Logos

BOOli$feudalism and not capitalism, re- immediate expenses, but allowspudiates the entire achievement of for reinvestment into upgradingthe American System and all eco- truck terminals, product handlingnomics: that profit is the surplus equipment, new trucks and concreatedin the process of economic stant repairs of the fleet, etc.,reproduction above the costs of which results in e_ciencies of scaleproduction. The very secret of a and the lowest possible cost to thereal economy is that the applica- consumer. By paying teamsterstion of new technologies con- good wages, trucking regulationstantly leads to higher rates of has ensured an accident rate that isgrowth and higher rates of profit, one-third the rate in the deregu-More precisely, it is the isola- lated market.tion of the process of the creation, The passage of trucking detransmissionand assimilation of regulation and the destruction ofnew technologies that is the invar- a fair rate of profit will causeiant quality that determines both trucking costs to soar as unsafethe absolute amount and rate of flight by night operatives chargegrowth of social surplus. This sur- what they can after driving theplus, when reinvested, produces most profitable and safe truckersnewly generated profits as re- out of business through price wartainedearnings that are available fare. The net result, as a computerfor reinvestment, economic study conducted withThis cycle of surplus genera- use of the LaRouche-Riemanntion rather than "exploitation," is economic model shows, is thatthe outpouring of man's use of his trucking deregulation will increativityto push the entire eco- crease the cost to the economy bynomic system onto higher levels $22billion immediately, and causeof output and new levels of free- more highway deaths than thedom. In this, man exercises his U.S. suffered during the entiremastery over nature.Vietnam war.It is the infantile anarchist who To cover up the lack of theis both disdainful and terrified of ABC's of economics, Thurow haseconomic progress who cannot resorted to vague proposals for jobconceptualize this process of real creation and calls for income reeconomicgrowth and who attri- distribution that would create66 6, • • 9,butes' profit to someone else's more mcome eqmty. In fact, inloss." an economy that is generating noTrucking deregulation is a or minimal profit, as Thurow enperfectcase in point. It is sup- visages, the only equity is an equalported by both the "liberal-social- acceptance of austerity, a pointist left" typified by the likes of Thurow at core holds to.John Kenneth Galbraith and by The one virtue that Thurowthe anarchistic right as typified by does possess is that he inadverttheNazi economist Milton Fried- ently discloses more about theman. These forces have helped thinking processes governing ecopushtrucking deregulation nomics than"he would care to adthroughCongress and, as of this mit. Laying out the roots of Milwriting,to the President's desk, ton Friedman's free marketready for signing into law. Truck- economy, Thurow states, "Beforeing deregulation will destroy the a market can be organized, theitrucking market. By having a reg- government must establish a set ofulated trucking market, the truck- rules and regulations, specifyinging firm is guaranteed a fair real property rights. Without theserate of profit that covers not only regulations there is no theft (the80 August 1980 / CAMPAIGNER