John Gray, False Dawn. The Delusions of Global Capitalism, Cambridge, Polity Press, 2000 *. The proposed universal economic model of Anglo-American style free market (that of a deregulated market, independent of social needs) should be distinguished from the phenomenon of economic globalization and cultural. While the latter is an unstoppable phenomenon that has been developing for centuries and is currently being driven by the rapid spread of information technology, the first is not natural or spontaneous phenomenon but a political project and very recent deliberate it is imposed from the United States and institutions international financial architects of the "Washington consensus." Given its inherent instability and high social costs, the attempt to build a global free-market ideology rooted in the Enlightenment universalist could lead to complacency no "end of history" Fukuyama but the chaos to a world States facing societies disintegrated and commercial and militarmente.Esta is the thesis developed in the controversial work of John Gray, professor of European Thought at the London School of Economics and author of influential works on political thought, among which include Isaiah Berlin's Enlightenment Wake and Voltaire and John Enlightenment.La path Gray is curious. In the eighties became known as one of the chief ideologues of the current liberal and anti-rationalist associated with Hayek, an important strand in the thinking of the "new right". In the nineties, however, Gray left the ranks of the New Right and became one of its sharpest critics, gradually aligning with New Labour. This change of position, which has led to no little criticism and accusations of opportunism, not a lack of consistency. At bottom, all the work of Gray revolves around criticism of the Enlightenment project of creating a single global civilization based on the values \u200b\u200band institutions Western. In its earlier stage, Gray questioned lasocialdemocracia socialism and its attachment to Enlightenment rationalism. The same criticism is now directing against economic neoliberalism, another example, according to Gray, the rationalist utopian thinking and humanistic project dominiotecnológico exercise on the planet and whose last great champion is False Dawn Gray United States. develops his argument (based on a methodology borrowed from his teacher Hayek) through an analysis, done with great finesse and brilliance-of the logical structure of the ideas of his opponents (mainly free-market) underpinned by a rich body of data * Down False. The Delusions of Global Capitalism, London, Granta Books, 1998. English translation by Monica Solomon. -------------------------------------------------
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The Delusions of Global Capitalism-2-socioeconomic. Abstract ideas and concrete data, grouped in what might be called "case studies" - are admirably combined, which provides great amenity to the work. False Dawn accurate rebuttals interspersed fashion aargumentos authors such as Francis Fukuyama and Kenichi Ohmae conilustraciones the effects of free market policies in specific countries or of different varieties of capitalism exist in actualidad.La main storyline False Dawn of the concepts developed by Karl Polanyi that the free market is not a natural phenomenon or spontaneous, a natural state that comes when you stop political interference in the trade but, rather, a product state power, the son of a strong centralized government and can not exist without it. In the case of nineteenth-century England, Parliament used its power to alter or destroy the old property rights and create new rights, resulting in a large agricultural estates capital. The free market revived in the UK in the eighties of this century is also the product of a strong government-that of Margaret Thatcher as is the deregulation of the Mexican economy or that of New Zealand. Hence, since there is no universal governance mechanism, the intention of extending the free market to the world as a unique model no longer a utopia, even a utopia peligrosa.Una second line of argument has its origins in the thought Joseph Schumpeter. Against those who condemn state intervention in the economy, Gray argues that, left to itself, capitalism can destroy liberal lacivilización that produced it. Should, therefore, be tamed paragarantizar cohesion and social stability. Without a major intervencióngubernamental, market forces results in a great social distress. Gray illustrates this thesis with other data that illustrate the dire consequences of free market societies that the project has been carried further. Thus, the growth of social inequality, massive use of imprisonment as a mechanism of social control or increasing citizen insecurity are prominent features of the current American society (and to a lesser extent, labritánica) to be basically the policies of economic deregulation and certainly delegitimize the project of universalizing the model. The same argument necessarily leads to the idea that regulation is essential Instant global economy from actual structures of the arguments gobernación.Otro Gray develops is that the identification is usually done between democracy and free markets is wrong. For Gray, one and other are not partners but competitors. As the free market undermines the social institutions and causes great economic insecurity generates a high political resistance. In nineteenth-century England the laissez-faire was disappearing as lademocracia was developed and in proportion to the extension of voting rights. The problem is that currently there are no closed economies and only a
