Merrick
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1 in 4 Americans employed to guard wealth of the rich
Feb 08, 2010, 21:05
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"Bowles argues that the wealth inequality created by strict market economics creates inefficiencies because society has to devote so much effort to stopping the poor from expropriating the rich. He calls this 'guard labor' and says that one in four Americans is employed to in the sector -- labor that could otherwise be used to increase the nation's wealth and progress."
http://www.boingboing.net/2010/02/05/santa-fe-institute-e.html
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zphage
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Re: 1 in 4 Americans employed to guard wealth of the rich
Feb 08, 2010, 23:59
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What are guard labor jobs?
25% is too high, even with broadly defined terms.
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PMM
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Edited Feb 09, 2010, 01:37
Re: 1 in 4 Americans employed to guard wealth of the rich
Feb 09, 2010, 01:37
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Components of Guard Labor in the United States(1890-2002)...
Supervision: Either (Definition 1) Non-Production and Supervisory Employees
in Private Non Agricultural Industries, or (Definition 2) Employees
in occupations coded in the Dictionary of Occupational Titles as having supervisory or related relations to people.
Protective Guard Labor: Police Employees at all levels of Government
and Judicial and Corrections Employees at all Levels of Government and
Private Guards
Defense Related Employment: Active Duty Military Personnel and
Civilian Employees of the Department of Defenseand Indirect Employment
from Defense Related Expenditure
Unemployment: Unemployed Individuals and Discouraged Laborers
Prisoners: Prisoners in Federal Correctional Institutions and Prisoners
in State Correctional Institutions
http://repec.umb.edu/RePEc/files/jayadev-egl.pdf
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handofdave
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Re: 1 in 4 Americans employed to guard wealth of the rich
Feb 09, 2010, 01:41
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I agree, that sounds like a wild and loose extrapolation born out of a need to arrive at a predetermined political end. You could argue that EVERYONE is employed in guarding the wealth of the rich in a capitalist country.
Think is, there's no need to stretch the truth... nobody disputes that the top 1% control half the wealth.
What's hard to shake up is the acceptance of this disparity. Too few are willing to confront it, because mostly they fear if we take the superwealthy down a notch it's gonna undermine everything for everyone.
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zphage
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Re: 1 in 4 Americans employed to guard wealth of the rich
Feb 09, 2010, 02:25
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Thanks PMM.
It is as I fear from an academic and an economist. It's lame.:)
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PMM
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Re: 1 in 4 Americans employed to guard wealth of the rich
Feb 09, 2010, 14:09
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I think the title is a bit misleading, but the underlying ideas are correct.
IF you think of it as "1 in 4 Americans are employed to maintain a system that encourages such inequalities" then each sector outlined above makes sense. Also, I think it's correct to point out the the proportion of the population employed in this way has risen over the last century.
Don't get me wrong. The Great Utopian Pie-In-The-Sky would need some guard labour, except from the last group (a pool of unemployed and prisoners used to create downward pressure on wages)
Not sure why you disagree though. Inequality has risen in the UK over the last couple of decades, even though the general standard of living has risen. I'd imagine that a similar situation exists in the US. If you have inequalities, you need barriers, otherwise those at a disadvantage would attempt to redress the balance.
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