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(and has gotten) what he deserves economically, in short, that both the rich and the
poor are responsible for their fates.
Whether the society is developed or underdeveloped, a market economy has
several important advantages and several major disadvantages: Among the
advantages, we find the following: 1. Competition between different firms leads to
increased efficiency, as firms do whatever is necessary–including laying off
workers–to lower their costs;
2. Most people work harder (the threat of losing one's job is a great
motivator);
3. There is more innovation as firms look for new products to sell and
cheaper ways to do their work;
4. Foreign investment is attracted as word gets out about the new
opportunities for earning profit;
5. The size, power, and cost of the state bureaucracy is correspondingly
reduced as various activities that are usually associated with the public sector are
taken over by private enterprises;
6. The forces of production, or at least those involved in making those things
people with money at home or abroad want to buy, undergo rapid development;
7. Many people quickly acquire the technical and social skills and
knowledge needed to function in this new economy;
8. A great variety of consumer goods become available for those who have
the money to buy them; and
9. Large parts of the society take on a bright, merry and colorful air as
everyone busies himself trying to sell something to someone else.
These are the main advantages of the market economy, and in his article
Professor Kang gives a good account of them. But, as I said, there are also major
disadvantages, and these Kang neglects. Among the disadvantages, we find the
following:
1. Distorted investment priorities, as wealth gets directed into what will earn
the largest profit and not into what most people really need (so public health,
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public education, and even dikes for periodically swollen rivers receive little
attention);
2. Worsening exploitation of workers, since the harder, faster, and longer
people work–just as the less they get paid–the more profit is earned by their
employer (with this incentive and driven by the competition, employers are forever
finding new ways to intensify exploitation);
3. Overproduction of goods, since workers as a class are never paid enough
to buy back, in their role as consumers, the ever growing amount of goods that they
produce (in the era of automation, computerization and robotization, the gap
between what workers produce–and can produce–and what their low wage allows
them to consume has increased enormously);
4. Unused industrial capacity (the mountain of unsold goods has resulted in a
large percentage of machinery of all kinds lying idle, while many pressing needs–
but needs that the people who have them can't pay for–go unmet);
5. Growing unemployment (machines and raw materials are available, but
using them to satisfy the needs of the people who don't have the money to pay for
what could be made would not make profits for those who own the machines and
raw materials–and in a market economy profits are what matters);
6. Growing social and economic inequality (the rich get richer and everyone
else gets poorer, many absolutely and the rest in relation to the rapidly growing
wealth of the rich);
7. With such a gap between the rich and the poor, egalitarian social relations
become impossible (people with a lot of money begin to think of themselves as a
better kind of human being and to view the poor with contempt, while the poor feel
a mixture of hatred, envy and queasy respect for the rich);
8. Those with the most money also begin to exercise a disproportional
political influence, which they use to help themselves make still more money;
9. Increase in corruption in all sectors of society, which further increases the
power of those with a lot of money and puts those without the money to bribe
officials at a severe disadvantage;
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10. Increase in all kinds of economic crimes, with people trying to acquire
money illegally when legal means are not available (and sometimes even when
they are);
11. Reduced social benefits and welfare (since such benefits are financed at
least in part by taxes, extended benefits generally means reduced profits for the
rich; furthermore, any social safety net makes workers less fearful of losing their
jobs and consequently less willing to do anything to keep them);
12. Worsening ecological degradation (since any effort to improve the
quality of the air and of the water costs the owners of industry money and reduces
profits, our natural home becomes increasingly unlivable);
13. With all this, people of all classes begin to misunderstand the new social
relations and powers that arise through the operations of a market economy as
natural phenomena with a life and will of their own (money, for example, gets
taken as an almost supernatural power that stands above people and orders their
lives, rather than a material vehicle into which people through their alienated
relations with their productive activity and its products have poured their own
power and potential; and the market itself, which is just one possible way in which
social wealth can be distributed, is taken as the way nature itself intended human
beings to relate to each other, as more in keeping with basic human nature than any
other possibility. As part of this, people no longer believe in a future that could be
qualitatively different or in their ability, either individually or collectively, to help
bring it about. In short, what Marx called «ideological thinking» becomes general);
14. The same market experiences develop a set of anti-social attitudes and
emotions (people become egotistical, concerned only with themselves. «Me first»,
«anything for money», «winning in competition no matter what the human costs»
become what drives them in all areas of life. They also become very anxious and
economically insecure, afraid of losing their job, their home, their sale, etc.; and
they worry about money all the time. In this situation, feelings as well as ideas of
cooperation and mutual concern are seriously weakened, where they don't
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disappear altogether, for in a market economy it is against one's personal interest to
cooperate with others);
15. With people's thoughts and emotions effected in these ways by their life
in a market economy, it becomes very difficult for the government, any
government, to give them a true picture of the country's problems (it is more
conducive to stability to feed people illusions of unending economic growth and
fairy tales of how they too can get rich. Exaggerating the positive achievements of
society and seldom if ever mentioning its negative features is also the best means
of attracting foreign investment. With so much of the economy depending on
«favorable market psychology», the government simply cannot afford to be
completely honest either with its own people or the rest of the world on what is
really happening in the country);
16. Finally, the market economy leads to periodic economic crises, where all
these disadvantages develop to a point that most of the advantages I mentioned
earlier simply dry up –the economy stops growing, fewer things are made,
development of the forces of production slows down, investment drops off, etc. (a
close look at the trends apparent in the disadvantages of the market should make
clear why such crises are inevitable in a market economy). Until an economic
crisis occurs, it is possible to take the position that the advantages of a market
economy outweigh its disadvantages, or the opposite position, and to develop a
political strategy that accords with one's view, whatever it is. But if a crisis does
away with most of the important advantages associated with the market, this is no
longer possible. It simply makes no sense to continue arguing that we must give
priority to the advantages of the market when they are in the process of
disappearing.
