用英语写出经济现象的优缺点

Whetherthesocietyisdevelopedorunderdeveloped,amarketeconomyhasseveralimportantadvantagesandseveralmajordisadvantages:Amongtheadvantages,wefindthefollowing:

Competitionbetweendifferentfirmsleadstoincreasedefficiency,asfirmsdowhateverisnecessary—includinglayingoffworkers—tolowertheircosts;

Mostpeopleworkharder(thethreatoflosingone'sjobisagreatmotivator);

Thereismoreinnovationasfirmslookfornewproductstosellandcheaperwaystodotheirwork;

Foreigninvestmentisattractedaswordgetsoutaboutthenewopportunitiesforearningprofit;

Thesize,power,andcostofthestatebureaucracyiscorrespondinglyreducedasvariousactivitiesthatareusuallyassociatedwiththepublicsectoraretakenoverbyprivateenterprises;

Theforcesofproduction,oratleastthoseinvolvedinmakingthosethingspeoplewithmoneyathomeorabroadwanttobuy,undergorapiddevelopment;

Manypeoplequicklyacquirethetechnicalandsocialskillsandknowledgeneededtofunctioninthisneweconomy;

Agreatvarietyofconsumergoodsbecomeavailableforthosewhohavethemoneytobuythem;and

Largepartsofthesocietytakeonabright,merryandcolorfulairaseveryonebusieshimselftryingtosellsomethingtosomeoneelse.

Thesearethemainadvantagesofthemarketeconomy,andinhisarticleProfessorKanggivesagoodaccountofthem.But,asIsaid,therearealsomajordisadvantages,andtheseKangneglects.Amongthedisadvantages,wefindthefollowing:

Distortedinvestmentpriorities,aswealthgetsdirectedintowhatwillearnthelargestprofitandnotintowhatmostpeoplereallyneed(sopublichealth,publiceducation,andevendikesforperiodicallyswollenriversreceivelittleattention);

Worseningexploitationofworkers,sincetheharder,faster,andlongerpeoplework—justasthelesstheygetpaid—themoreprofitisearnedbytheiremployer(withthisincentiveanddrivenbythecompetition,employersareforeverfindingnewwaystointensifyexploitation);

Overproductionofgoods,sinceworkersasaclassareneverpaidenoughtobuyback,intheirroleasconsumers,theevergrowingamountofgoodsthattheyproduce(intheeraofautomation,computerizationandrobotization,thegapbetweenwhatworkersproduce—andcanproduce—andwhattheirlowwageallowsthemtoconsumehasincreasedenormously);

Unusedindustrialcapacity(themountainofunsoldgoodshasresultedinalargepercentageofmachineryofallkindslyingidle,whilemanypressingneeds—butneedsthatthepeoplewhohavethemcan'tpayfor—gounmet);

Growingunemployment(machinesandrawmaterialsareavailable,butusingthemtosatisfytheneedsofthepeoplewhodon'thavethemoneytopayforwhatcouldbemadewouldnotmakeprofitsforthosewhoownthemachinesandrawmaterials—andinamarketeconomyprofitsarewhatmatters);

Growingsocialandeconomicinequality(therichgetricherandeveryoneelsegetspoorer,manyabsolutelyandtherestinrelationtotherapidlygrowingwealthoftherich);

Withsuchagapbetweentherichandthepoor,egalitariansocialrelationsbecomeimpossible(peoplewithalotofmoneybegintothinkofthemselvesasabetterkindofhumanbeingandtoviewthepoorwithcontempt,whilethepoorfeelamixtureofhatred,envyandqueasyrespectfortherich);

Thosewiththemostmoneyalsobegintoexerciseadisproportionalpoliticalinfluence,whichtheyusetohelpthemselvesmakestillmoremoney;

Increaseincorruptioninallsectorsofsociety,whichfurtherincreasesthepowerofthosewithalotofmoneyandputsthosewithoutthemoneytobribeofficialsataseveredisadvantage;

