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CHAPTF.R ITT '

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pftrapect.1 ve, t. h e ftoononln m a a n i n g and relevance nf stat.e int.ervftntion acąuire naw dlRenniona. T t. Ir eaaler to apprftciat.fi the Iroportance whloh st.at.ft 1 n t.erven 1.1 on has - and, presunably , has a 1 ways had - i n aarkat. ftconoaifts.

Ho«evftr, widftnl ng the odginał nlasslcal conoept. of product.ive labour along t.he linaa auggftst.ftd ahove raisas some iftthodologlcal Issues. Tf we agree to define as 1nd1rect.ly product.ive all t.hosa workars who not only prodiice hasło means of prodnct.lon in the puhlic seotor hut. who also 'produce* lahnnr-force, why shonld wa not oonaldar as indirect.ly product.1 va all t.hosa workars who, ontslda t.he pnhllc sact.or, play a rola In' the product ion and reproduotlon of t.ha lahour forcft, evan t.hough t.hay do not g1ve rlsft to proflts for t.halr ftiployars? The axanpla of woRftn who parfori linpaid doiftstic serv1oeR 1s t.ha moRt. 1mmed1at.e and ohv1ons. They cert.alnly taka part In t.ha prooftsa of prod uction and raproduct.ion of the working forca (t.halr hiiRhanda, ohlldran, at.c. ) hut t.hay do not. prnducft profit r and, indaad, ara not. avan i ncl udad in t.ha offiolal working force,

Onoe wa adopt a uch an approach to t.ha definit. łon of lahour, however, t.ha* orlginal slmpllclt.y and clarlt.y of the claasical definit. łon ara part. ly lost., • so t.hat. ona wonders whet.har it. i s Rt.i 1 1 worth whila t.o nse 11.. Tha Rlmple and s t. ra 1 gh t. f orwa r d rule to est.ahliah t.ha * product. 1 v ł ty¹ of workera does not. ax1st. any longer, and for evary kind of .occnpatlon, ona has to invft8t.igate whathar it.R out.put. affect.s t.ha condl t.ions of product.ion and raproduct.ion at. t.he systemie level. This Ir not an aasy t.ask t.o perform. But wa are not saying t.hat. it. shonld ha dona 'scrofis tha hoard•, In any possihle case; hut what. wa cert.alnly imply is t.hat. wa shonld ha very caraful and have a    morę    1nqu1s1 t.1va    att.1t.nda    whenever    t.ha* real

product. 1 v i t.y of act.lons (hot.h puhlic and    pri vat.a) is

superfIdally chał lenged.

Wa may conclude by saying t.hat., alt.hough t.he d1st.1nct.1on het.waan product. iva and reproduct.ive lahour is no longer as relevant. as 1 t. mlght. have haen 1n t.he classical period, the puhlic    sact.or    int.arvant.1on    cert.alnly    does not merely

represent. a wast.e of resources. Resources (workars) which are ' Ruhtractad¹ from t.he market, sact.or ara not. merely devot.ed t.o unprodnct. 1 ve (wast.eful) nses hut. t.hey might. be highly product.1 va from a glohal systemie point. of view. A fort lor i t.his st.at.ement. shonld in generał apply to workers which, under normal drcumstances, are kept. unemployed, that. 1s, idle.

Tf we apply t.his approach to the issne of puhlic emp 1 oyment., joh creat.ion t.hrongh puhlic spending 1 mmad 1 a ta 1 y takas on a dlfferent. meaning. Public joh creat. ion won id not. ha simply a ' cooper a 1.1 ve ' dlyeraion of resources (from t.ha pr1vat.e t.o t.ha puhlic sect.or) t.o allev1at.e social prohlams and tensions. Tt. won ld also ha a form of * social i n ves t.men t.¹ : t.hosa resources puhlicly amployad would det.ermlne an overall highar product. 1 v i t.y at t.he aggregat.e level.