Once we have recognized all the main advantages and disadvantages of the
market economy, and once we have had a chance to examine and compare them,
there are three major questions that remain to be answered. First, is it possible to
have the advantages of the market economy without the disadvantages? Both
theory and empirical evidence argue strongly that the answer is «no». Even a quick
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perusal of Marx's analysis of how the market economy works reveals it as an
organic whole in which each part serves as an internal aspect in the functioning of
the others. Similarly, their effects, both good and bad (what I've called
«advantages» and «disadvantages»), entail one another; they are extended parts
and/or necessary preconditions or effects of each other. For example, market
experiences produce, of necessity, market personalities in people, and market
personalities become a necessary precondition for people of all classes to engage in
market relations effectively, and hence for the market to work as well as it does.
You can't, in other words, place people in market relations and expect them to
retain very much of the socialist ideas, values and emotions that may once have
had. And the same glue holds together all the economic, social and psychological
aspects of a market economy.
For empirical evidence, just look at how quickly and how thoroughly China
fell victim to all the disadvantages of the market once it set out to avail itself of the
market's advantages. The Chinese government would have liked nothing better
than to avoid these crippling disadvantages. It simply was not possible.
A second key question is–is the equilibrium between the advantages and
disadvantages of the market economy stable or changing? The answer is that they
are constantly changing, and if changes sometimes favor the advantages (not by
making the disadvantages disappear, which is impossible, but by making them
appear smaller), the movement toward economic crisis that is taking place in all
market economies today makes it clear that it is the disadvantages associated with
the market that are becoming its most prominent features.
The third, and final, major question is–can people change their mind about
the market? And the answer is – of course. They do so all the time, moving from
«against» to «in favor» or from «in favor» to «against». Just because a society
opted for one approach to the market, let's say 25 years ago, when one set of
problems were dominant, is not in itself a good reason to retain this approach when
another set of problems become far more pressing.
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If the answers I have given to these three questions are correct, then the
central problem facing China today might be posed as follows: Should China stick
with the market economy in order to continue to benefit from what's left of its
advantages (and simply accept all the negatives that come with it), or–because the
disadvantages have gotten so bad–should China now do whatever is necessary to
deal with them (and treat whatever benefits it once got from the market as
secondary)? It is, of course, not for me but for the Chinese people to say what
should be done. I have only tried to clarify what is involved in making such a
momentous decision, and, also – and now we return to Kang's article–to suggest
that it is only by fully laying out the main advantages and disadvantages of market
socialism that any effective solution to China's problems can be found. Anything
less, any recourse to one-sidedness in confronting this situation, is bad economics
and bad philosophy, Marxist or otherwise.
According to Kang, the core of Deng Xiaoping's teachings is directed to
«emancipating the mind» and «seeking truth from facts». I can't think of anything
that is more important for us, for all of us, to do. The fate of China today hangs on
how well the Chinese people – leaders, philosophers and ordinary people alike –
can apply this advice to Deng's own words and the social and economic reforms
that have followed from them.
EXERCISES
1. Sum up the main ides of the text and retell it in Russian.
2. Fill in the missing words from the box into the text below.
individuals value supply economy probably risks rules planning taxes
businesses wealth services individual poor environmentally taxation
A market economy is an economy where most resources are owned and
controlled by 1)_________, and are allocated through voluntary market
transactions governed by the interaction of supply and demand.
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People exchange resources, such as money, for other resources, such as
goods or services, on a voluntary basis in the market. The 2)_________ of the
resources exchanged is based upon how scarce each resource is and how many
people want the resource. If the 3)_________ of a resource is low, but the demand
is high, the price will tend to be high. If the demand is low and the supply high, the
price will tend to be low.
Economic growth and development in a market 4)_________ is determined
by the relative 5)_________ and rewards (or profits) that particular economic
activities presents to individuals. If risks are too high and rewards are too low, then
certain activities 6)_________ will not be pursued.
Government involvement in regulating market transactions in a market
economy is limited to pretty much ensuring that the 7)_________ of the market are
enforced and applied fairly to all participants. Additionally, government
involvement in 8)_________ or directing economic development and growth is
very limited. In practice, there is no such thing as a pure market economy because
that would mean there would be no 9)_________ on economic activities or
government regulation of economic activities at all.
