tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6245381193993153721.post1654870553424083831..comments2024-03-17T00:23:24.896-07:00Comments on Social Democracy for the 21st Century: A Realist Alternative to the Modern Left: Keynes’ “Economic Possibilities for our Grandchildren”Lord Keyneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06556863604205200159noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6245381193993153721.post-80127521855772468532014-04-06T03:16:46.399-07:002014-04-06T03:16:46.399-07:00I think the root of this "secondary class&quo...I think the root of this "secondary class" of consumption, as Keynes puts it, lies not in human nature but in the institutions of competition that is so ingrained in a modern capitalist market economy. After all, when we are constantly comparing each other in the market place, it's easy for that competition to diffuse into our social lives. As long as we have a capitalist economy that encourages competition, cutthroat from time to time, I think Keynes' prediction is a long way from coming true.<br /><br />For a deeper analysis of Keynes' essay and of the possibility of living the "good life" as Keynes put it, I can recommend Skidelsky's "How Much is Enough?" (2012). Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11197937032002848367noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6245381193993153721.post-21148828970984116942014-04-05T15:01:40.890-07:002014-04-05T15:01:40.890-07:00Naive. Keynes was naive. About distribution, monet...Naive. Keynes was naive. About distribution, monetary policy and, ultimately, human nature. The fact is that some people don't care about anything except promoting themselves over others. Money is not the cause of that. It's merely the medium. Eliminate money and some other mechanism will emerge to allow them to do so.<br /><br />Obviously I'm a Keynesian. But I just don't buy into this Utopian stuff. Do the best you can... and pray that it's good enough!Philip Pilkingtonhttp://fixingtheeconomists.wordpress.com/noreply@blogger.com