THE ORIGINS AND PRINCIPLES OF THE WELFARE STATE AND THE STRUGGLE OVER ITS FUTURE
Uri Zilbersheid
Pages: 146-157
Published: 21 Aug 2015
Views: 2,529
Downloads: 585
Abstract: The conflict between capital and labor is often described as the most important feature of capitalism. Accordingly, the welfare state is viewed as a compromise between capital and labor. However, a major, more important feature of capitalism is the conflict between financial, or speculative financial, capital and industrial, or productive, capital. While the first is interested in slowing the economy, or shrinking production, periodically as a way of eternalizing the dependence of the producers on the financial sector, the latter is interested in permanent growth based on materially developed society. The welfare state is basically an alliance between industrial capital and wage laborers against financial capital. The struggle against this formation, mainly by imposing austerity programs, is aimed at securing financial capital’s dominance. The welfare state has been the basis of democracy and peace around the world, so the struggle against it is a struggle against these human achievements.
Keywords: capital, labor, financial capital, industrial/productive capital, welfare state, the principle of universality, state economic intervention, democracy
Cite this article: Uri Zilbersheid. THE ORIGINS AND PRINCIPLES OF THE WELFARE STATE AND THE STRUGGLE OVER ITS FUTURE. Journal of International Scientific Publications: Economy & Business 9, 146-157 (2015). https://www.scientific-publications.net/en/article/1000854/
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