America & The New Industrial Estate

America and The New Industrial Estate

Max Weber was the first to look at Bureaucracy. He believed that it was the most efficient form of organisation. The organisation had a well-defined line of authority and clear rules, as well as regulations. These HAD to be strictly followed. 
Certain features that an efficient bureaucratic organisation should have is; precision, speed, unambiguity, knowledge and strict subordination. 
America is a bureaucratic country, run my Lawyers who divide and sort out the rules. 
Bureaucracy is the main source of legal power. 

Karl Marx said that the crisis of capitalism will lead to the fall of Western Civilisation. There is a constant struggle for humans to survive as we use up all of our resources to the maximum limit. 
The 60's and 70's are a prime example of this as there was the economic boom that led to high levels of inflation and therefore mass unemployment. 
Marx believed that money became the state intervention of 'mans true nature'. Forcing him to therefore become alienated. 
Marx's theory describes two elements that led to the exploitation of the working class;
1. Forces - raw materials, technology and labour
2. Relations of Production - Ownership
Similar to David Riccardo, he believed a products value was dependent on the amount of labour power invested in it. 
Marx was influence by Adam Smith about the free market and efficiency. 

John Kenneth Gailbraith wrote The New Industrial Estate in 1967. The book explores the economics of production and the effect large corporations could have over the state. 
Gailbraith argues that the 'industrial system' is controlled by Technostructure rather than share holders. Technostructure is the term for all those involved in groups decisions and making the organisation tha they form. The goals of technostructure are survival, growth, technical virtuosity and increased rate of dividends. The basis need is to prevent it's revenue from falling. 
The New Industrial System satisfies anything that can be seen as a human need. 

Heidegger believes that society is a death machine and it is doomed. 
Nietzsche - 'You are a slave if you are not prepared to die'

John Keynes was a British Economist who believed that money had the power to affect human behaviour. He believed in a problem free society and saw the massive decline in income and employment that was way below average.
Keynes thinks that every need should be satisfied and problems such as war, and disease should be dealt with. 
He believes the answer to all these problems is to go to these places such as Vietnam and Poland and now allow their citizens to come where the money is. This can be related to many modern day problems occurring at the moment with the Government. This will therefore solve problems of over population and the fight for jobs. Keynes' ideas were attacked from both sides. The left was Heidegger and Satre who saw America as bureaucratic and run by Lawyers. The right was attacked by Hayek who believed that things started to go wrong with Kant, and by Nietzsche it was a disaster. 
Keynes' economic philosophy is that 'money matters'.