Re: AUT: welfare state

[Michael Handelman <mhandelman1@xxxxxxxxx>]

--- Nate Holdren <nateholdren@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> Hi all,
> I do think Michael's right that one function of
> calling more nakedly
> social-engineering programs 'welfare' is to deflect
> criticisms from the
> cutbacks in welfare programs but I think there's
> more to it than that. I
> think this is an area where some the work done using
> Foucault is very
> important, in the analysis of the state managing
> functions of life and
> creating subjectivities via discipline.
> The rise of different educational classifications
> that Chris and Michael
> talked about out is part of this. Michael, are you
> in the US? Does anyone
> know are there similar trends happening in other
> places?

Well, I live in Ottawa Canada, not in the US, but
given that capitalist ideologies are being globalized,
it would be unsurprising, if we see the rise of
educational classifications in almost all countries (I
know both today's (American) liberals and
conservatives are interested in educational
classifications. One of them views it as a way to
support eugenics based policies (eg Hernstein and
Murray), the other sees in it, as a means to help kids
learn (In "Mismeasure of Man", Gould believes
educational classification can be useful to help
develop programs "to meet the needs of learning
disabled children"??both in effect help legitimate the
use of educational classification).

>
> On welfare here in the US, I've been getting food
> assistance for the past
> year and have had trouble with being ordered into
> job training. I skipped a
> meeting last friday and they may take my food stamps
> away now. That was the
> threat. It was set to run out in a month anyway so
> I'm not too heartbroken.
> I've just got a new job so don't need the food money
> anyway but still it's
> pretty irritating. From what I'm told budget cuts
> here will likely mean lay
> offs for welfare case workers, leading to higher
> work loads for the
> remaining case workers and a further depersonalizing
> of the process for us
> benefit recipients.
>
> This would be interesting to look at in connection
> with the discussion of
> 'homeland security' and various proposals to have
> parts of the populace spy
> on the rest of us. I know funding for managing
> health and other concerns
> that can be written in under the heading of homeland
> security remain funding
> priorities, while human need programs are getting
> cut. I think this is going
> to lead to concerned advocacy groups and social
> service providers making
> deals with the devil, trying to save important
> programs (or at least
> partially beneficial programs that are somewhat
> defensible) by getting them
> funded under the heading of homeland security,
> opening up the possibility of
> further converting welfare programs into social
> administration programs.
>
> Nate
>
>
>
>
>
> >From: Peter Jovanovic <peterzoran@xxxxxxxxxxx>
> >Reply-To: aut-op-sy@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> >To: aut-op-sy@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> >Subject: Re: AUT:  welfare state
> >Date: Tue, 27 Aug 2002 15:56:59 +1000
> >
> >hi all
> >
> >Chris wrote:
> >>I think that you are all on to something here.  My
> take is that the
> >>welfare >state has less disappeared and more been
> increasingly turned into
> >>a policing >apparatus of enormous proportions.  So
> while funds that go
> >>directly to >working class people are cut, so that
> they have less access
> >>to money not >directly gained from waged labor,
> the apparatus of control
> >>put into place is >actually as big as ever, but
> the money goes to the
> >>agencies which intervene >in and take control away
> from working class
> >>people, such as DCFS (Department >of Shildren and
> Family Services), which
> >>can take kids away from their >parents, for
> example, of the reorganization
> >>of welfare into workfare and >other such moves.
> >
> >A few observations on the welfare regime here in
> Australia:
> >I've been getting the dole (unemployment payment)
> for most of this year and
> >last. In a few weeks I'm going to have to do my
> second 3 weeks fulltime
> >'job search training' course run by a private
> employment agency. These
> >scumbags get a bonus payment from the government
> for every person they get
> >'breached' (a reduction or stop in dole payments
> for not applying for
> >enough jobs, showing up to courses etc).
> >
> >My brother got and 18% cut for six months for not
> showing up to a course.
> >
> >I heard some federal govt minister on the radio
> this morning saying roughly
> >that people on single parent welfare should have to
> do parenting courses so
> >that their kids are turned into decent citizens and
> productive workers.
> >
> >cheers
> >peter
> >
>
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