A market economy has several advantages:
•Competition leads to efficiency because 10)_________ that have fewer
costs are more competitive and make more money.
•Innovation is encouraged because it provides a competitive edge and
increases the chance for 11)_________.
•A large variety of goods and 12)_________ are available as businesses try
to differentiate themselves in the market.
•Economic activity is encouraged because you need money to live and need
to engage in economic activity (through employment or self-employment) to make
money.
•Freedom of 13)_________ choice is possible to the extent that the market
provides options for work, developing a business, and purchasing goods and
services (so long as you can afford them).
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Market economies are also not without disadvantages:
•Disparity in wealth and mobility exists in market economies because wealth
tends to generate wealth. In other words, it's easier for wealthy individuals to
become wealthier than it is for the 14)_________ to become wealthy.
•Environmental damage results with no government regulations because it's
usually more expensive to produce in an 15)_________ -sound manner, which
reduces profits.
•There tends to be a reduced social safety net, including such programs as
unemployment insurance, Social Security, and Medicare, because these programs
are supported through 16)_________.
•Poor working conditions can result due to a lack of government regulations
because health and safety cost money, thus reducing profits.
3. Read the following article and make a rendering of it in English.
В эпоху глобализации даже самые слаборазвитые страны стремятся
выстроить модель рыночной экономики. Это достаточно болезненный
переход для любой подобной страны. На данный момент рыночная
экономика преобладает в мире со всеми своими достоинствами и
недостатками. В этой статье
мы кратко рассмотрим, какие существуют
экономические системы и подробно остановимся на рыночной модели.
Прежде чем охарактеризовать рыночную экономику, нужно прежде
всего понять, что же такое экономическая система и какие модели помимо
рыночной существуют.
Экономическая система и ее модели
Экономическая система – это совокупность взаимосвязанных
экономических элементов, которые образовывают целостность,
экономическую структуру общества
; единство отношений, складывающихся
по поводу производства, обмена и потребления экономических благ и их
распределения.
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Существует три модели экономических систем. Делятся они весьма
условно, потому что имеют общие черты и могут отличаться в зависимости
от государства и его политики. Это традиционная, командная и рыночная
экономические модели.
Традиционная модель основана на традициях, передающихся из
поколения в поколение. Данный тип экономики сохранился только в
слаборазвитых странах. В них
так сильны традиции, что технический
прогресс либо принимается с большим трудом, либо полностью отрицается.
Черты традиционной модели: большая доля рыночного труда во всех
отраслях экономики и слабое развитие техники.
Командная модель основана на государственной собственности на все
материальные ресурсы. Все решения принимаются государственными
органами. Его еще называют плановой экономикой, потому
что каждому
предприятию производственным планом указывается, что и в каком объеме
производить. Такой тип экономики был в СССР. В современном Китае,
например, смешанная экономическая система – она имеет черты как
командной модели, так и рыночной.
Рыночная модель характеризуется прежде всего частной
собственностью на ресурсы, а также использованием рынков. Рынком
управляет закон спроса
и предложения. Рассмотрим подробнее, какие
особенности и преимущества рыночной модели.
Принципы и основные черты рыночной экономики
Рыночная экономика основана на таких принципах:
• Ограниченное вмешательство государства в хозяйственную
деятельность.
• Свободное предпринимательство. Производитель сам выбирает
свою форму деятельности, а потребитель решает, что ему покупать.
• Рыночное ценообразование. Оно основано на
механизме спроса и
предложения.
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• Договорные отношение между хозяйствующими субъектами –
предприятиями, людьми и т. д.
• Многообразие форм собственности.
Основные черты рыночной модели:
• Конкуренция.
• Рынок ориентирован на покупателя.
• Свободный выбор поставщиков сырья и покупателей продукции.
• Разнообразие форм собственности: государственной,
коллективной, частной, общинной.
Самостоятельность производителя и его полная административная
независимость.
У рыночной
экономики есть масса достоинств. Каждый из нас может
открыть свою компанию, стать миллионером и позволить себе
путешествовать и строить свою жизнь так, как считает нужным. Конечно
никто не застрахован от провалов и банкротств, риски могут быть слишком
велики. Экономическая свобода предполагает и вероятность потерять все.
Как можно перейти к рыночной
экономике?
Несмотря на соблазнительность перехода к рыночной экономике и
возможность получения массы преимуществ, некоторые страны не решаются
перейти на рыночную модель, потому что это может быть чревато для ее
власти. Сам переход является достаточно болезненным для жителей такой
страны и это может привести к революции. К тому же если власть себя
неплохо чувствует и при командной или традиционной модели, она
поступает эгоистично и всячески препятствует такому переходу. Страна
может находиться на грани нищеты, но при этом люди при государственной
власти могут быть вполне в состоянии обеспечить свои нужды.
Но если все же случается революция или смена власти, тогда есть
большая вероятность,
что перейти на рыночную модель все же удастся.
Существует две принципиально разные стратегии перехода:
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