Re: Structural Unemployment (2)

[ianb@sun670.telecom.tandem.com (zen machine)]

Ba'c Sonnet wrote:

> Could you give me an example of "civilized society" with large percentage
> of farmers? 
>
> I do not want to say that the farmers are worse (or an group of second
> category) than other groups.   However the essential values of civilised
> society are different than  "values" of farmers.  

I think the term "civilized" has many meanings and we could get 
lost discussing that instead of the issue we're really interested
in. Therefore I propose we substitute it with the word "developed" 
instead.

If that's what you mean by "civilized" then I agree with the 
observation that farmers usually represent only a small minority
in "developed" economies. However, I don't think the "values"
you're referring to have anything to do with the employment issue.

Even in developed societies, farmers are still farmers. That
is, they work the land to produce produce ;)) and other things.
And even if they're a minority, their value systems will still
have to be maintained and supported by society as a whole or
we all will risk going hungry and cold eventually.

One of the differences between farming in an industrialized
society and in an underdeveloped one is that in the former
farming is often done on a much larger scale--like that of 
corporations. And in many instances the farm "owners" aren't 
even themselves farmers but could be anything from big bankers 
to pharmaceutical giants. On the other hand, there also are
many independent small farmers too, but they often are dependent
on government subsidies of one form or another for survival in
the global marketplace.

Having said that, I think it's important to differentiate between 
"farmers" and "peasants", as anh Nhan pointed out. Please correct
me if I'm wrong, but I believe the structural unemployment issue
you've raised has to do with the latter. In other words, how will 
society absorb these former farm workers as the economy shifts 
into the industrial mode? 

Again, I think the solution will depend a lot on the ability
of the government to provide the necessary tools and incentives
that are in sync with market forces (which can be quite powerful)
to prepare the workforce for a new paradigm in labor allocation.
Of course, the way VN's economy is currently structured -- with
such a heavy dependence on the State sector for much of its GDP, 
can only leave one with grave concerns for VN's future.

In fact, ASEAN membership will probably prove to be the driving
force either to accelerate needed reforms or to drive VN's economy 
aground faster than anyone can say "market economy in a socialist
direction"...

Ian

ps. what is your view on 'prostitution' as a legal profession?