famous economist defends exploitation

Ian Murray seamus2001 at home.com
Fri May 4 10:42:53 PDT 2001



> Oh god, where to start!
======================= Professor N. Gregory Mankiw Office Address Department of Economics Littauer 223 Contact Information Telephone: (617) 495-4301 Fax Number: (617) 495-7730

To Contact by Email ngmankiw at harvard.edu


>
> Lie #1. Higher wages hurts workers. I don't think I even have to comment on
> this one, but it's amazing how often this tired old horse is trotted out.
>
> Lie #2. "Harvard is a charitable institution." Like hell. Moreover, note
> the translation: giving workers a living wage = charity.
>
> Lie #3, "Protesters would divert benefactor's funds to serve their own
> social goals."
> Translation: the ONLY class that has the right to serve their own social
> goals is the administration and benefactors of Harvard: not the students;
> never the students.
>
> Lie #4. Occupying the provost's office denies each "group's right to
> disagree." Here an overt economic policy involving money derived from
> tuition and humanitarian-based donations is being treated as a question of
> individual opinion about, say, fashion.
>
> It does not surprise me that an academic should argue anything as stupid as
> this. Having worked in acadmia, I can attest to the general aggregate
> sheepish quality of thought. Remember, these people spend their entire
> lives speaking either to captive audiences (students) or each other.
>
> And, finally, on a historical note. The book "A Nation in Turmoil"
> describing the depression in the U.S. notes the fact that Harvard fired ALL
> of its cleaning women during the depression and replaced them with men in
> order to save 2 cents an hour. The women were covered by a minimum wage law
> whereas the men were not.
>
> Fuck Harvard.
>
> Joanna
>
>



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