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ELECTRONIC JOURNAL OF INTERNATIONAL STUDIES (2000) - 3-closed economy can be implemented egalitarian principles dictated by democratic values \u200b\u200band theories of justice. Given the current freedom of capital and companies to migrate to countries with low taxes, those states where there is a model of socially responsible capitalism (concerned to maintain social cohesion through economic regulation) will be penalized and eventually will be unable to finance public goods. As according to the "Gresham's Law" states that "bad money drives out good", arguably "Bad capitalism drives out good." This leads to Gray to make a very grim prognosis on the future of social democracy, doomed to be swept away by the new power of capital in the economy global.Dado that socialism as an economic system has collapsed sinremedio, after causing some unjustifiable human costs and environmental Grayconsidera that in the foreseeable future, the economic policies of the States will necessarily capitalists. But that does not mean that you are developing a single economic model but different varieties of capitalism, each linked to a particular culture and specific values. For example, the model of capitalism being developed in China, and whose precursors are the Chinese of the diaspora focuses on family relationships and is very different not only from the American capitalist model, but also, for example, the Japanese capitalist model built from large corporate groups linked to the old feudal structures. Besides utopian, Gray believes desaconsejableimponer as a model of free market capitalist American. In Japan, the policies of international financial institutions and U.S. pressures jeopardize an enviable social cohesion based on job security. In Russia, the shock policies failed miserably trying to impose yprecipitaron the country into chaos. Can anything be done to avoid this situation of chaos and anarchy which, according to Gray, efforts to globalize free markets are taking us? It could be done, although the author is rather skeptical. Above all, we should abandon the philosophy of the Washington Consensus, promote the development of the various autonomous capital and, simultaneously, develop degobernabilidad structures, with solutions such as the "Tobin tax." For now, however, there is evidence that progress in this regard. While the U.S. does not have the capacity to impose on the world their free-market project Overall, they have enough veto power to prevent a radical reform of the global economy. Meanwhile, the looming global crisis. The recent Asian crisis is a warning which has not been given sufficient attention. Gray believes that, unfortunately, the alternatives to laissez-faire sedesarrollarán not until a crisis precipitates large this últimautopía of the Enlightenment that is the project of global free market in the "hole of history." -------------------------------------------------
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The Delusions of Global Capitalism-4-False Dawn is a work intentionally controversial . No wonder which has caused mixed reactions at all points of the political spectrum. Since the right has branded his main argument-that of global capitalism that is deeply unstable in its current form "as too pessimistic, even apocalyptic. From left the discrepancies that were noted are related not so much with the diagnosis that global capitalism is in crisis as the reasons why it is. In particular, it has questioned the idea of \u200b\u200bGray that the project of universalizing the free market is not a mere rationalization of business losintereses the United States but, rather, a big mistake as the product of an ideology as misguided arrogance. It has also questioned elescepticismo of Gray on the chances of survival of social democracy or the creation of global governance structures. However, The makers even more critical of Gray's theory have underlined the excellent quality of the arguments of False Dawn, his highly original and importantísimacontribución to a debate that could not be more urgente.Para end of this review we can only warmly recommend readingand of the work. In this magnificent hybrid of the history of ideas and-sociological ensayohistórico all readers interested in international relations will find stimulating and varied elements of Autonomous SalomónUniversidad Barcelana reflexión.Mónica
MEXICO JUST ONE and without rancor, SIN MEXICO BY LIBERALS AND CONSERVATIVES,? Fundemos The Fourth Republic! Soliloquy 
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