The London Open Society May Meeting

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At this meetup we will discuss aspects of Globalisation.
In particular, we are suggesting that the free movement of Capital (investment and profits) across political borders must be complemented by the equal free movement of People (labour) to job opportunities wherever these are.

This is not just about freedom to visit other countries but also to take paying jobs. The thorny issue this implies is the fear of the citizens of the host country for their employment opportunities.

A curious thing this; jobs most people would rather not do if it were not for financial necessity is regarded as a "scarce resource" we have to fight to acquire and protect against "foreigners".

This last observation requires thorough exploration in order to "unbundle" its ramifications and relevance to the idea of a truly open global society. Such exploration is essential for designing effective remedial activism and advocacy. Equating income with jobs, and jobs as the main source of income is a fundamental belief that needs to be questioned--at least in fully industrialized societies where most wealth is not created by applying direct human labour.

Labour saving capital investment is increasingly eliminating the labour element from the economic process. Right now, for example, the telephone receptionist class of employees is being replaced by automated answering and routing systems.
We will be investigating the general trend towards jobless growth with a guide provided by Andre Gorz in his book, Reclaiming Work--Beyond the Wage-Based Society