[lbo-talk] Comment on Henwood's radio interview of James Livingston 3/23/17

Bill Bartlett william7 at aapt.net.au
Fri Mar 24 01:04:04 PDT 2017


I vaguely recall from earlier discussions (several years ago now) that Doug is somewhat hostile to the concept of work being de-linked from income. But of course that is not entirely the same thing as being hostile to the people supporting that idea.

For some reason this reminds me of a scene from the second series of Fargo (one of my favourite American TV series.) One of the Minnesota cops has pulled over the carload of gangsters from Fargo and remarks that people in Minnesota are a real friendly sort. The African American Gangster responds to the effect that they are polite, but that is not at all the same as friendly.

Bill Bartlett Bracknell Tas.


> On 24 Mar 2017, at 7:36 am, Eugene Coyle <e.coyle at me.com> wrote:
>
> I just listened to “Behind The News” on KPFA. The second half of the program was an
> interview with James Livingston, the author of “No More Work.” I gathered from the program that Livingston’s book
> advocates a Universal Basic Income, to free people from unneeded, useless, and poorly paid work.
> If there is more in the book I didn’t hear about it.
>
> Livingston was shallow and unprepared for a discussion of his ideas. He was unable to respond to Henwood’s
> antagonistic questions. And he didn’t seem to pick up on the disdain and
> antagonism that I heard from Henwood.
>
> Henwood, on the other hand, was unable to sharpen his inquires to bring out
> either fatal flaws in Livingston’s argument or draw the author into responses
> that would defend his ideas.
>
> Henwood was punching down at Livingston, in contrast his with being overmatched
> trying to shoot holes, a few years ago, in Kathi Weeks' arguments against work
>
> Henwood and Livingston did agree that the issue of jobs and income distribution requires a political
> resolution.
>
> Gene
>
>
>
>
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