Positive motivation to harm

This chapter offers evidence to suggest that harm is not something done to precarious workers by social forces and structural deficit but also something inflicted upon each other. The culture of targets and competitive individualism creates the conditions for conflict between managers, co-workers and customers, all of whom seek some degree of status, recognition or security from the infliction of harm on others. Evidence shows managers targeting employees, the emergence of cliques, often management led, which inflict harm on those outside the group, customers willing to belittle, infantilise and abuse employees, and co-workers seeking competitive advantage at the expense of others. This positive motivation to harm reflects the absence of an ethical responsibility for the other and, in some cases, represents the emergence of a subjectivity imbued with the ‘special liberty’ to act as one pleases in order to maximise market share and opportunities within a culture of competition and individual advantage.

COMMONWEALTH Forum: Addressing Pennsylvania’s Structural Budget Deficit

In November 2016 Pennsylvania’s Independent Fiscal Office released a five-year projection of the health of the Commonwealth’s economy and budget. The long-term estimates were not promising as increasing expenditures outstripped existing sources of revenues. Left unchanged, the status quo would result in a deficit of almost $3 billion in fiscal year 2021–22. Tackling this “structural deficit” is one of the most difficult issues facing the state of Pennsylvania. Given the current political climate it should come as no surprise that there is no consensus on resolving this problem. COMMONWEALTH invited representatives from two very different policy perspectives to provide their solutions to the structural deficit. We would like to thank Bob Dick of the Commonwealth Foundation and Marc Stier of the Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center for addressing this important issue in the COMMONWEALTH Forum.