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This is an important point. I'd rate it equally with the failure to provide educational opportunity and also to provide the motivation for education (which of course is a complex issue).

And tools includes IT.

I note in a recent world survey (citation needed) that 41% of English workers thought their immediate bosses to be totally incompetent. The figure was less in France - maybe 19% as I recall).

You can't be me, I'm taken

by Sven Triloqvist on Wed May 18th, 2011 at 11:00:20 AM EST
[ Parent ]
The "peripherals" are well educated. A whole generation of Greeks has studied abroad and is comfortable with new technologies. The Spanish problem is what to do with a "best-educated generation ever" which appears condemned to a combination of unemployment, menial work and mileurism with the IMF recently warning of the risk of a "lost generation".

No, the problem is the bosses.

Economics is politics by other means

by Migeru (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Wed May 18th, 2011 at 11:07:11 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Exactly.

Spain has educated workers. The real problem is that Spanish businesses often seek to compete on low wages instead of good management and investment strategies.

The Basque Country has been a notable, if partial, exception.

There this is more competition based on quality and specialization, with the attendant investment in plant and vocational skills.  The uncoordinated use of universities to provide workers marketable skills ends badly.  Student leave with a general education and little of actual use in getting a job.

And I'll give my consent to any government that does not deny a man a living wage-Billy Bragg

by ManfromMiddletown (manfrommiddletown at lycos dot com) on Wed May 18th, 2011 at 11:16:20 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Spain has educated workers. The real problem is that Spanish businesses often seek to compete on low wages instead of good management and investment strategies.

That's not the story that the Spanish serious people are telling in serious publications such as this one.

Economics is politics by other means

by Migeru (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Wed May 18th, 2011 at 11:42:09 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Might that be because they are neo-liberal pieces of puta mierda?

Seriously. This is around the area of my dissertation.  Spain, varieties of capitalism, etc.

Part of my argument is that at least one part of Spain, e.g. the Basque Country, has been moving closer to the German model, and away from the more liberal UK model. And if you look at the numbers, the Basque country have fared much better in this recession than the rest of Spain.  It's one of, if not the only, part of the industrialized world in which industry as a % of GDP is on the rise.

And I'll give my consent to any government that does not deny a man a living wage-Billy Bragg

by ManfromMiddletown (manfrommiddletown at lycos dot com) on Wed May 18th, 2011 at 12:07:51 PM EST
[ Parent ]
When are you next visiting for field work?

Economics is politics by other means
by Migeru (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Wed May 18th, 2011 at 12:15:12 PM EST
[ Parent ]
I don't really know if I'm going to be able to do field work.  No money, no time.  The university has decided that they aren't going to honor their agreement to 6 years of funding.  So I have a year, and then I have to find a job. I will have to find work then, but I'm not sure if I will have the dissertation done. I've thought about trying to find work in Spain, but academic pay there is ridiculously low.  As I'm certain you know.  I had a friend offered a full time position in Barcelona for 1500 euro a month. With rents being what they are that's an issue.

And I'll give my consent to any government that does not deny a man a living wage-Billy Bragg
by ManfromMiddletown (manfrommiddletown at lycos dot com) on Wed May 18th, 2011 at 12:29:08 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Gotta love the apuntes liberales de un chico de derechas blog.

I need a shower.

Economics is politics by other means

by Migeru (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Wed May 18th, 2011 at 12:16:32 PM EST
[ Parent ]
I was in no way impugning Spanish education - merely pointing out that in a Just Society various priorities have to be straight.

Education and tools are two priorities. The others are: health and welfare support, low salary differentials, a justice system that treats all equally, regardless of income, and free speech and the right to congregate.

These are the MINIMUM conditions. There's lots more.

You can't be me, I'm taken

by Sven Triloqvist on Wed May 18th, 2011 at 12:08:08 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Nah, profits and the real value of net worths need to be protected. That's the only priority at play here.

Economics is politics by other means
by Migeru (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Wed May 18th, 2011 at 12:10:57 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Migreu:
No, the problem is the bosses.

The problem is also those who select the bosses and the financial and business paradigms under which they labor. The problem is "capital", which is, at its basis, political in nature -- the ability to order and reorder the structure of society in the interests of the ruling elite. Those interests in The WestTM, (the former First World), seem now to be wealth extraction and not wealth creation. And the even larger problem is the evil spell of wealth serving economic theory that has been cast over most of the population of The WestTM so as, as Frank S. noted, to enchant them to become the instruments of their own oppression through the Democratic selection of their leaders.  

"It is not necessary to have hope in order to persevere."
by ARGeezer (ARGeezer a in a circle eurotrib daught com) on Wed May 18th, 2011 at 12:14:54 PM EST
[ Parent ]
It is ironic to note that this ongoing process is strongly supporting the emergence of China as the dominant power in the 21 Century and certainly hastening the relative rise of the BRICs. This is almost entirely because we privilege our elites to put the profit to themselves and their international firms far above the interests of the societies and nations in which they operate.

"It is not necessary to have hope in order to persevere."
by ARGeezer (ARGeezer a in a circle eurotrib daught com) on Wed May 18th, 2011 at 12:18:18 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Can we take a moment to remind ourselves that the rise in power of states containing, what, half of humanity is a good thing?
by Colman (colman at eurotrib.com) on Wed May 18th, 2011 at 12:22:24 PM EST
[ Parent ]
It's a good thing in that the Chinese seem - so far - to be more pragmatic and less ideological about their economics.

(Ironically.)

by ThatBritGuy (thatbritguy (at) googlemail.com) on Wed May 18th, 2011 at 12:29:23 PM EST
[ Parent ]

  And the "so far" is all-important.

"In such an environment it is not surprising that the ills of technology should seem curable only through the application of more technology..." John W Aldridge
by proximity1 on Wed May 18th, 2011 at 02:36:12 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Coleman, I agree that the rise of ALL of the BRICs is a good thing, the most positive thing to come out of this debacle. But accelerating that process by looting and tanking the economies of the former First World is not a good thing -- especially for the residents of those societies, the vast majority of which did not benefit from the process.

"It is not necessary to have hope in order to persevere."
by ARGeezer (ARGeezer a in a circle eurotrib daught com) on Wed May 18th, 2011 at 05:25:43 PM EST
[ Parent ]

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