Rosser, computers and socialism

[Louis N Proyect <lnp3@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Thu, 18 Jan 1996 ROSSERJB@xxxxxxx wrote:

> Louis:
>      You got "private mail" because you pulled your
> old trick of sending a message to me both privately and
> publicly.  By now you have seen my public response after
> I figured out what you did.

When I respond to a post that's part of thread--typically when somebody
says something like "Louis says..."-- I often reply to the list and to
the sender. This is not a trick, Berkeley. You are the only person who
has described this as a "trick". This is why I find you so frightening
and why a message from you is enough to make my hair stand on end.

As far as worker training and investment decisions are concerned, how did
we get into that? I wrote about Nove's complete failure to understand how
modern firms, or governments for that matter, handle key management and
planning tasks such as the assembly of complex machinery such as jet
planes or bridge building.

I will have plenty to say about worker training and investment decisions
when I am good and ready. This will be in about 2 years. I will e-mail
you along with Burns when the day arrives.

Let me repeat my critique of Nove as succinctly as I can:

The problem with Nove is that he traces the growth of bureaucracy to the
need to keep track of complex manufacturing and project management tasks.
People are needed to make sure that raw materials are delivered on time,
and that tools are maintained in a timely fashion, that subassemblies of
manufactured goods have to be coordinated with the larger finished
product, etc. My take on this is simply that Nove has no experience
with the way modern-day capitalist firms carry out these tasks. They use
powerful computer hardware and software. Nove spoke out of ignorance and
I corrected him. I am not an expert on all aspects of the business world,
but I know this sort of operation like the back of my hand.



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