[PEN-L:4775] Futurework
I'd like to invite anyone who hasn't done so to sample our list, Futurework (see below). I also want to ask for opinions on the idea of re-distributing the fruits of technology (the "new wealth of nations") in the form of a universal, adequate *basic income* (citizen's income, social wage), acknowledging that needed goods and services can increasingly be produced and provided with almost no human input. There is much good work to be done in society. With a shift from education to be an "employee" for someone else's purposes (or to suffer unemployment because the jobs aren't there) to education for family and community service, environmental stewardship, and self-development, we could seize this opportunity to build a better, more humane society. More prisons are not the path to that end. Think about the basic income idea (which would, of course, be coupled with plentiful, affordable food and housing, as well as accessible education and universally available health care), and help us at Futurework to develop the idea. Reply to me, this list, or the Futurework list Sally Lerner New FUTUREWORK List December 19, 1994 FUTUREWORK: RE-DESIGNING WORK,INCOME DISTRIBUTION,EDUCATION This is the launch of a new listserv, FUTUREWORK, an international e-mail forum for discussion of how to deal with the new realities created by economic globalization and technological change. Basic changes are occurring in the nature of work in all industrialized countries. Information technology has hastened the advent of the global economic village. Jobs that workers at all skills levels in developed countries once held are now filled by smart machines and/or in low-wage countries. Contemporary rhetoric proclaims the need for ever-escalating competition, leaner and meaner ways of doing business, a totally *flexible* workforce, jobless growth. What would a large permanent reduction in the number of secure, adequately-waged jobs mean for communities, families and individuals? This is not being adequately discussed, nor are the implications for income distribution and education. Even less adequately addressed are questions of how to take back control of these events, how to turn technological change into the opportunity for a richer life rather than the recipe for a bladerunner society. Our objective in creating this listserv is to involve as many people as possible in re-designing for the new realities. We hope that this list will help to move these issues to a prominent place on public and political agendas worldwide. The FUTUREWORK listserv is hosted by Communications for a Sustainable Future (CSF) located at the University of Colorado at Boulder. As the coordinator of FUTUREWORK, I invite you become part of our effort. FUTUREWORK is an unmoderated and open list, so all messages posted to the list will be redistributed around the world. *Futurework (FW) Announcement* FW-L: A Second, Moderated List After much discussion about how best to keep a quality Futurework list thriving, we are going to try out something. The Futurework (FW) list will continue to function very much as it presently does and there will be a second, moderated list named FW-L which will serve as a "quiet room" for working groups--think of a small chaired meeting--as well as a 'bulletin-board' to post notices about recommended books, articles, other documents, other Net sites, conferences, even job openings, etc. relevant to the future of work and to the roles of education, community and other factors in that future. Thus FW will continue to be an open discussion and debate forum which we will post to and keep track of, but not moderate. FW-L will serve subscribers as a calmer place to post and browse. Sally Lerner and Arthur Cordell will serve a co-moderators for FW-L. Normally, posts to FW-L should be limited to one screen. We value all the good energy, ideas and enthusiasm that Futurework has brought forth in the past five weeks. We hope that having two lists, together with setting FW mail on Digest if they wish, will allow busy people to stay subscribed and continue the valuable conversation. To subscribe to the moderated list, FW-L, send the following message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] sub FW-L yourfirstname yourlastname To subscribe to the FUTUREWORK (FW) list, send the following message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] sub FUTUREWORK yourfirstname yourlastname To unsub, send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] saying unsub FUTUREWORKor unsub FW-L To post a message, send it to [EMAIL PROTECTED] or [EMAIL PROTECTED] To receive messages in digest form, send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] saying set FUTUREWORK mail digestor set FW-L mail digest To access the archives for both lists, gopher or ftp to csf.colorado.edu find psn (Progressive Sociology), then Futurework under psn. Archives are also available via the FW WWW Home Page (under construction) at the URL/location
[PEN-L:4739] Setting mail digest?
