[lbo-talk] Michaels, Against Diversity

Jim Farmelant farmelantj at juno.com
Sun Oct 4 05:51:06 PDT 2009


On Sun, 4 Oct 2009 08:21:47 -0400 Doug Henwood <dhenwood at panix.com> writes:
>


> Neoliberalism has been able to use "diversity" as a defense against
>
> charges of inequality and exploitation - most recently with the guy
> in
> the Oval Office. Corporate America is now 100% behind diversity.
> Compare support for affirmative action (nearly universal among big
>
> capital) vs. increases in the minimum wage or positive changes to
> labor law (universally opposed). There is no way in which capital
> cannot live with the elimination of all discrimination based on sex,
>
> race, or preference - in fact, large sectors of capital are more
> than
> fine with it. Which, of course, doesn't make it a bad thing. But
> which
> does require us to think more carefully about it.

Well the traditional Marxist take on racism , sexism and discrimination, was that these things were beneficial to capital because they divide the working class against itself, weakening it politically, and undermining its bargaining power in relation to capital. Neoclassical economists on the other hand, have usually accepted some variant of Gary Becker's argument that racism, sexism and discrimination, are really against the interests of capitalists because these things drive up labor costs.

It maybe the case that both the Marxian and the neoclassical analysis of the economic consequences of discrimination are valid at different times. Perhaps, when the working class was stronger and more unionized the traditional Marxist analysis mapped better with political economic realities. But now, perhaps with the weakening of the working class, big capital no longer derives any special benefits from discrimination and may instead run into the kinds of costs that Gary Becker was talking about.


>
> It's sorta like liberalism. Michael Lind says that a left without a
>
> labor movement is one based on philanthropy and charity. He could
> have
> added that it's one that's proud of diversity - but not all that
> uncomfortable with exploitation.
>
> Chuck: "The white power elite..." Yes, it's mostly white, but not
> entirely, and less and less so. Do you have any idea of what the
> national and ethnic makeup of the IMF is these days? Not to mention
>
> the U.S. executive branch?
>
> Doug
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>
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