2009-09-05

A very modest thought about political economy

Lately I've been thinking about the economy.
The basic concept of the economy is that it is the essence (nouma) of the home (ekos), but in practice what is referred to as the economy (at least in its capitalist iteration, which is what I am in the middle of here in North America) is mostly about exclusion. Those who control the levers of the economy maintain their privilege and power do so by controlling access to the goods and services. This of course means limiting access.
I've been thinking: wouldn't it be good to have a basic way of thinking that includes and validates everyone?
So why not have a real full-employment policy? Everyone has a role, a place in society, so everyone is employed. If there is no employment in the "traditional" sense, then people would create their own employment.
It's a way of implementing a guaranteed annual income.
I'll have more to say next time about the need for democratic control of the labour market and how that could be a basis for such a full-employment policy.

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