tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-716509980377809016.post5386651405051146108..comments2024-03-11T10:20:01.582-07:00Comments on The Rehearsal Studio: Another Toxic Aspect of InnovationStephen Smoliarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14689767135234237242noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-716509980377809016.post-37567692448182614292012-02-02T07:15:23.577-08:002012-02-02T07:15:23.577-08:00DigitalDan indicated that "our role in manufa...DigitalDan indicated that "our role in manufacturing has vastly diminished." This isn't exactly the case. We've lost manufacturing JOBS, but OUTPUT has increased. Both these trends are due to automation. So any public official who talks about 1) growth 2) technological innovation and 3) more manufacturing jobs isn't offering a realistic outlook.<br /><br />I would only add that this particular type of growth imperative needs to be viewed in a historically situated context. The era of entrepreneurial capitalism ended in the first half of the 19th Century. It was eclipsed by monopoly capitalism in the second half of the 19th century, and again by the permanent war economy in the mid 20th century. Planned obsolescence and the growth it facilitates is best seen as an institutionalization of battlefield attrition.joneshttp://telesio.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-716509980377809016.post-17020417455454761982012-01-20T11:01:36.048-08:002012-01-20T11:01:36.048-08:00I suppose the fashionable jargon is that, while no...I suppose the fashionable jargon is that, while not frivolous, innovation entails a significant risk of "moral hazard." That risk does not come from the innovators, but from number-crunchers who only want to see the largest return on investment as quickly as possible. This is not so much a matter of how extensive the resulting abuses are as it is one of what happen to be the real priorities of those advising Obama and whether or not the President appreciates the motives behind those priorities.Stephen Smoliarhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14689767135234237242noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-716509980377809016.post-64996110408796775352012-01-20T10:48:58.001-08:002012-01-20T10:48:58.001-08:00Very odd James-Burkean analysis. One might infer f...Very odd James-Burkean analysis. One might infer from it a belief that all innovation is for frivolous purposes, that all leads to overseas manufacturing, and that all or even most overseas manufacturing is run by evil people doing evil things to their employees.<br /><br />I do believe that the US is in great economic peril from the fact that our role in manufacturing has vastly diminished; we've become a service economy with a spotty record in providing good service, if you will. More manufacturing of goods requiring little or no innovation could help us, as well.<br /><br />But it seems short-sighted to fault the President's premises based on abuses in some manufacturing sectors that admittedly need to be addressed.DigitalDanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11620300502981292088noreply@blogger.com