So you just need to frame the Official Explanation slightly differently. - "The reason, according to economists, is that life (labour) is cheap in the US, compared to Europe. So a more appropriate comparison is between the US and other cheap labour countries with underdeveloped social welfare systems. Like China or Bangladesh."
The point is to emphasise the logical conclusion of the standard economic doctrine (cheap labour=low unemployment) It obviously follows that full employment can only be achieved under capitalism by enforcing starvation wages.
It may be bullshit, but it isn't up to a socialist to disprove the argument that this is the inevitable logic of capitalism. Embrace the Official Explanation!
Bill Bartlett Bracknell Tas
At 2:26 PM -0800 7/3/05, andie nachgeborenen wrote:
>OK, my understanding is that for quite some time, say
>25 years, unemployment in Wesrtern Europe has a
>everaged about 10-11%, while in the US the average has
>been a little more than half that, maybe 6% Is that
>right? Pressed on this topic by a smart, fairly
>open-minded, not economically informed teenager, I
>found myself saying, well, the Official Explanation
>according to the Economists is that labor is
>compatively overpriced in Europe. However, this isn't
>right because . . . . because what? I realize I
>should have had a snappy or even a plausible answer to
>this question, but i didn't. And don't. Please help me
>here. Operate on the assumption that there are no
>stupid questions. Or sneer, whatever, but please help.