Open Left

First Off, Those Aren't Counter-Arguments (0.00 / 0)

Those are entirely different arguments about the macroeconomic performance of economies with different sorts of tax structures.  They are related arguments in terms of a range of potential policy implications, but they don't address the same fundamental issue that I brought up, which is a foundational challenge to the assumption that the value of a dollar in the economy is the same, no matter who has that dollar.

In fact, none of the arguments you present would restore that presumption, they would only, at best, show some sort of countervailing effect--although that is highly doubtful in light of a 2005 study by the Center for Economic Policy Research that I plan to blog about this weekend, which shows that the neoliberal era (1981-onward) has produced lower growth rates in developing nations than the previous quarter century, when more egalitarian policies dominated.

"You know what they say -- those of us who fail history... doomed to repeat it in summer school." -- Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Season 6, Episode 3

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by: Paul Rosenberg @ Tue Jan 26, 2010 at 21:58:24 PM CST

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oh don't get me wrong (0.00 / 0)

i agreed totally with your basic point - the idea that a dollar has equal value to someone who makes $5.80 an hour as someone who makes $580 an hour is idiotic.  i don't actually see how anyone could disagree with that.

neoliberalism is a complicated thing - i don't think you can understand it in a developing country context without combining it with something like world systems theory or dependency theory.  also, the specifics are very different from the media-related stories in some cases (e.g. the level of state involvement in india's 'post-liberalisation' economy would make most american policymakers scared).

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by: dr anonymous @ Tue Jan 26, 2010 at 22:05:48 PM CST

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India and China Both (4.00 / 1)

are HUGE economies, and are clear exceptions to how the neoliberal development order has played out.

And I wasn't getting you wrong.  I just wanted to make sure that others didn't lose the distinction that I know you understand.

"You know what they say -- those of us who fail history... doomed to repeat it in summer school." -- Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Season 6, Episode 3

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by: Paul Rosenberg @ Wed Jan 27, 2010 at 08:14:21 AM CST

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