTECTED] ---
M-TH: Burning ideas
Simon writes: >As to the above exchange, capital is a relationship, a twisted >relationship: an alienated relationship. That alienation is manifested in >its pure form as money: remember the "money soul which percolates society"? >A capitalism seized by a vanguard, supposedly in the interests of the >working class, is state capitalism, and just as pernicious. Socialism has >no place for banknotes except as for burning in the fireplace of someone >who is cold. Yes but. The money form is a manifestation of the commodity form, which Lenin, if I remember rightly, calls in an interesting metaphor the 'cell' or 'seed' of capitalist social relations. In the example of burning money, what you describe is removal of exchange value from one commodity (money) so that all remains is its use value. Which reminds me of a story about Bakhtin- snowed up in a Russian winter and without adequate supplies, he is supposed to have used one of his books as cigarette paper. No copies of the work remain. Russell __ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com --- from list [EMAIL PROTECTED] ---
