[Reader-list] From the newspaper.

[Taha Mehmood]

Dear Jeebesh

Thank you for sharing your 'now and then' analysis regarding the rather
intricate equation of work, remuneration, circulation of money and role of
state.

 I find your analysis odd.

Don't you feel that if we look labor as a macro concept, then for the
overwhelming majority of workers the world over, what you term as 'now' was
a part of their working lives for ever. Don't you feel that the bulk of
producers of this world have worked, are working and will work in the
informal sector, where precarity is the name of the game, rather than an
unexpected condition, as you suggest it out to be, from a survey of
newspaper reports of course? Do you see any 'change' for the worse in
variables list above if we look at the current crisis from the view of a
dehari mazdoor? I also do not know how axiomatic, these so called 'axioms'
are?

 This is also a time where a lot of neo-commie bull is being peddled on
various online newspapers. It appears that a mad rush for grabbing the
dominant idea has begun again.

For instance take the sudden increase in 'interest' in  'marxist' ideas. I
do not know whether you have come across this 'quote' by Marx-

'Owners of capital will stimulate the working class to buy more and more of
expensive goods, houses and technology, pushing them to take more and more
expensive credits, until their debt becomes unbearable. The unpaid debt will
lead to bankruptcy of banks, which will have to be nationalised, and the
State will have to take the road which will eventually lead to communism'.
*Karl Marx, Das Kapital, 1867*

This is utter crap of course, but still I agree that newspapers have become
fun these days, not to suggest they weren't earlier.

Regards

Taha

On Wed, Feb 11, 2009 at 9:18 AM, Jeebesh <jeebesh at sarai.net> wrote:

> Reading the newspaper from various parts of the world, this can be
> gleaned over.
>
>
> AXIOMS:
>
> Go to Work and Produce and get your wages.
>
> Pay your taxes so that state can protect you and build infrastructure
> and social welfare mechanisms.
>
> Buy goods, food, basic necessities, a house maybe, a few dvds etc.
>
> Invest some for your old age needs.
>
> BUT
>
> Now this equation has gone a bit wrong.
>
> Go to work but not sure the wages will come. The company may just
> close. It may just keep shrinking. Some "bad" management are simply
> swindling the companies of it's assets and wealth. Very bad!
>
> State urgently needs to pump in unprecedented money (in many trillion
> dollar obviously)  to keep afloat financial institutions,
> manufacturing units, infrastructure constructions, manage social
> conflicts, act self-righteous to assuage anger of dissolution,
> encourage people to keep buying. From hard state, soft state, etc to
> Busy State.
>
> Buy basic necessities and keep some for harder time ahead.
>
> Sidelines: Is our investments safe? Should we shift it.? How to ensure
> it? Our old age is in danger.
>
> THEN
>
> State needs to spend more. It needs to draw more revenue. How does it
> manage it? More taxation will be dangerous, less taxation will inject
> growth. What to do?
>
> Manufacturing unit to get up, produce and need to sell. Fast. How? To
> whom?
>
> Save your jobs, wages and savings? How?
>
> Newspapers are fun these days!!
>
> warmly
> jeebesh
>
>
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