friedrich list

[Greg Nowell]

His ideas are worth reading, and I've been assigning
them for years.  But it would be nonsense to call them
a "third way."  Protectionism in all its ramifications
is an embedded part of capitalism, the struggle of
bourgeois vs bourgeois.  What is unique about List is
that his appreciation of the reasons for protectionism
go far beyond the cartoon infant industry argument with
which he is summarized and dismissed, when he is
discussed at all.  Any time you have a leading sector
in capitalist development dilatory political tactics
will emerge from the representatives of the old way
(those threatened with replacement) and those who want
to catch up with the leading edge but, because they are
farther behind, need some kind of compensation (access
to subsidized capital, tax reductions, entry controlled
markets) to put them on a better footing with the
leading edge firm(s).

--
Gregory P. Nowell
Associate Professor
Department of Political Science, Milne 100
State University of New York
135 Western Ave.
Albany, New York 12222

Fax 518-442-5298