>So I am arguing that greater conscious social control can be brought into
>the system by a number of technical reforms.
I agree that it's not very productive to talk about planning in the
Hayekian style; that kind of comprehensive planning - which is the
only kind Hayek wants to talk about in The Road to Serfdom, for him
it's maximal planning or almost none at all - just isn't relevant for
an OECD economy today. So I guess that makes me some kind of wimpy
reformist.
>>
Glory be. It sure does. I am so pleased.
But no need to think of it as wimpy. Think of it as steely-eyed realism.
>>
But Chris, what are these technical reforms? Are they
reforms that leave ownership, the organization of labor, the
generosity of public benefits, the structure of politics all
untouched? Those would be techical. But if they screw around with
ownership and the rest, then they're not technical at all, and not
possible without intense struggle. So what do you have in mind? Two,
three, many Tobin taxes?
>>
Here's a few, not all that technical:
Wall-to-wall social insurance
(unemployment, retirement, disability, health, survivorship) Ample, Constitution floors for public sector investment (i.e. 10% of GDP) Defray half of state/local revenues with national, progressive tax sharing Democratic restraints on the use of force in international affairs
mbs
(notice -- Fabian Society meeting Thurs. night)