Offshoring (was RE: [LINK] paradigm shift)

[Bernard Robertson-Dunn]

Jan Whitaker wrote:
> 
> At 02:41 PM 16/01/04 +1000, Chirgwin, Richard wrote:
> 
> >The debate should focus on "benefit to citizens"...
> 
> That is true if you believe in a social democratic economy.

I'm currently reading The Real World of Democracy, The Massey Lectures
1965, broadcast by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, C.B. Macpherson.

Page 35:

<quote>
Western liberal-democracy ... was brought into being to serve the needs of
the competitive market society. Liberal-democracy is a fairly late product
of the market society; the first need of the market society was for the
liberal state which was designed to operate by competition between
political parties responsible to a non democratic electorate.

The democratic franchise was added only when the working-class that had
been produced by the capitalist market society had become strong enough to
demand that it should have some weight in the competitive process.

Liberal-democracy is thus the unique product of successfully developing
capitalist market societies.

</quote>

In other words, the capitalist market place needs a liberal-democracy.

This means that the bad behaviour of some corporations such as Enron,
Worldcom and HIH, are distorting democracy. It also means that the
operators of the marketplace, governments, are failing in their duties.

IMHO, the problem is that governments have blurred the distinctions between
the capitalist market itself and the infrastructure required to operate the
market - legislation and governance. The quality of governments
(specifically the USA, UK, Italy and Australia) is putting at risk the
operation of both Liberal-democracy and capitalist market societies.

Information on the poor behaviour of these governments is readily available
in the traditional media, books and on the Internet. Unfortunately, to my
mind, the really big problem is the apathy and disconnect shown by the
electorate, in spite of this information being available. It is almost as
though the electorates are asleep.

However, my experience of non-linear dynamic systems leads me to the
conclusion that the longer it takes for the electorate to react, the
greater the response when it does. You only have to look at the way the
Conservatives were thrown out in the UK, Keating/Labor was dumped in
Australia and the National Party in Queensland. 

This is going to be an interesting year for the governments of the USA, UK,
Italy and Australia. Bush is up for re-election, Blair has the prospect of
the Kelly inquiry report, in Italy, Berlusconi has just lost his immunity
from prosecution for corruption and in Australia there is the double impact
of Howard facing the electorate against the unknown and unpredictable
Latham.

I'll get off my soapbox now.

-- 
You have to choose between trusting to the natural stability of gold and
the natural stability of the honesty and intelligence of the members of the
government. And, with due respect to these gentlemen, I advise you, as long
as the capitalist system lasts, to vote for gold
-- George Bernard Shaw

Regards
brd

Bernard Robertson-Dunn
Canberra Australia
brd at austarmetro.com.au