tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1141932539860553199.post207390757927115920..comments2024-03-05T10:52:24.691+00:00Comments on Mark Wadsworth: All countries are developing countries - the core functions of the stateMark Wadsworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07733511175178098449noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1141932539860553199.post-36229228852312673902019-01-12T19:46:33.267+00:002019-01-12T19:46:33.267+00:00Point 3: Try to have some actual democracy, that i...Point 3: Try to have some actual democracy, that is rule by the people. What we have here is not democracy - indeed Aristotle specifically counted it out, saying that states where the rulers were elected by ballot were oligarchies*. The only democratic element is the referendum and I doubt we will be having any more of those for the forseeable, unless TPTB think that the people can be trusted to give the right answer in a second Brexit referendum, in which case that one will be the last. So try having a certain amount of decisions put to the ballot.<br /><br />*democracies, he said, are states where the rulers are chosen by lot (like jury service in the UK), but that's a bit radical for an emerging state to try, perhaps.Bayardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15211150959757982948noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1141932539860553199.post-7506569035496409202019-01-12T14:41:58.058+00:002019-01-12T14:41:58.058+00:00L, I have commented on your version.
MW, thanks f...L, I have commented on your version.<br /><br />MW, thanks for input. I pretty much agree with all of that. But full employment is a private sector thing, the govt just has to leave well alone, reduces taxes on employees/employers and generally ensure a level playing field, full employment then happens of its own accord.<br /><br />D, agreed re public/private split. One way of dealing with rent seeking in private sector is for government to offer a low cost alternative.<br /><br />L, that depends on how you define state privilege. Private schools are rent seeking enterprises, but have no special state privileges. (Business Rates discount and pay little corporation tax, so what).<br /><br />OTOH, I agree that that is an equally shit trajectory. But this relates to my point 3, you have to have social cohesion and some sort of sense of national identity (entirely artificial, but necessary). If you go full on diversity and multi-ethnic etc then social cohesion breaks down.Mark Wadsworthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07733511175178098449noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1141932539860553199.post-56725473451306120762019-01-11T14:14:37.337+00:002019-01-11T14:14:37.337+00:00"It is a constant process that will go on for..."It is a constant process that will go on forever. Take your eye off the ball for a few years and you can lose decades of progress."<br /><br /><br />So what happens when society not only takes its eye off the ball, but actively engages in rapidly breaking with the past and tearing down the customs and norms that were the intricate walls built up over millenia around our civility to one another? All history is dismissed as oppressors vs. oppressed. Children born outside stable family become the norm in 1 generation. Fragile protected coddled children have the right to never experience or deal with being offended, so ideas can no longer be expressed. London transformed to a Minority-is-the-majority without comment or plan in the hope that it just works out by itself without any plan.<br />ontheotherhandhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08912527435489023299noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1141932539860553199.post-57193288585807619092019-01-11T13:02:57.322+00:002019-01-11T13:02:57.322+00:00"A similar situation exists for banking, heal..."<i>A similar situation exists for banking, healthcare and insurance. The government doesn't need to provide Rolls-Royce quality for Ford prices. But if it provides a reasonable basic product at cost or a bit more, that will ensure that the private entities need to provide something better.</i><br />These things are today the province of rentiers <b>because</b> of state cronyism and special privileges.Lolahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04586735342675041312noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1141932539860553199.post-56657037707311225812019-01-11T04:23:34.423+00:002019-01-11T04:23:34.423+00:00Some fields are core government. And some are obvi...Some fields are core government. And some are obvious private enterprise. But there are a few rentier-infested parts of the economy where the government should get involved, not because it is necessarily any good at doing whatever the activity is, but rather so that it can provide some competition to the rentiers. Housing is one of these. I don't think that council housing needs to be luxurious or subsidised but it should be cheap and should provide a basic alternative to the private offering. That way the private rentiers need to keep their prices down and their quality up in order to compete. <br /><br />A similar situation exists for banking, healthcare and insurance. The government doesn't need to provide Rolls-Royce quality for Ford prices. But if it provides a reasonable basic product at cost or a bit more, that will ensure that the private entities need to provide something better.Derekhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06296053477905542366noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1141932539860553199.post-56790117983674796542019-01-10T16:27:50.084+00:002019-01-10T16:27:50.084+00:00Very interesting post. 10 years on - your key idea...Very interesting post. 10 years on - your key ideals are still there, but this idea of using developmental economics to think about the role of the Democratic state v 'rentier', 'finance' and 'supra national' control of our country will be interesting.I think it is pragmatic. I mostly agree with 1 to 10. Although I would also want this linked to MMT/ Keynesian full employment ideas. British Citizens are turned into grudge ridden Serfs, by state organised under/unemployment, not Soviet Marxists with a plan.<br /><br />RE (1) 'limited', national defence, my ideal is similar to your original'libertarian' postion, if I should pick the first topic on your list to discuss. The two main topics it seems to me arise: Carriers and 'World Order' and Trident and our state's ability to kick off Armagedon.<br /><br />I admire the engineering that has gone into the two carriers,(fine ships) but really 'defense'! Hostage us to the next American Empire adventure. Will be used to support and cover US Marine assualt units. Google, USS America to see where our Navy wants to be slotted next. And we have to buy into the most expensive US built airwing ever designed for the next 25 years!<br /><br />I should think that six 'hunter killer'subs that can be fitted with nuke cruise missles, if and only if,necessary, would secure our part of the world to a Defence' Chief's satisfaction. Politically, put the missles in the 'bottom draw' the rest of the time as a unilateral stablity measure.So that's 'Nuke Blackmail' taken care of, back to conventional. Four Mech/Infantry brigades, two on rail heads ready to move into EU should we be asked by France or Germany. Air defense mix. RAF that could maintain air superiority over these islands and support Nato in Europe if necessary. So,in short, withdrawing from 'Imperial Police' mode requires cutting the Navy down to size.Perhaps having the capacity to put a cheap 'patrol frigate' into the English Channnel for a week or two, might still be nice though :)MikeWhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15455583313857077618noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1141932539860553199.post-15942801066411979072019-01-10T10:50:33.138+00:002019-01-10T10:50:33.138+00:00I have made a post of my comments...:-)I have made a post of my comments...:-)Lolahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04586735342675041312noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1141932539860553199.post-45428926141173965142019-01-10T08:31:23.047+00:002019-01-10T08:31:23.047+00:00JH, that's covered in 2, 7 and 9.JH, that's covered in 2, 7 and 9.Mark Wadsworthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07733511175178098449noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1141932539860553199.post-82527355182873104872019-01-10T01:53:49.525+00:002019-01-10T01:53:49.525+00:00The elephant in the room is Them - the global woul...The elephant in the room is Them - the global would be politburo. Curb Them and there is some chance for sometime.James Highamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14525082702330365464noreply@blogger.com