Economic-union Books

This is a very readable book. The author's sketches of the principal leaders of the CIO are diverting. I can't say I completely agree with a few of its arguments but the clarity of the narrative along with the far reaching and fair minded analyses of the topic overwhelms any of its flaws.

Zieger describes the very precarious state of the CIO in the late 30's. I was surprised to learn how extremely modest the victory of the United Rubber Workers was at the Goodyear Akron Ohio plant in early 1936. I always assumed it involved at least union recognition, increase in wages, etc. 10 CIO workers were shot dead and many injured by Chicago police in front of the Republic Steel plant on Memorial Day 1937. The police in that case opened fire without the slightest provocation as did the cops in Masillon Ohio who, in the midst of a wild shooting spree to break up a steelworkers gathering, killed 3. The Little Steel strikes were lost w/o gaining union recognition and anti-unionism at Ford's River Rouge Michigan plant was demonstrated by the ex-cons in Ford's security department who nearly beat to death Walter Reuther and Richard Frankensteen. The United Auto Workers was wracked by revolt against Homer Martin's incompetence at the same time the Reuther brothers, the communists and Richard Frankensteen fought each other and Martin.

Zieger notes that polls of the period showed working class support for government regulation of corporate wealth and protection for unions. But in 1938 one poll showed a preference of two-thirds of workers for the A.F of L's staid, conservative William Green over Lewis. Workers thought unions had too much power and supported efforts to clean leftist radicals from unions and restrict the constitutional rights of commies, etc. In particular most CIO workers were not at all supportive of the backing for African American civil rights that the federation's leader's expressed. This became particularly clear during the "hate strikes" of World War II when white CIO members struck or even rioted to protest desegregation or promotions given to fellow black workers. The leadership made reasonable efforts to oppose this racism according to the author. Such reactionary opinions of course made the workers vulnerable to manipulation by politicians seeking the cover of reactionary fear mongering in order to attack union viability.

Zieger covers the attempts by the CIO leaders to restrain workers militancy defense industries during World War II. Government agencies tried to restrain the growth of workers' wages in the interests of containing inflation. Many workers felt compelled to go on strike to contest this. The government ordered many defense companies to give the unions of their workers some form of security in return for which workers were expected to obey intense work regimens. The union leaders were supposed to make sure that workers were firmly focused on production tasks. Zieger notes the zealotry that unions led by Communists and fellow travelers showed in adhering to the no-strike pledge

The CIO really did not have much choice but to stick to the limits the establishment put on it. That is at least the author's conclusion That is to say the CIO had no choice but to stick to pushing for wage and benefit increases w/o really challenging corporate power while working to strengthen liberal Democrats in order to increase the welfare state and Keynesian economic policies. As the Cold War got under way, the CIO purged 11 of its communist inclined affiliates and the one million members belonging to those unions. The leadership centralized power in its executive committee.....The CIO leaders fervently supported the creation of the national security state and U.S. foreign policy; a few exceptions within the organization expressed criticism of actions like the overthrow of the Arbenz government in Guatemala in 1954. Beginning with their 1946 organizing drive in the South the organization downplayed its commitment to civil rights. Zieger describes the increasing bureaucratization of the CIO and dampening of rank and file activism as the Cold War got under way.

I'm most impressed with the author's portrayal of communists within the CIO. He notes that communist CIO leaders had some virtues. They had an admirable record in organizing African American workers and organizing biracial unions. Moreover according to the author, even among their harshest critics, Communist led unions had a reputation for honest administration, efficiency in gaining better wages and other benefits, an egalitarian internal structure, good cultural and educational programs, etc.

Zieger's portrayal of Communists in American labor in the main text is notable when contrasted with the seeming approval of the CIO's anti-communist purges he expresses in the book's conclusion. To Zieger it was important for the CIO to dissociate itself from people who supported Stalin's crimes (actually Communists tended to deny most of those crimes took place). It may have been a practical necessity given the environment of the late 40's to get rid of the Communists. But I think Zieger errs in trying to dissociate the purge from the processes that led to the CIO's increasing bureaucratization, the passivity of its rank and file and its support for military keynesian based economic growth. The American elite that the CIO was trying to appease opposed a CP presence in American unions not because CP members supported the murderous Stalin but because Communists were seen as a source of labor militancy. Moreover, speaking from my own very left radical perspective I don't see any virtue in choosing the United States over the USSR. Yes Stalin killed millions of people. But the world capitalist system that the United States has overseen since World War II has millions of victims too, from starvation and disease to say nothing of carpet bombing in Vietnam, Central American death squads, etc.

