Jobs heading north.

[Theocrat]

Weird isn't it?.. That the welfare state and government spending has a "competitive edge" that is lacking in other countries. Who are persuing the same competitive spirit by slashing healthecare and education.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinio...krugman25.html

[Mikey_C]

Interesting stuff. The 'anglo-american' system is fine for creating low-paid, low quality jobs, but society has to pick up the tab.

Have you seen this book: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...books&n=507846?

It's not exactly a beach read, but it makes the point that there's more than one way to achieve 'competitive advantage'. My tutor Frank Wilkinson's view of 'productive systems' is similar - examining the whole context in which production takes place.

[Theocrat]

Interesting stuff. The 'anglo-american' system is fine for creating low-paid, low quality jobs, but society has to pick up the tab.

Have you seen this book: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...books&n=507846?

It's not exactly a beach read, but it makes the point that there's more than one way to achieve 'competitive advantage'. My tutor Frank Wilkinson's view of 'productive systems' is similar - examining the whole context in which production takes place.

Interesting stuff. Thanks for the link!

Welfare states always had a more social advantage than freemarket oriented countries. Although I've yet to see a fully fledged freemarket economy (which in my eye's does not work).

Man... If i keep reading stuff like this. I'll be the most educated man without a degree. I think free educational institutions which promote ideas to readers on a constructive basis of interest. Individual as well as collective, could bring a more tolerant society. Helping others see stuff that isn't always accessible to others.

On a sidenote: There's some guy in a Swedish forum totting Poppers book and wants (makes a bet including money etc) 'Lefties' to refute the arguments against socialism in 'Enemies of the open society' etc.
This guy Is just stupid and just the kind of thing i would expect from a deranged liberal. Makes a bad name for them if you ask me.
And it's why i make the argument above.

Liberal in mind.
Socialist at heart.
;)

[Doc]

Man... If i keep reading stuff like this. I'll be the most educated man without a degree. I think free educational institutions which promote ideas to readers on a constructive basis of interest. Individual as well as collective, could bring a more tolerant society. Helping others see stuff that isn't always accessible to others.

Ironically, the same free market economy you discuss is the mechanism by which the piece of paper became valuable, rather than the knowledge it (supposedly) represents.

In my line of work, I wish people were more concerned about the knowledge than the degree, but sadly I think you are an exception, Theocrat.

Does that make you exceptional? :lol: [/i]

[Theocrat]

Man... If i keep reading stuff like this. I'll be the most educated man without a degree. I think free educational institutions which promote ideas to readers on a constructive basis of interest. Individual as well as collective, could bring a more tolerant society. Helping others see stuff that isn't always accessible to others.

Ironically, the same free market economy you discuss is the mechanism by which the piece of paper became valuable, rather than the knowledge it (supposedly) represents.

In my line of work, I wish people were more concerned about the knowledge than the degree, but sadly I think you are an exception, Theocrat.

Does that make you exceptional? :lol: [/i]

Hahaha.. We are all exceptional aren't we?
Well it doesn't really make me feel important. More like aware and connected in some other manner. There are other like me, so what?
I think social world would die without exceptional peoople to stand out and help (people like Bono might raise "awareness", and Geldoff's coffer, but not practicality). The question is which person is dealing with society in a healthy and open, albeit realistic way.

"Fear is the mind killer". :) Remember that? I think we should start admiting our fears openly without a sense of repression from people exploiting that weakness for themselves.
But maybe thats too nihilistic?

I sometimes still get the "you're a geek!" look though.

[Mikey_C]

There's some guy in a Swedish forum totting Poppers book and wants (makes a bet including money etc) 'Lefties' to refute the arguments against socialism in 'Enemies of the open society' etc.
This guy Is just stupid and just the kind of thing i would expect from a deranged liberal.

I've been googling around and this article seems to do quite a thorough job on Popper: http://byronik.com/popper.html.

I can't see your guy paying up, though. The only thing that would convince him would be a successful transition to communism. And then there won't be any money!!! :lol:

[Jules]

Theo - quite interesting to read Steve Jobs (Apple CEO's) speech to some graduates in the US - he basically said that as he couldn't afford the University fees, he just moved to a University town and dropped in on lectures. (The opposite of most students who pay the fees then don't attend). It's true - there's never anyone checking everyone there is paying to be there. You just miss out on the bit of paper.

The nice thing about where I work is that if you get through the door you're then judged purely on your merits - and we've taken people from unemployment retraining who have gone on to do better than graduates. And others who have gone back to unemployment. My boss only found out I had the lowest class of degree (pass) this year . . . (not because I'm thick, but because I was too busy DJing and promoting gigs and nightclubs when I should have been doing a project. Well that is a form of thickness).

[Theocrat]

There's some guy in a Swedish forum totting Poppers book and wants (makes a bet including money etc) 'Lefties' to refute the arguments against socialism in 'Enemies of the open society' etc.
This guy Is just stupid and just the kind of thing i would expect from a deranged liberal.

I've been googling around and this article seems to do quite a thorough job on Popper: http://byronik.com/popper.html.

I can't see your guy paying up, though. The only thing that would convince him would be a successful transition to communism. And then there won't be any money!!! :lol:

I put the link in the forum but he is just thick as always. He claims that Popper didn't write anything about marxist economics, only Marx's dialectic historicism which even Marx himself refuted "If this is what is to be called marxism. Then i'm not a Marxist!". I scorned him in a letter for slapping young leftists, and not criticizing Marx it in a pedagogical way.
I dislike Popper's use of positivism because in a sense i think it is a variant of nihilism.

Anyway I sent an e-mail to Wallerstein and got a reply. He seems quite nice and up for debate it seems..