A paper of possible interest?

Dear colleagues,

(this is brash self-promotion + a well-meant attempt to breathe
some life into this list......)

Just before the SHE conference, I gave a paper at another conference, at the
5th Path to Full Employment Conference and the 10th National Conference on
Unemployment, Newcastle, Australia, December 10-12
(homepage http://e1.newcastle.edu.au/coffee/conferences/2003/index.cfm ).

The paper is of a type that may be of interest to subscribers to this forum.
You find it via this page:
http://csf.colorado.edu/authors/Andresen.Trond/

Title and abstract is:

TITLE:
>"<http://csf.colorado.edu/authors/Andresen.Trond/cofpaper-2.htm>Two
>feasible Future Scenarios: A high-tech Utopia -- and a high-tech
><http://csf.colorado.edu/authors/Andresen.Trond/cofpaper-2.htm>Dystopia"

ABSTRACT:
>Two different far future scenarios are discussed: Both have a
>highly automated manufacturing sector with a small workforce, and a large
>labour-intensive service sector. The first, "utopian" scenario is inspired
>by the Marxian vision, with some important modifications: Limits to
>consumption still exists, certain goods and services are still exchanged in
>a market. It is argued that the Marxian utopia is a useful "asymptote" to
>strive for, even if it can never be reached.
>The second, "dystopian" scenario has few workers in manufacturing just like
>the first. Manufacturing, and the much larger service/servant sector, is run
>on authoritarian capitalist lines. It is argued that profit rates can be
>sustained indefinitely in such an economy. The current worldwide attempts
>from corporations to take over service activities that have until now been
>in the public sector domain is discussed in the light of this.
>

Any responses, privately, or even better: to this list, are appreciated!

Cheers,

Trond Andresen

--
Trond Andresen <trond.andresen@itk.ntnu.no>
currently:
Newcastle University
School of Policy
Faculty of Business and Law
NSW 2308
Australia
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