Unemployment is not a flaw of capitalism but essential to it
Evidence
It gets worse: far from being a problem for our economic system, unemployment is crucial to its continued existence and development. The expanding ranks of the unemployed reserve army have driven the growth of capitalism from its beginnings. — Clara E. Mattei, Escape from Capitalism, 251
Categorization
- XREF: connects to: Poverty and unemployment function as deliberate system solutions, not failures — Clara E. Mattei, Escape from Capitalism, 159; Capitalism is constitutive crisis, so depression and unemployment do not threaten it. — Dirk Braunstein, Adorno’s Critique of Political Economy, 580; Unemployment structurally disciplines workers and lowers labor costs in capitalism — Clara E. Mattei, The Capital Order: How Economists…, 150 (+5 more)
Broader Connections
- Capitalism is constitutive crisis, so depression and unemployment do not threaten it.
#corroborates(0.90) — Dirk Braunstein, Adorno’s Critique of Political Economy, 580 - Unemployment structurally disciplines workers and lowers labor costs in capitalism
#expands(0.88) — Clara E. Mattei, The Capital Order, 150 - Unemployment functions as the pivot keeping labor markets within exploitative limits of capital dominance
#expands(0.85) — Clara E. Mattei, Escape from Capitalism, 256 - Unemployment serves as discipline that keeps employed workers docile and grateful
#expands(0.82) — Clara E. Mattei, Escape from Capitalism, 282 - Unemployment functioned as a deliberate political weapon to weaken labor
#corroborates(0.80) — Clara E. Mattei, The Capital Order, 994 - Eliminating unemployment under capitalism is technically possible but politically unacceptable.
#qualifies(0.78) — Clara E. Mattei, Escape from Capitalism, 255 - NAIRU presents capitalism-specific unemployment as a natural law
#qualifies(0.75) — Clara E. Mattei, Escape from Capitalism, 275