Facebook Editorial. Economy: Have we considered changing the recipe?
Facebook Editorial. Economy: Have we considered changing the recipe?
Assisted
translation of « Édito Facebook. Économie :
a-t-on pensé changer la recette? » with
Google Translate. (2024-10-08)
Societas Criticus, revue de critique sociale et politique, Vol. 26-04 : www.societascriticus.com
Michel Handfield, M.Sc. sociology (2024-10-07), written in French from my Facebook post on September 30, 2024.
Have
you noticed that for decades we have been seeing cuts in certain
public services - let's remember the Bouchard government's cuts to
health - and subsidies to large multinationals under the pretext that
our enrichment will come from there? But, have we seen this
enrichment?
Would
we have been better off investing in ourselves - education, health
(including prevention), social development, our small and
medium-sized enterprises, the cooperative economy, Research &
Development, the environment and public transportation, for example -
to develop ourselves and take our place in the global economic
system?
Would
we be better off developing our small and medium-sized enterprises
rather than waiting for an economic miracle from foreign
multinationals? Furthermore, once they have made their profit, their
equipment has become obsolete or another country offers them more
attractive benefits they have no ties that keep them here. So, most
of the time, they will look to the highest bidder, unlike small and
medium-sized enterprises that have local, family and cultural roots
that encourage them more to stay in their region, even if they expand
some of their activities abroad!
In
fact, we must support our companies so that they can also develop
internationally, but while maintaining their local roots. Our success
can only come through this and not through golden bridges to
multinationals, with a few rare exceptions.
This
was always my approach, but, as I am a sociologist (a "soft
science", as they say), I never had what was needed for jobs,
unlike the managers and apostles of subsidies who promised us that
money was to overwhelm us. (1) But, apart from companies that have
often been well watered in subsidies, have you seen this money? In
fact, while it is often mentioned in these promises and we even pay a
high price to obtain these foreign investments, we rarely see the
long-term benefits. (2) Just think of Northvolt, the latest in
a long list of beneficiaries of these subsidies.
Notes
1.
In common parlance, we were led to believe that the benefits would be
so considerable that they would “trickle down” onto us, which
meant that they would enrich us all. A nice figure of speech, but not
the most transparent because Quebec can enrich itself, but that does
not mean that all Quebecers enrich themselves. Enrichment can be
limited to only a few; an economic elite, for example. This is
because enrichment and redistribution of wealth are two different
processes that should not be confused.
2. I remembered reading a text from Le Devoir on this subject :
Stéphane
Rolland - La Presse canadienne, Les subventions n’ont pas
dopé la productivité du Québec, conclut un rapport, Le
Devoir, 5 mars 2024 :