> > A generous welfare state threatens profits in an entirely different
>> and more insidious way, it undermines the capitalist system of
> > disciplining wage slaves. Workers who can fall back on a generous
> > welfare safety net tend to become less fearful of their employer,
> > surly and "inefficient". Fear of the "sack" becomes non-existent,
> > employers cannot retain control of the production process and the
> > cost of labour spirals out of control.
>
>This should be applicable to all capitalist societies and not specifically
>to the US.
It is. Seems to be more so in the US than other capitalist states, perhaps that is precisely because the US is more affluent on average. Perhaps, because average wages are higher, this needs to be balanced by a correspondingly higher degree of insecurity?
Bill Bartlett Bracknell Tas