Basically the article makes two central arguments. The first tackles the question of the desirability and possibility of one advanced capitalist country emulating another. I make the argument (non-controversial) that not only is emulation not possible but also (and more controversially) that, upon closer inspection, the models held up to be worthy of emulation--the UK, US and Netherlands--are not in fact more progressive, or successful than other advanced capitalist countries.
The second argument made concerns the question of neoliberalism and convergence. My argument is simply that we should expect a large degree of persistent institutional variation--in industrial relations, banking, size of the welfare state, for example--between advanced capitalist countries. However, the persistence of institutional variation should not be interpreted (as is often the case) as evidence against a convergent logic at work within advanced capitalism. The question is rather about the substantive outcomes being generated by the variation in formally different instructional arrangements. Hence the question is not whether Germany retains its corporatist collective bargaining institutions, but rather, the ends to which they are being put.
If you find any of this tantalizing I would be more than happy to forward you a draft of my chapter.
----- Original Message ----- From: "snit snat" <snitilicious at tampabay.rr.com> To: <lbo-talk at lbo-talk.org>; <lbo-talk at lbo-talk.org> Sent: Thursday, December 09, 2004 11:41 AM Subject: Re: [lbo-talk] New Book
> hey hey hey. Congratulations! What's your article about -- if you don't
> mind giving us a sneak preview!
>
> k
>
> At 07:46 PM 12/8/2004, T Fast wrote:
>>Hey all,
>>
>>Given Doug's shameless self-promotion of his books (of which I will remind
>>him I bought two) I thought it ok that I should advertise an edited book
>>which is coming out in January in which I have a contribution.
>>
>>
>>Disparate Models, Desperate Measures: The Convergence of Limits; T.Fast
>
> "We live under the Confederacy.
> We're a podunk bunch of swaggering
> pious hicks."
>
> --Bruce Sterling
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