Great Lie
Mariana Mazzucato and Rosie Collington have just published the book Gezur Handia. It analyses the negative effects that private offices have on government policy design in the name of economic efficiency. The subtitle of the book draws the contents: “The consulting industry weakens companies, infantilizes governments and makes the economy lose.”
Mazzucato’s academic and political reputation with the Entrepreneurship State book in 2013. It has since managed to shake up the official debate on how to analyse and represent the economy, real value creation and government intervention. We must bear in mind that social democracy itself, after the 1990s, accepted the orthodox liberal perspective of the economy at the end of history. Orthodoxy led to the abolition of public power and the rise of private actors, as if the latter had an interest in common profit and their ultimate goal was not to increase profits.
The work of Mazzucato breaks this narrative, provoking with its prudent investigations a great hegemonic myth. It challenges the foundations of liberal logic by drawing attention to the importance of various approaches and institutions in the economic field. In these works he focuses his attention on the importance of the economic intervention of the public power and proclaims that it is a key actor to strengthen the economy, innovation and efficiency. Beyond the deterioration of the official economic paradigm and the construction of an alternative in favor of the public sector, has brought to light, along with Collington, a critical study on the necessary powerful advice, with the new book.
From institutional responsibility, the door is opened to the all-powerful consultants and the capacity to establish the broad lines of public policies is transferred.
The book analyzes the trajectory of McKinsey, Boston Consulting Group, Deloitte, PwC, Ernst & Young, KPMG and other giant official prestigious offices. And they firmly conclude that the model of doing business and influencing the public sector is a big lie, as the subtitle itself suggests.
Using numerous examples and case studies worldwide, the research analyses in depth that the incorporation of these consultants into the centre of public management has brought more than benefits for citizens and the economy. But there's one exception, the managers and shareholders of corporations, whose revenues have been huge.
In addition to the criticism that both authors make of the large consulting companies, the defendant must be added to the public authorities. In fact, from institutional responsibility, the doors are opened to the all-powerful consultants in parallel and the capacity to establish the broad lines of public policies is transferred. Thus, the public power expels the responsibility of its policies and prevents the presentation of what is necessary to society.
The Great Lie brings to the plaza the strength that certain social and institutional factors have within the mechanism and logic of the economy. With the rays of light that are essential to emulate the black clouds of the current economy, Mazzucato and Collington take another fundamental theoretical step for the general interest to prevail in public policies.
Bidali zure iritzi artikuluak iritzia@argia.eus helbide elektronikora
ARGIAk ez du zertan bat etorri artikuluen edukiarekin. Idatzien gehienezko luzera 4.500 karakterekoa da (espazioak barne). Idazkera aldetik gutxieneko zuzentasun bat beharrezkoa da: batetik, ARGIAk ezin du hartu zuzenketa sakona egiteko lanik; bestetik, egitekotan edukia nahi gabe aldatzeko arriskua dago. ARGIAk azaleko zuzenketak edo moldaketak egingo dizkie artikuluei, behar izanez gero.
Much of the current left-wing movement, albeit intuitively, claims small-scale agriculture, without any doubt. However, this claim for smallness has its contradictions: a small farm, by definition, will not be able to produce a lot of food. And is that important? Well, in a... [+]
The spokeswoman for the new Basque Government, María Ubarretxena, gave the first interview to Euskadi Irratia. During the conversation he referred to his intentions, his general proposals, inevitably, because the government was going on. The tone between the journalist and the... [+]
The eco-social crisis generated by capitalism is causing global unrest across the planet. The "summits" of material and energy resources, establishing limits for growth and accumulation, entail imbalances between nature and society. The crazy wheels of extractivism, climate change... [+]
One student told me once we studied a text: “The character is sick: the thought moves in his head.” Obviously, with this phrase, he misplaced the comment he had in his mind, that is, that the imbecility of the character was noticed in his continuous reflections. However,... [+]
Saying goodbye to something or someone is usually an act related to abandonment, the end and, ultimately, the grieving process. I'm sure you would ever, or you'd hear someone, tell them the typical, topical phrase of "I don't like greetings." And I don't want to fool you, not even I've... [+]
The smell asked for a gesture, but since it had not done so (no other smell could be expected), neither did the others. “No, no, they’re not all. There are no living parts, I have not left anyone alive, for example, without lips (have you seen? ). They seemed perfect until... [+]
Close the computer, put on chanclets, stroke with the sun cream. Where are you going on holiday? We've normalized that vacation is going somewhere, because rest needs distance, we say. And when we make the journey, we will become tourists, even if the change of denomination... [+]
Euskera is a port for knowledge and relationships at sea, which is a digital space. With artificial intelligence, it seems that from this port there is the possibility of contact in Basque with everyone. The automation of the Basque Country is a great support for educators... [+]
Conservative mentalities are afraid of the term planning, linking with progressive and even communist political currents, as the new authoritarianisms do today (Milei, Meono, Orban, Aznar, among others). However, the idea of planning is still in good health, at least formally... [+]
The issue of cohesion is today the first responsibility of many governments, public institutions and non-governmental organisations. Indeed, societies with low inequalities more easily generate conditions for economic, social and cultural development, better governance... [+]
The global economy suffered a significant upturn following COVID-19. However, the signs that this increase has reached a stage of exhaustion are clearly conditioned by the climate crisis: the rate of economic growth of the major world powers, productivity is stagnating and... [+]
When I published my first book of poems, they offered me a recital at a university. The musician charged in money and I was given a book about Jorge Oteiza, which I didn't take because I was in my house. This was the first of the unacceptable requests that I have accepted. It was... [+]
The Bilbao City Hall has launched the Low Emissions Zone in June, although fines are not expected to start to be imposed until September. This measure will limit the entry of old vehicles to the bourgeois esplanade of Bilbao from Monday to Friday, according to EiTB. Petrol... [+]