Please tell me how I can get this list to set my mail on digest. Thanks. Sally Lerner
[PEN-L:4703] Digest form?
How can I set pen-l to the digest mode? Sally Lerner
[PEN-L:4657] Re: East Asia Paradigm Shifts?
Mark - Can you e-mail your paper to me? Thanks Sally Lerner >A number of features of recent East Asian development suggest the necessity >for fresh thinking and new categories. > >In contrast to the 60s and 70s, when the most interesting story appeared to >be the rise of a small number of NIEs within the hierarchy of states that >comprised the capitalist world economy, the story of the 80s and 90s is the >rise of the region as a whole at a time when the world economy is in the >doldrums. > >Can the world economy accommodate the rise of a region with more than 1.5 >billion people? What are the structural implications and how will this >affect the positioning of other regions and nations? > >Barkley Rosser and Bruce McFarling rightly suggest that Braudel can be >helpful in locating East Asia's rise historically, both in terms of longer >cycles and by reminding us of the historical trajectory of East Asia as a >world economic leader and dynamic economic region in times past. But >Braudel can't help us to define the categories that distinguish the present >rise. The most interesting longterm historical work is being done by >Japanese historians, Takeshi Hamashita perhaps preeminent among them, who >pose questions about the historic nature of the East Asian tributary trade >world over the last millenium, and reflect on linkages to contemporary >changes. > >Anthony D'Costa finds it helpful to describe what is happening in Asia as >"capitalist development in a marxist sense" and "imperialism (export of >capital)." There is plenty of "capitalism" and plenty of export of capital >going on. . . yet these categories alone don't help much to solve the >riddle: why East Asia? why not, say, Latin America or North America? Nor, >imo, do they capture what is most interesting and distinctive about East >Asia pivoting on China and its relations with other economies. > >The view that what we are seeing is "capitalism" is widely shared across >the political spectrum. For me, neither "capitalism" nor "socialism" help >much to clarify what is going on in China, a nation that has not >experienced a political revolution, one in which Communist Party rule is >without significant direct challenge, and in which the most explosive >forms of growth defy easy categorization of this kind. > >The most dynamic sectors of the Chinese economy are found not in the cities >but in the countryside. Their form, the township and village enterprises >does not readily accommodate notions of socialism or capitalism: it is >redistributive, in the sense that these enterprises often are owned and run >by county, township or village government; but they are very much in the >market, subject to bankruptcy and the discipline of a Chinese style law of >value or, if you prefer, hard budget constraints; many are also hybrid >forms which include private as well as foreign capital cheek by jowl with >local government. They constitute important engines for growth and the >vast gains in employment and income for underemployed rural workers. We >can view this from many angles: it is the dynamic of rural >industrialization which distinguishes China from urban-centered development >elsewhere; it is the source of bonanza for foreign capital (virtually all >Hong Kong industry, and already significant parts of Taiwan's are moving or >have moved to China). It is a source of cheap labor . . . but we also >observe the anticipated effects of rising labor costs in the dynamic >coastal regions and capital's move in search of cheaper labor. > >The emergence of the regional economy (with far weaker political or >strategic institutions than those found in EC or even now in North America) >forces us to rethink the limits of national approaches to economics shared >by bourgeois, marxist, and world system economists, despite the claims and >efforts of the latter to transcend national limits. Take China's borders: >long virtually impermeable, they now should be understood not as walls or >barriers but as magnets or hot