But the book is in the main well written and intellectually diverting. If only all labor history could be done as Zieger does this book.

"Class Theory and History" is an amazing study of the Soviet Union that goes well beyond the study of one society's experience. The book is about the class structure of the Soviet Union, but the way the analysis is conducted makes it clear that the questions Resnick and Wolff raise about class theory are applicable to all societies, and their particular answers in the Soviet case yield fascinating insights that have not been understood this clearly before.

Wolff and Resnick have written at length about economic theory and methodology, and this work shows their use of class theory and overdetermination. The nuance and sophistication of their analysis is remarkable; their prose touches on the ideals and tragedies of the Soviet experience, the promise and the betrayal of that promise. At the same time, they write with urgency about the successes of the Soviet Union, particularly in the one area that most economists have argued was their greatest failure: agriculture.

This book is highly recommended for all students of economic history, the Soviet Union, and class theory.

I am not an expert or professionally involved in the mining industry but I bought this book for an overview of a particular sector of the FSU economy. It is extremely professionally produced and contains all the information you could want on this particular branch. It does not extensively explore the economy of coal mining in Russia/Ukraine/ other ex-FSU states after the end of the soviet government but that is understandable given the dislocation of the governments in the new states and its detrimental impact on statistical gathering and info. If you are at all involved in the coal industry or just interested in a detailed technical account of the state of the soviet planning/management/development process as seen from a single sector, I would recommend this book.

One of the best books I've read about the reemergence of independent Latvia. The title is a little misleading; the subtitle should come first, because this is really about how the collapse played out in Latvia. Written by a first-hand observer. Enough background to keep everything clear for those not familiar with Latvia. For those who are, the author's very clear, precise, informative re-statement of the history that we all know is a huge pleasure to read. This is a scholarly book that is easy to read -- in fact, it's a real page turner! If you get it from the library, you will want to own it afterwards, so just go ahead and buy it -- you will want to lend it to your friends.

Bruno S. Sergi had an idea. He wanted to outline the future through examining history of the economics in Russia. His examination of the evolutionary processes and the functioning of Russia's economy in the past should best serves understanding the present and outlining the future guidelines. As Aristotle has said in the ancient Greece, "if you would understand anything, observe its beginning and its development." The principal idea of Sergi's book on Communist Economics in Russia is thus observing the past and building the future. However, as the Irish writer Oscar Wilde wrote, "any fool can make history, but it takes a genius to write it." And, Sergi wrote it, he wrote a history rich of lessons, and he did so in a fascinating way.

This book is constructed in such a way that presents a deep and thorough narrative of the history of Russian economics. His story is exceptionally striking, perhaps the most comprehensive and in-depth academic endeavor on the Russian economics we ever had in our hands. His book starts with a chapter on "Ideology and Symbols in Russia" and ends with "The Evolving Russia: From the 1990s to Putin." Other periods examined in this book include: The Tsarist Russia and Lenin, De-Stalinization and Economic Reforms, "Gorbachev, the Man with Iron Teeth", and Russian and Western Actions.

Once he identifies certain symbols, political and economic, which have followed the historical configurations of the Russian economics and politics, Sergi analysis the logic of various Russian leaders in handling the economy. He addresses the role of communist power and the way it was used by various leaders in the course of Russia's history, and the reactions of Presidents Yeltsin and Putin after the collapse of communist system. He further highlights a number of causes and problems the post-communist Russia is facing, such as the rise of corruption, of the so-called oligarchs. The author also lays down a set of recommendations and proposals for reforms. Those with an interest on Russia should definitely have this book in their personal libraries.

This is an unique book that brings together the entire European Customs Law, including implementation law and Jurisprudence. It is valuable guide for research and learning about the developments in Europe.

Ok, I haven't read the book, but I heard an interview with Ken Thomas on the radio talking about his book and it sounds very interesting. It's about corporate welfare (subsidies/tax breaks given to business by state,local, or national government in order to convince business to build in its area). Im waiting for the book to come in at my local library because there is no way in hell im paying 65 dollars for it. That really bothers me. Anyway, when i finish it, i'll Write a real review. I wouldnt be requesting if from the library if I didnt think it sounded good on the radio.

