春节家里看完米尔顿·弗里德曼的《自由选择》,前段时间由于贸易战甚嚣尘上,趁着出差间隙,看了尼伯·桑德斯的《我们的革命》。看完才发现,这两本书挺适合在一起读的。
首先,书的对象均是面向大众,书的风格宣教色彩浓郁。有趣的是他们虽然针对的是同一个问题,往往给出了截然相反的观点。
其次,两本书为了佐证自己的根点,均给出了非常详实的背景资料、统计数据。这些数据、材料的真实性无法判断,但姑且相信一个诺贝尔经济学奖得主,一个总统竞选人,他们的举证应该不会完全信口开河。这些背景资料为我们从不同角度了解美国社会提供了截然不同的视角。尤其是《我们的革命》列举了大量美国中下层人民生活面临的困境,读着不仅感叹,原来大部分美国人民也生活在水深火热之中啊!比如书中,桑德斯说美国人民的周工作时长比举世最勤奋的日本人工作时长还要多!美国儿童贫困线以下达20%!美国的公立保育机构远远不足,保育人员资质不高,收入很多在最低水平线附近!美国人没有带薪产假!非法劳工对农业、建筑业、保洁行业至关重要,加利福尼亚的农业部门雇佣的非法劳工占劳工比例近一半!美国毕业生背负的学生贷款平均3.5万美元,其中不少人直到退休都无法还清学生贷款。而法学院、医学院的学生贷款更多达几十万美金!以至于桑德斯判断,学生贷款将是即房贷后的又一即将破灭的泡沫。
最后,两本书佐证自己观点的方法都比较粗暴。就是宣传自己的观点加上各种统计数据和佐证己方观点的事实。读地很快,但是如果对比起来思考,就非常有趣。比如《自由选择》认为当前医疗费用高企不下,是由于美国药品审批机构过于官僚,控制药品审批进度;医生行业协会控制医疗行业的准入门槛——高企的学费、漫长的学制和实习。《我们的革命》则认为医药费高昂,应由大药企的贪婪背锅,很多救命药,美国比加拿大贵几倍。根本原因是美国的医疗行业完全私人垄断,没有覆盖全民的统一医保账户。
简单说,作为芝加哥学派的领军人物弗里德曼相信私人市场,预设政府即使不是邪恶的,也是愚蠢、无效的;而桑德斯则认为大企业贪得无厌,享用美国资源,却偷税漏税,挤占社会大众的福利。
弗里德曼将自由市场视为黄金底线,他认为把“公平置于自由至上,将既得不到自由也得不到公平”;桑德斯则认为私人市场本性追逐商业利益,市场不会自发调节到相对公平的状态,自由竞争不会照顾到最底层的民众,“贫穷是真正的死刑”,击穿底线的贫穷,将剥夺个人主观能动性,人将彻底被压死在生存底线上无法动弹。政府必须帮助最弱势人的基本生活,让他们或者后代有上升的渠道和希望。
至于我个人的想法,经济学大多数时候是政治宣教的工具,没有客观的经济学,哪怕是玩弄再复杂的数学,归根结底,还是为了支持自己的观点。连学术大牛写起自由市场的宣传手册,都放弃了逻辑和严谨,转而采取简单的观点+举例子的论述。举个例子,《自由选择》认为大萧条的主要原因是最低工资保护造成的大量失业。我国很多自由市场派也是秉持这种观点吧:由于最低工资保护导致业主不能降薪只能裁员。我总觉得现实社会这个逻辑不成立。至少要看工种和经济萧条程度。对于技术性工种,老板裁员可能不那么利索;但对于纯劳力的,一旦经济形势不好,裁员才是削减成本的第一要务。至于自由派讨厌的劳动法,他们坚持说劳动力是自由的,应当自由协商定价,用不着政府指手画脚。可是没有土地、没有任何生产资料的劳动力跟雇主地位不平等,这种所谓自由协商到底体现的是谁的自由意志呢?
从这个层面,我觉得桑德斯《我们的革命》更宝贵:他揭示出了世界第一繁荣国家的阴暗面——还有那么多穷人在受苦,他们被死死束缚在生存线上,没有改善生存的机会,他们的后代也会重复相同的命运。今天,我无法在任何书本、媒体上看到这些情况。但我们用眼睛、用耳朵可以知道,生活艰难。
当前主流经济学或者说主流价值观是这样的:穷是懒惰造成的,“幸福是奋斗出来的”,只要吃苦耐劳,就可以拨开云雾,迎来幸福的人生。但是很多社会学者已经指出,我们朴素的良心也知道:击穿了底线的贫穷已经给人判了死刑。如果把贫穷仅仅当成个人的疾病,当成个人道德的污点,那不是我们天真无知就是良心选择背过身去。
最后,我想到一个笑话:一行中国官员乘飞机到美国去,一个美国人问中国官员去美国干什么,中国官员说向美国学习意识形态宣传技巧。这个美国人惊愕地说,“我们美国没有这种宣传啊”,中国官员笑着说,“这正是我们要向美国学习的地方”。
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