zones for the passage of capital and trade. >And while the state continues to play a crucial role, much of what goes on >occurs quite outside of, often in conflict with the desires of policymakers >at the center. The emergence of Greater China, and the regional and global >role of Chinese (including overseas Chinese) enterprise, permit new >approaches to economic change. > >An extension of this point, one of Hamashita's contributions, is that it >also forces us to rethink geography. Whereas my mental map of Asia had >long focused on land masses centered on China, I now see concentric circles >of seas and coastal regions as the defining feature, and opportunity, for >the region: a map which slices across and redefiines national boundaries. . >. just as the surge of coastal China may well give rise to new national >boundaries in that region. > >Finally, Giovanni Arrighi's important new book on the Long Twentieth >Century draws our attention to the st
[PEN-L:3842] Re: New Party piece
Give em hell, Elaine! Hope to talk (and walk) New Party with you soon. Sally >Come'on Doug, play nice. In the same spirit that I took up >J. Case, I'm sure you don't mean CP as a term of endearment. >Play nice boys! There's some real politics here, so cut out >the red baiting bullshit. I think the real CP, Trotskyist, >New Left, American Left legacy is ignoring political differences >and real discussion and decending everything to the level of >name calling. If you don't agree with me, you're a (fill in >the gap) and therefore your criticism is unworthy of further >concern or debate. > >On the issue of NYC I tend to think that it is rather unusual. >The largest city in the country, with strange, strange, politics. >I wish Mike Davis who move there and do for NY what he did >for LA in CITY OF QUARTZ. However, that aside, I do think >that in building a grassroots, democratic, membership based >political party that Madison, Milwaukee, Little Rock, etc >will be more typical than NYC. > >As for the fusion tactic, the difficulty here is keeping as >a tactic, and only a tactic, to gain state wide (or city wide >or whatever level the group is interested in apply it) ballot >status. The barriers that the state has set up in this country >to prevent democratic self-organization in elections is worthy >of a totalitarian state. It's a real barrier and problem for >any third party. > >My view is there will be opportunists in the New Party, and >sectarians, and we'll go too slow sometimes and too quickly >other times. But in a grassroots democratic party if we >build a culture of real debate, over policy and tactics >I believe we will be able to resolve differences -- and >in fact, on occasion operate quite differently in different >states and communities depending on the strength of the >organization and it's level of organization (that is, has >it elected people, does it have access to ballot status, >has it been able to reform election laws...) > >Because I believe this discussions are absolutely essential >to the growth and development of any third party, I think >it's important for leftist, who agree or are critical of >specific tactics, actions or policies to aid in creating >a political culture where these issues can be debated and >discussed on their merits -- not on who is an trot or who >is a stalinist. > >Elaine Bernard
[PEN-L:3762] Re: Who are Corporate Criminals?
Have a look at Paul Hawken's book The Ecology of Commerce for some excellent examples. Sally Lerner >Hi, > >The subject header is a serious question. I am working on creating some >propaganda for street organizing (and net organizing) that addresses >right-wing scapegoating versus the true abuses in favor of the wealthy. THe >form of the sheet will probably start with: > >WHO IS THE CORPORATE ELITE TRYING TO CRIMINALIZE? >Answer, the homeless, welfare mothers, immigrants, urban black >males, etc. > >Now, where PEN-L help would be useful (and here's the challenge) is your >best examples of true corporate abuse. In a line or so, can you describe >an example of a big corporation breaking the law, receiving welfare from >the government, or using the international economy in an abusive way. >The challenge is to write