Jerry Pournelle, "Jobs, Education, Republics and Democracies"

"Jobs, Education, Republics and Democracies"

by Jerry Pournelle

"The economy continues to sputter, with fewer jobs being created last month, and a continuing threat of a double dip recession which under the circumstances is almost indistinguishable from a depression. But none dare call it depression. Of course there are about 10 million jobs being held by illegal aliens. They aren't the most desirable jobs, and some of them pay less than extended unemployment subsidies, but they are jobs that would presumably be filled if they were vacant. How many of the 10 million jobs are held by people who consume other public services isn't known, but it's surely a non zero number. In another conference we've been discussing manufacturing jobs in the US. One major loss was in steel workers: there is plenty of steel being produced, but by far fewer steel workers. This is efficiency, or increased productivity, which is to be lauded. But as one of the discussants said, "I would worry less about not having enough steel than I would about not having enough steel-workers," which is a succinct way of saying it.

It's not the output. It's the people. Our output could be the sky's the limit; but if large segments of the population are idle or do not feel as if they are contributing, it will change the nature of our population, the way we think and how we engage the world.

I would worry less about not having enough steel than I would about not having enough steel-workers, if you get my drift. I rather like people who can do things, being as my family includes railroad car-greaser, steelworkers, canal boater, stone masons, bricklayer, blacksmith, cooks, master printers, and the like. We could not rebuild the Steel now if we wanted to. When the New Jersey Transit proposed re-opening the Lackawana Cut-off for rail traffic, they said it would take 10 years. A century and a half ago, it took the Delaware Lackawana and Western Road three years to build it from scratch, including surveying the route, blasting tunnels, and filling defiles. Whatever the post-Modern Age will be called, it will not be called "industrious."

A Republic can survive only when the citizens believe they are valuable members of the society. A nation of self-governing serfs isn't going to happen. Madison said "Pure democracies have ever been spectacles of turbulence and contention; have ever been found incompatible with personal security or the rights of property; and have in general been as short in their lives as they have been violent in their deaths."

Jeffersonian democracy isn't going to happen. At one time it was a primary concern to produce enough to feed everyone; no nation was ever more than a few meals away from a revolution and when the mob seeks food it generally does so by burning the bakery and likely burning the baker as well. Now, though, our problem isn't too little farm produce, it's too few farmers. Family farmers aren't needed except for the boutique trade. The US went from a mining and farming nation to a manufacturing nation and then to a service economy nation, and at each step another part of the population became useless. One use for surplus people is in armies which can go levy tribute on other nations: but we don't do that. So we have a nation that can afford to give ten million jobs to illegal aliens, while providing the illegals and their families with all the benefits of a first world economy. But unemployment among the citizens is increasing, and subsidies for the unemployed are extended again and again.

The remedy, presumably, is education. Madison told us "A popular government without popular information or the means of acquiring it is but a prologue to Farce or Tragedy or perhaps both. Knowledge will forever govern ignorance, and a people who mean to be their own Governors must arm themselves with the power knowledge gives." Serfs aren't educated and don't value education. Not that it matters because the purpose of the schools is to pay teachers and administrators, and to endure the dominance of gatekeepers and credential sellers. Imparting actual knowledge to actual students, equipping the 50% of the population that is below average with an ability to earn a living and imparting to all the students the civic virtues that keep a Republic going is no part of the massive public education system. Indeed, civic virtues aren't even stated as goals any longer. See today's Wall Street Journal: http://online.wsj.com/article/

It has always been the case that civilization depends on a small part of the population; those who read this journal can congratulate themselves on being part of that small minority. The purpose of government ought to be to let those who can make things happen do them. Sometimes that requires rule by an aristocracy smart enough to allow the able to do their jobs: Rome at various times during the Republic and during the Empire, Britain during its glory days. Sometimes it can be done by a Republic. Venice during many parts of its thousand years, the United States sometimes. Republics can be glorious. They generally tend toward democracies, and as Disraeli said,

If you establish a democracy, you must in due time reap the fruits of a democracy. You will in due season have great impatience of public burdens, combined in due season with great increase of public expenditure. You will in due season have wars entered into from passion and not from reason; and you will in due season submit to peace ignominiously sought and ignominiously obtained, which will diminish your authority and perhaps endanger your independence. You will in due season find your property is less valuable, and your freedom less complete. Milton Friedman was fond of saying that if something can't go on forever, it will stop."

- http://jerrypournelle.com/view/2010/Q3/view638.html#Friday

Share this post