More than a century after his death in 1897, Henry George remains one of the most original and influential economic thinkers in American history. His revolutionary theory on land taxation gained a tremendous following, reshaped the nation's political and economic debate, and continues to be widely discussed throughout the world. His writings shaped a generation of statesmen and intellectuals, including Winston Churchill, Robert La Follette, Clarence Darrow, George Bernard Shaw, and Milton Freedman.

"The Conquest of Poverty" is a typical example as to why Henry Hazlitt has become one of the most influential economists over the last half century.

In an easily readable style, Hazlitt begins by first demonstrating the difficulty of objectively defining poverty, and how that problem hasn't stopped bureaucrats from executing public policy to combat it. He then recounts how societies have tried to alleviate poverty in the past - starting with ancient Rome, moving through England's "Poor Laws," and finally to modern-day America - all the while, using sound economic principles to demonstrate why each attempt failed. This part in particular is a stark commentary on how man keeps making the same mistakes in trying to eradicate poverty by not learning from history - even by policy-makers in America today.

He then tackles several individual topics such as the minimum wage, the affect of unions, income redistribution, government job programs, socialism, etc., and analyzes why each not only fails to reduce poverty, but actually exacerbates it. Finally, he discusses what the roles of the public and private sectors should be in alleviating poverty.

Since the book was written in 1973, it doesn't expound on the major economic events that have occurred since - like Jimmy Carter's "stagflation," which put a stake through the heart of Keynesian economics, and Reagan's successful supply-side revolution, which vindicates much of Hazlitt's economic philosophy. However, Hazlitt's historical analysis of man's attempt to eliminate poverty, as well as his analysis and conclusions of America's present attempt to do so, are transcendant - applying today just as they did in the early 1970s. This is a must-read for any serious scholar of economics in general and poverty in particular.

New book from WCS and IUCN looks at today's Africa, and how and where wildlife conservation can be a `win win' land use of choice.

Experts from East and Southern Africa have some grass roots ideas for tackling the immense challenges Africa faces at the wildlife / domestic animal / human health interface-- and they hope the West is listening. A new book, "Conservation and Development Interventions at the Wildlife/Livestock Interface: Implications for Wildlife, Livestock and Human Health," features some of the most innovative conservation thinking in Africa today and provides real-world examples of the critical role animal health plays in both environmental conservation and economic development. The book, and the related initiative the Wildlife Conservation Society, the IUCN Species Survival Commission Veterinary Specialist Group, and partners have helped launch (Animal Health for the Environment And Development or AHEAD), focus on several themes of critical importance to the future of wildlife, animal agriculture and, of course, people: competition over grazing and water resources, disease transmission, local and global food security, zoonoses, and other potential sources of conflict related to land-use decision-making and the reality of resource constraints. Addressing these issues is of critical importance to Africa's people, to Africa's wildlife heritage, and to Africa's global trading partners. Clearly, animal health issues, and their implications for human health and livelihoods, must be addressed by any regional development or conservation strategies -- including those involving transboundary `peace parks'-- if they are to succeed. Few cross-sectoral solutions have been offered until the publication of this book.

Around the world, impacts from interactions between livestock and wildlife (and habitat) are often profound. The issues at this interface represent an unfortunately all-too-often neglected sector of critical importance to the long-term ecological and sociopolitical security of national parks and other protected areas and grazing lands worldwide. Whether we are talking about the ongoing tuberculosis crisis impacting South Africa's Kruger National Park, or Yellowstone National Park's brucellosis saga costing U.S. authorities millions of dollars to manage, these issues merit more proactive attention than they have received to date.

"We hope that conservation and development colleagues from within and, as importantly, outside of the health science professions will find this volume thought-provoking, insightful, practical, and applicable to their daily work," notes Dr. Steve Osofsky, Senior Policy Advisor for Wildlife Health for the Wildlife Conservation Society, long-time member of the World Conservation Union's Veterinary Specialist Group, and the book's editor. "As socioeconomic progress demands sustained improvements in health for humans, their domestic animals, and the environment, we hope we've been successful in drawing attention to the need to move towards a `one health' perspective-- an approach that is the foundation of our conservation work, and a theme pervading this unique volume."