your answer as succintly and quickly as >possible. One sentence is the ideal. If you want to add some detail, it >might be added to follow-up information sheets. But please concentrate >on a good example that can be explained quickly or is obvious. > >Here are the questions to answer: > >WHO ARE THE REAL CORPORATE CRIMINALS? >Polluters, big-time S&L folks, defense fraud examples, etc. > >WHO ARE THE CORPORATE WELFARE RECIPIENTS? > >WHO ARE THE TRUE CORPORATE ILLEGAL ALIENS? >Examples of corporations destroying jobs here and commiting >illegal acts around the globe--child slavery, union-busting etc. > >WHO HAVE RECEIVED CORPORATE AFFRIMATIVE ACTION? >Special regulatory breaks for big business--the special >concessions that lock in power of the wealthy. Cable franchises etc. > >WHO ARE THE CORPORATE TAX EVADERS? >Tax loophole list > > > >I will repost the list of best examples. > >Thanks all, > > >*Nathan Newman: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ***
NEW LIST - FUTUREWORK
New FUTUREWORK List December 19, 1994 FUTUREWORK: RE-DESIGNING WORK,INCOME DISTRIBUTION,EDUCATION This is the launch of a new listserv, FUTUREWORK, an international e-mail forum for discussion of how to deal with the new realities created by economic globalization and technological change. Basic changes are occurring in the nature of work in all industrialized countries. Information technology has hastened the advent of the global economic village. Jobs that workers at all skills levels in developed countries once held are now filled by smart machines and/or in low-wage countries. Contemporary rhetoric proclaims the need for ever-escalating competition, leaner and meaner ways of doing business, a totally *flexible* workforce, jobless growth. What would a large permanent reduction in the number of secure, adequately-waged jobs mean for communities, families and individuals? This is not being adequately discussed, nor are the implications for income distribution and education. Even less adequately addressed are questions of how to take back control of these events, how to turn technological change into the opportunity for a richer life rather than the recipe for a bladerunner society. Our objective in creating this listserv is to involve as many people as possible in re-designing for the new realities. We hope that this list will help to move these issues to a prominent place on public and political agendas worldwide. The FUTUREWORK listserv is hosted by Communications for a Sustainable Future (CSF) located at the University of Colorado at Boulder. As the coordinator of FUTUREWORK, I invite you become part of our effort. FUTUREWORK is an unmoderated and open list, so all messages posted to the list will be redistributed around the world. To subscribe to FUTUREWORK, send the message below to [EMAIL PROTECTED] SUB FUTUREWORK Yourfirstname Yourlastname To post diectly to the list (once you are subscribed), send your message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] or [EMAIL PROTECTED] Together with others who are interested in addressing the new realities, I look foward to meeting you on the FUTUREWORK list. Sally Lerner University of Waterloo Waterloo, Ontario, Canada [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: quiz
>A one year free subscription to Capitalism, Nature, Socialism will be >given the pen-ler who in the judgement of a panel of experts in Santa >Cruz best answers the following question: > >How can the right-wing be for family values and against a family wage >at the same time? >Jim O'Connor No problem - analogous to the robber who grabs a woman and child as shields while pulling off a bank job.
Re: Income & poverty reports
Doug - Please send me a copy. Thanks. Sally Lerner >The Census Bureau has just released data on income & poverty in the U.S. >for 1993. For the second year of an economic recovery/expansion, the >numbers are shockingly awful. Poverty is up, and income down. > >The releases are available on Cendata and the Census gopher. Or I'll be >happy to email a copy (about 97K) to anyone who asks. > >Doug > >Doug Henwood [[EMAIL PROTECTED]] >Left Business Observer >212-874-4020 (voice) >212-874-3137 (fax)
Re: Fantasy Economics?
