Busy Bees, No Honey

By all reports, the United States is suffering its worst recession since the Great Depression of the 1930s. Many of the standard fixes for recessions have been tried and found wanting. Even though the financial and economic experts have declared the recession over, the unemployment rate continues to climb - rather dramatically in some States, especially Western ones. The situation threatens becoming uncontrollable, as increased unemployment more than proportionally reduces purchasing and tax payments, which, in turn, induces more unemployment. (I call what is happening "the situation" for want of a better name.)

The facts show the situation has internal feedback, which makes it possibly cyclical or possibly chaotic. Whether or not the situation is cyclical depends on the nature of restoring forces which no one has convincingly and successfully evaluated. If the economic breakdown is chaotic, the eventual social organization of economic activity will be different in its principles or components or both. In other words, if the situation is cyclical, the resulting political economy will "look like" the previous one. If the situation is chaotic, its successor will consist of unpredictable features. This distinction is similar to the difference between altering or shredding the Mona Lisa so as to arrive at a better rendering.

This internal feedback is multi-dimensional; i.e., it is demonstrated in many features of society. For example, Americans suppose themselves to be hard-working, enterprising individuals, not agents of any collective. That idea is correlated with the notion that each person's work will be rewarded proportionately. If one is poor or wanting, it is for lack of effort; conversely, the rich are justly endowed for what they've done. Thus American individualism supports an economically stratified society. The same belief system suggests that entrepreneurs can and will "get ahead;" i.e., that there is upward mobility. But those who have "made it" are usually aware that they can be displaced by ambitious social climbers, so they take precautions against the event. Thus, as a class of haves accumulates, the strictures binding the have-nots increase; after all, are not the poor worthless because of their lack of effort? So, the social ethic of individualism justifies the extant social order which inhibits social change. (That is, individualism leads to different results than what the philosophy would have one expect.)

Generally, human societies are composed of many co-operating sub-features which contribute to the overall result. This is like the operation of plate tectonics which generates the ever-changing surface of the Earth. Each of the plates has an internal structure which keeps it distinct and whole for long stretches of geological history; but, eventually, even continental plates are broken up and digested (as in Africa's Rift Valley, home of humanity). Our beliefs about ourselves and the Rift Valley are colored by our extremely short exposure to them: for us, they seem to be permanent features of the Universe. Many philosophies are based on a quick and superficial inspection of the situation, so fail when confronted by the further consequences of the situation. When society is based on such inaccurate estimates of the environment and social relationships, the society splits just like Africa.

From that general conception, I think we might see what needs fixing.

Changing Times

Most people, most of the time, are incredibly parochial and short-sighted. While the battle over "heath care reform" rages, especially with regard to the costs of medical care, the cost of the American Imperium goes largely unnoticed. In fact, the United States spends more on  military and foreign operations (the maintenance of Empire) than everything else except the combined cost of Social Security and Medicare. Until recently, those costs were subsidized by foreigners under Imperial control. (As in other Empires, the conquered pay tribute and taxes.) The strong dollar, for instance, made oil and other commodities relatively cheap compared to their costs in Europe and Asia. The relatively low cost of energy allowed the United States to be a low cost producer of many goods and services consumed at home and abroad. The United States made itself the largest single global supplier of military goods which those under its protection are required to buy and pay for. The protection racket is, of course, nothing new: the ancient Romans used this device successfully to rule the Mediterranean world for several centuries. Protection is a self-reinforcing system until disrupted by external events such as resource depletion, population disruption or successful revolutions.

But now all that was the American Empire (aka the "American Century") is being turned upside down and coming unraveled, just as happened to the Romans (and others) long ago. The Europeans, and now the Chinese and Hindus, are rebuilding their ancient civilizations from the ground up. Neither Europe nor Asia needs American food to prevent starvation; au contraire, Europe, especially, is plagued with agricultural surpluses which necessitate farm subsidies (just as in the U.S.). What's worse for the latest version of the Anglophone Empire (the American expansion of what it inherited from England), in short order former friends and strange barbarians have figured out how to build their own jet planes, nuclear reactors and bombs, computers, advanced energy systems and much more. Is it really surprising that the Danish firm VESTAS is the world's largest supplier of wind turbines? Or that the Germans, French and Italians are leaders of, perhaps taking over, the auto industry? Or that China will probably put people on  the Moon and Mars before the United States?

Just to add insult to injury, those foreigners have learned to speak and write English better than their former masters. Meanwhile, Americans have managed to leave almost every child behind, thereby creating a nation of functional illiterates.

If all that is true, would not Americans be better off shedding Imperial robes and pretensions?

Why Work?

If the huge cost of Empire is sinking the United States into poverty, Americans might be better off giving it up except --- except for all those jobs created by being the world's foremost arms supplier. About two-thirds of all weapons now sold in international trade are American made, a market share that has been steadily increasing for fifty years at the expense of Russia and Europe. Then there are the weapons Americans supply themselves, and the millions employed in support of those under direct military command. As with all other social systems, the military-industrial complex is self-justifying. Since the immediate post-World War II period, I have heard the approval of adults when some military expenditure or installation would create jobs. I remember the fear among adults in 1945-46 of a return of the Great Depression. Since then, Americans have continued to prefer a permanent wartime economy rather than depression or recession. Overall, the military-industrial complex and the arms trade have kept Americans in clover by exporting instability and disorder. I believe that is also a major reason why so many foreigners, especially the disadvantaged and exploited, have come to hate the United States. (Of course, part of the self-sustaining American social organization is that  people who see an opportunity to grab a piece of the action emigrate to America.)

Simply put, American Capitalism and Imperialism provide the means and opportunity to avoid work by making others work. Belonging to the leisure class has always been a major pleasure of the wealthy. The lower class concept of being idly rich is amply demonstrated by Eliza's father in successors to G. B. Shaw's Pygmalion such as My Fair Lady. Of course, that is not how most members of the upper classes see it.

Empty

As in all things, sooner or later the good times come to an end. That happens when there is no more honey for the taking. Shortly thereafter, workers must either replenish stores from what is available in the fields or die. It really is that simple.

So, getting out of our present fix will require hard labor of everyone, Wall St silk shirts, corporate stuffed shirts and blue collar smocks alike. Nothing less will do. Otherwise, as the latest ad fad has it, you could wait around for the Credit Fairy.

Posted 11/29/2009 02:21:36 PM                Last update: 11/29/2009        Originated: 11/23/2009

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