We return to our conversation with labour market political sociologist, Dr. Victor Quirk.

This is a conversation about the "Political Aspects of Full Employment" as inspired by a paper written by economist Michael Kalecki, published back in 1943.

You can find the first part of this two-part conversation in our previous episode #77.

In the first part of our conversation we talked about how mass unemployment is not an unfortunate happenstance, or the fault of the individual unemployed worker. Mass unemployment is a battle-ground in class warfare.

In this episode, we go back in history, to the turn of the previous century, and we look at how the battle over full employment played out when Australia was under the thumb of the British empire, and how London bankers created unemployment in Australia.

We then turn to the fair and humane solution to unemployment, a solution which continues to be studiously ignored by both government and business.

Shownotes

Full employment, the 'Right to Work' and the Job Guarantee (lecture)
Modern Money Australia featuring Dr. Victor Quirk
15 February, 2020

The Job Guarantee of 1848 (paper) by Dr Quirk

Political Aspects of Full Employment (article) by Michael Kalecki
Political Quarterly, 1943
"obstinate ignorance is usually a manifestation of underlying political motives"

Theme Music

Pleading Ignorance, by Ed Kuepper, from the album Starstruck.

Additional Audio

Too Many Things, by Ed Kuepper, from the album Starstruck.

Brother Can You Spare A Dime? 
written by Jay Gorney & E. Y. Harburg
sung by Rudy Vallee, 1932