Increaseinallkindsofeconomiccrimes,withpeopletryingtoacquiremoneyillegallywhenlegalmeansarenotavailable(andsometimesevenwhentheyare);

Reducedsocialbenefitsandwelfare(sincesuchbenefitsarefinancedatleastinpartbytaxes,extendedbenefitsgenerallymeansreducedprofitsfortherich;furthermore,anysocialsafetynetmakesworkerslessfearfuloflosingtheirjobsandconsequentlylesswillingtodoanythingtokeepthem);

Worseningecologicaldegradation(sinceanyefforttoimprovethequalityoftheairandofthewatercoststheownersofindustrymoneyandreducesprofits,ournaturalhomebecomesincreasinglyunlivable);

Withallthis,peopleofallclassesbegintomisunderstandthenewsocialrelationsandpowersthatarisethroughtheoperationsofamarketeconomyasnaturalphenomenawithalifeandwilloftheirown(money,forexample,getstakenasanalmostsupernaturalpowerthatstandsabovepeopleandorderstheirlives,ratherthanamaterialvehicleintowhichpeoplethroughtheiralienatedrelationswiththeirproductiveactivityanditsproductshavepouredtheirownpowerandpotential;andthemarketitself,whichisjustonepossiblewayinwhichsocialwealthcanbedistributed,istakenasthewaynatureitselfintendedhumanbeingstorelatetoeachother,asmoreinkeepingwithbasichumannaturethananyotherpossibility.Aspartofthis,peoplenolongerbelieveinafuturethatcouldbequalitativelydifferentorintheirability,eitherindividuallyorcollectively,tohelpbringitabout.Inshort,whatMarxcalledideologicalthinkingbecomesgeneral);

Thesamemarketexperiencesdevelopasetofanti-socialattitudesandemotions(peoplebecomeegotistical,concernedonlywiththemselves.Mefirst,anythingformoney,winningincompetitionnomatterwhatthehumancostsbecomewhatdrivestheminallareasoflife.Theyalsobecomeveryanxiousandeconomicallyinsecure,afraidoflosingtheirjob,theirhome,theirsale,etc.;andtheyworryaboutmoneyallthetime.Inthissituation,feelingsaswellasideasofcooperationandmutualconcernareseriouslyweakened,wheretheydon'tdisappearaltogether,forinamarketeconomyitisagainstone'spersonalinteresttocooperatewithothers);

Withpeople'sthoughtsandemotionseffectedinthesewaysbytheirlifeinamarketeconomy,itbecomesverydifficultforthegovernment,anygovernment,togivethematruepictureofthecountry'sproblems(itismoreconducivetostabilitytofeedpeopleillusionsofunendingeconomicgrowthandfairytalesofhowtheytoocangetrich.Exaggeratingthepositiveachievementsofsocietyandseldomifevermentioningitsnegativefeaturesisalsothebestmeansofattractingforeigninvestment.Withsomuchoftheeconomydependingonfavorablemarketpsychology,thegovernmentsimplycannotaffordtobecompletelyhonesteitherwithitsownpeopleortherestoftheworldonwhatisreallyhappeninginthecountry);

Finally,themarketeconomyleadstoperiodiceconomiccrises,whereallthesedisadvantagesdeveloptoapointthatmostoftheadvantagesImentionedearliersimplydryup—theeconomystopsgrowing,fewerthingsaremade,developmentoftheforcesofproductionslowsdown,investmentdropsoff,etc.(acloselookatthetrendsapparentinthedisadvantagesofthemarketshouldmakeclearwhysuchcrisesareinevitableinamarketeconomy).Untilaneconomiccrisisoccurs,itispossibletotakethepositionthattheadvantagesofamarketeconomyoutweighitsdisadvantages,ortheoppositeposition,andtodevelopapoliticalstrategythataccordswithone'sview,whateveritis.Butifacrisisdoesawaywithmostoftheimportantadvantagesassociatedwiththemarket,thisisnolongerpossible.Itsimplymakesnosensetocontinuearguingthatwemustgiveprioritytotheadvantagesofthemarketwhentheyareintheprocessofdisappearing.