Crisis management and the diversity of capitalism: fiscal stimulus packages and the East Asian (neo-)developmental state

Abstract

This paper contributes to the understanding of East Asian capitalism by investigating the political economy of crisis management in Japan, Korea and China during the global economic crisis. Reacting to the global shock of the economic crisis that began in 2008, East Asian capitalism has remained a distinct state-led model that differs substantially from the liberal, neo-corporatist or welfare state varieties of capitalism in the West. More specifically, this paper studies the fiscal stimulus packages implemented by East Asian countries to address the global financial crisis from 2008 to 2010. We find that East Asian fiscal stimulus packages were comparatively large and supply-side-oriented. Unlike in the West, where a (short-lived) revival of demand-side-oriented Keynesian strategies stimulating consumption could be observed, East Asian countries reinforced industrial policies and supported investment and international competitiveness. We argue that the East Asian variety of crisis management can largely be explained by a path-dependent transformation of the East Asian developmental state into a neo-developmental competition state.     

The Soviet constitution

Text Reviewed:

Pierre et Marie Lavigne Regards sur la Constitution sovietique de 1977, Economica, Collection Politique Comparée, Paris 1979.     

Beyond the Social Market: Rethinking Capitalism and Public Policy

Despite its worthy motives, social market philosophy provides neither a useful analytical framework for understanding modern capitalism, nor the policy tools to address our present economic and social predicament. The concept of ‘market failure’, with its underlying assumption of market equilibrium, does not capture the systemically adverse outcomes of collective market forces. A more sophisticated understanding of capitalist economies, and the societies in which they exist, would recognise that the market economy is a dynamic but not self‐regulating system. It is embedded in, and impacts on, four other economies – of the natural environment, of family and care, of voluntary association, and of the public sector – which operate under different motivations and allocative principles. The role of government is central, to balance the values created by different kinds of institutions and to constrain the dynamic impacts of market forces. A number of policy conclusions are offered arising from this framework.     

凯尔纳“技术资本主义”的生成背景、主要内涵和理论究底

道格拉斯·凯尔纳“技术资本主义”是在马克思和马尔库塞技术理论、法兰克福学派的“批判精神”和现实资本主义新变化的影响下所提出来的概念图式和“社会图绘”。它具有经济学和哲学的双重内涵,是不同于“晚期资本主义”的一种社会理论认识。从总体理论特征和思想主线上看,凯尔纳无疑是一名左翼激进学者,但他同时也是一名坚持批判资本主义根本立场、强调马克思主义当代价值的晚期马克思主义者。他关于对新时期新变化的资本主义的独到见解和术语表达,对于我们更好地面对当今世界的多极化、全球化和更好地探索马克思主义时代化、大众化具有借鉴意义。     

科技进步在推动资本主义社会发展中的作用

自从资本主义产生以来,在科学技术方面已经发生了三次质的变革.科学技术每一次变革都推动了资本主义社会的发展变化.第二次世界大战后,科学技术的巨大进步,使生产力诸要素产生了不同于以往的质的飞跃,极大地推动了西方资本主义国家生产力的发展.20世纪80年代以来,在发达资本主义国家以信息技术为中心的高科技革命迅速发展,它推动着延续了一个多世纪的工业经济正在转变为信息经济.以此为基础,整个社会也正在转变为信息社会.正确认识科学技术在资本主义生产中的二重作用,对于我国社会主义现代化建设和科技发展,可以提供有益的借鉴.     

20世纪初期爪哇排华运动探析

本文聚焦于20世纪初期的爪哇排华运动,考察了华人资本主义发展与近代印尼民族主义发展之间的关系。指出这次排华骚乱是印尼民族资产阶级对华人资本主义扩张的一种自发反应,近代爪哇华人资本主义的发展以及由此而产生的华人商业文化与伊斯兰宗教文化、华人资本与印尼民族资本之间的文化冲突与商业竞争是导致这次排华骚乱的一个根本原因。笔者认为我们在谴责与抨击印尼民族资产阶级针对华人的狭隘民族主义和野蛮排华暴力的同时,也应该思考这次排华骚乱所带来的历史教训,反省华人资本主义扩张进程中的商业道德,并思考在多元社会里华人资本主义发展所依托的商业文化应如何与其根植的社会环境相适应,以促进多元族群社会经济与社会的和谐发展。     

正确认识"两个必然"与"两个决不会"的辩证关系

“两个必然”和“两个决不会”是马克思主义关于社会主义代替资本主义学说的重要组成部分,是辩证统一的关系。正确认识“两个必然”和“两个决不会”的辩证统一关系,就要把资本主义走向灭亡的历史“必然性”与历史发展过程的“长期性”统一起来;就要把资本主义的“腐朽性”与它继续发展的“可能性”统一起来;就要把历史发展的“阶段性”与历史结局的“趋向性”统一起来。     

Critical Observations on Neo-liberalism and India’s New Economic Policy

Abstract

Neo-liberalism is capitalism without leftist illusions (i.e. illusions that there can be such a thing as humane capitalism on a long-term basis). The article makes a series of critical comments on India’s neo-liberalism expressed in the form of the so-called New Economic Policy. It argues, New Economic Policy is more than a governmental policy. It is rather a policy of capital, mediated and implemented by the state. Neo-liberalism is a social-spatial project. Neo-liberalism in rural areas (agrarian neo-liberalism) is particularly ruthless. Neo-liberalism is implemented through, and entails, the transformation of space, and thus produces enormous spatial unevenness. Neo-liberalism is also a part of the imperialist project. Given New Economic Policy’s adverse impacts, it has inspired massive resistance from below. Interestingly, in spite of offering some opposition, the left has been, overall, a conduit through which New Economic Policy has worked. The article shows how a critical discussion on neo-liberalism has implications for understanding macro-structural changes in societies such as that of India, which have suffered not only from economic backwardness but also incomplete revolutions. A dialectical view of neo-liberalism and the New Economic Policy connects them both to the democratic and agrarian questions, the national question, and the question of socialism itself.     

西方学者对资本主义新发展及其未来的最新研究

西方学者用“数字资本主义”、“赌场资本主义”、“涡轮资本主义”、“全球资本主义”、“新帝国主义”、“金融垄断资本主义”、“消费资本主义”等生动描绘了资本主义的最新发展及其特征。在此基础上，西方学者还进一步分析了资本主义在发展中所蕴藏的不可克服的自我否定的内在矛盾和历史趋势，指出了资本主义衰亡崩溃的未来命运，并研究了以“后资本主义社会”学说和“新的历史蓝图”构想为代表的替代资本主义的方案选择。对于西方学者这些关于资本主义未来的新看法，我们应进行辩证分析和研究。     

马克斯·韦伯对近代资本主义的精神动力分析

与马克思不同，韦伯从宗教的角度分析了其对于资本主义经济发展所起到的作用。这种作用实际上不止于经济领域，而且涉及政治领域。作者还对韦伯的分析方法进行了评估，认为韦伯并没有否认经济因素对社会发展所起的决定作用，新教与资本主义之间只是存在着一种内在的亲和关系。