The Lags of Social Policy

Abstract

Income and wealth concentration and labor markets obsolescence translate themselvesin social insecurity for the populations. The main social covenants are broken,labor´s GNP share and salaries are retreating, while labor surpluses explain chronicunemployment in some countries and informal occupations in others, both of whichdeprive society of adequate protection and deteriorate gubernamental legitimacy.At the global and national levels, it is time to revise or replace the impaired functionsof the labor markets in mediating between market and democracy. And perhaps it isalso time for the governments to fight for the collective interests instead for those ofthe economic elite. In spite of the presentation and discussion of some partial changesin economic and social policies, the prevailing world ideology is ill prepared to assimilatesuch changes and formulate a different world order. Anyhow we have to think inways to correct the prevailing social inequalities, as well as, an unending world crisis.