MANCUR OLSON AND THE DECLINE OF NATIONS

The last days of Rome.

by Mike Newland

Why do great and powerful nations which appear unbeatable decline and fall? One might immediately conclude that they are simply overcome by the growth of inevitably superior forces despite all the advantages in resources which being powerful has brought them.

The best known example is Rome which enjoyed extraordinary abilities in organisation and in the technology it could apply by the standards of the day yet still collapsed.

Mancur Olson (1932-1998) was an American economist who addressed this question from the point of view of how things work in societies as a result of the formation of groups pursuing particular interests. How do incentives to combine together in self-interest affect what happens? See his book "The Rise and Decline of Nations."

The virtue of democratic government at first sight is that any group which feels itself disadvantaged can form a coalition and lobby to improve its position. That is certainly the version of democracy purveyed by politicians on the stump. It’s in principle correct if you ignore the obstacles placed in the path by a system protecting its power interests against interlopers.

But there is a paradox here, Olson argues. It is logical to think that if enough people are discontented and agree on a common interest that they will act in concert and influence how things work. In reality they often do not.

RENDER UNTO CESAR: LESSONS FROM "CESAR CHAVEZ"

A strong belief in borders.

by Bay Area Guy

I recently saw the film Cesar Chavez. As expected, the hagiographic film about the legendary Latino labor activist who organized exploited farm workers and promoted the boycott of grapes depicted Chavez as a borderline saint. Aside from his strained relationship with his son, Chavez’s actions were purely heroic.

Despite enduring countless attacks and abuse from racist and greedy growers, Chavez remained committed to non-violence. When his fellow Latino activists began to grow angry and resort to violence on account of the abusive tactics of the growers, Chavez fasted for about a month on behalf of non-violence. Continuing to persevere, the strike and grape boycott eventually brought the growers to their knees and forced them to negotiate with Chavez and the United Farm Workers (UFW) union.

The film ended with Chavez delivering a triumphant speech and writing an impassioned letter to his estranged son. Words on the screen then educated the audience about how Chavez’s efforts allowed farm workers to secure bargaining rights.