Please do put it on penl. Sally Lerner >Anyone care to comment on Paul Krugman's NYT Op-Ed piece in Monday's >(Sept 26) paper? As a public service, I'll put the thing on Penl, the >better to shoot at, if there's an interest. >Ian Robinson >Institute of Labor and Industrial Relations >University of Michigan >Ann Arbor, MI, USA. 48109-2054. >Tel/FAX: 1-313-994-7116 >Email:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: An urban/regional course
Try dividing the class into small groups (4-5) and having each group take the role of one of the actors (individuals, organizations agencies, etc.) in the case study. They then research their actor's position (perhaps have real actors come in to speak and answer questions), prepare briefs, and the whole things climaxes with some type of simulated hearings where the groups present briefs, examine and cross examine one another, and some "judgement" is handed down. We've done this sort of class with first-year students in environmental studies for a number of years, and it's very effective. Sally Lerner >I may have posted this before, but because PEN-L hasn't been working too >well over the past month or two (at least here it hasn't), I may have >not have sent it to PEN-L or I may have missed some replies. > > >Since making the original posting, I have gotten feedback that a good strategy >is having students study local problems. This seems a good idea, but how >does one have them integrate all the subject matter? For example, a very >rich local issue is a new mega-mall being constructed as a public-private >partnership in Providence. This could bring in all sorts of topics: >central place theory, the theory of the state, gender, land values, >post-fordism, etc. How does one split up the class to work on these >different aspects simultaneously while covering them sequentially in class >meetings? > >Here's the original posting: > > >Hi, > >I teach a course, "Spatial and Fiscal Relationships of Communities" to >second-years graduate students in a two-year community planning program. >The students have no required prior background in economics or geography. >I treat the course as a basic "urban theory" course, covering the >"classic" material in the field (e.g., central place theory, Weberian >location theory, the Chicago School's concentric zone theory, etc.) as >well as more recent stuff on globalization, flexible specialization, >economic restructuring, etc. The texts I've used in the past are >Dicken and Lloyd's _Location in Space_ and Mike Davis' _City of Quartz_. > >I am a bit dissatisfied with the way the course has gone the past few years. >There is an enormous amount of material to cover, and it is hard for students >to engage the material in a way they find interesting. Davis' book, for >example, is often read as a dead history of Los Angeles rather than >an account with general lessons about the new global economy and its effects. > >Does anyone out there teach a course like this or >have other thoughts on making the course more manageable and interesting to >students? > >Marsh Feldman >Community Planning Phone: 401/792-2248 >204 Rodman Hall FAX: 401/792-4395 >University of Rhode Island Internet: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Kingston, RI 02881-0815 > >"Marginality confers legitimacy on one's contrariness."
Futurework - a new book
>Note, please, an excellent new book , Shifting Time, by Armine Yalnizyan, T. >Ran Ide, and Arthur J. Cordell (Toronto: Between the Lines, 1994). > >[Order from Between the Lines, 720 Bathurst Street - Suite 404, Toronto, ON >M5S 2R4. FAX 416 535 1484. Pre-payment with VISA, check, or money order $16.53 >CAN or US - covers taxes, postage and handling] > >These Canadian authors present and analyse the new realities of a North >America polarizing between haves and have-nots, the overworked and >un(der)employed, and--probably increasingly--the information rich and poor. We >are witnessing the creation of what JK Galbraith (in The Culture of >Contentment) called a "functional underclass" and Jamie Swift, in his >hard-hitting introduction to the book, defined as "a class of workers >handcuffed to a changing labour market that is producing alot of poorly paid, >part-time jobs; a class of workers whose expectations have been ratcheted down >to the point that getting thirty hours of work at $8.50 an hour may start to >seem like a real job - or perhaps the only job they can really aspire to." > >Looking at future options, Ide and Cordell present a jolting >"business-as-usual" scenario of a world that offers a secure life only to the >small wealthy minority who increasingly run the world from behind high walls >of secrecy and security devices. These authors urge instead an "enlightened >self-interest" scenario that emphasizes community well-being. Among other >suggested new social forms, a "technology productivity tax provides the basis >for new forms of employment designed to enhance communities [and] revitalize >aging infrastructure." Increasing attention to family, community and >environmental responsibilities would characterize future communities. > >Redistributing both work and income, and domesticating investment, are seen as >perhaps the only effective ways to address the new realities that have been >created by technological change and economic globalization (including capital >mobility),and to avoid descent into a bladerunner future. The challenge is to >achieve these ends without triggering a "capital strike", or some other >draconian defense from powerholders. Yalnizyan suggests that the entire >problem set must be re-framed in terms of the need to establish "principles >for future social and economic security". Ide and Cordell argue that the >movement to a new information society in the 21st century can create exciting >new possibilities for human development, if only we can think and govern our >way out of 19th century social norms and power arrangements. >
