The dirty secret of capitalism -- and a new way forward | Nick Hanauer

翻译人员: Cynthia Zym 校对人员: psjmz mz

I am a capitalist,

我是一个资本家，

and after a 30-year career in capitalism

我有30年资本主义生涯，

spanning three dozen companies,

横跨三十多家公司，

generating tens of billions of dollars in market value,

创造了数百亿美元的市场价值，

I'm not just in the top one percent, I'm in the top .01 percent of all earners.

我不只是在前百分之一， 我是所有收入者中收入最高的0.01%。

Today, I have come to share the secrets of our success,

今天，我来分享我们成功的秘诀，

because rich capitalists like me have never been richer.

因为像我这样富有的资本家 从来没有这么富有过。

So the question is, how do we do it?

所以问题是，我们怎么做?

How do we manage to grab

我们是如何获得了

an ever-increasing share of the economic pie every year?

每年都不断增长的市场份额？

Is it that rich people are smarter than we were 30 years ago?

是富人比30年前更聪明了吗？

Is it that we're working harder than we once did?

是我们比以前工作的更勤奋了吗？

Are we taller, better looking?

长得更高了，更漂亮了？

Sadly, no.

可惜，不是。

It all comes down to just one thing:

归根结底是因为一件事：

economics.

经济。

Because, here's the dirty secret.

因为，有这样一个肮脏的秘密。

There was a time in which the economics profession

有这样一段时间经济学专业

worked in the public interest,

是为了大众利益而服务的，

but in the neoliberal era,

但是在新自由主义时代，

today,

今天，

they work only for big corporations

他们只为了大公司集团工作，

and billionaires,

以及亿万富翁，

and that is creating a little bit of a problem.

这就产生了一些问题。

We could choose to enact economic policies

我们可以选择制定经济政策

that raise taxes on the rich,

对富人增税，

regulate powerful corporations or raise wages for workers.

监管强大的企业或提高工人工资。

We have done it before.

我们以前都做过。

But neoliberal economists would warn

但新自由主义经济学家会发出警告

that all of these policies would be a terrible mistake,

所有这些政策都将是一个可怕的错误，

because raising taxes always kills economic growth,

因为增税总是扼杀经济增长，

and any form of government regulation

以及任何形式的政府监管

is inefficient,

都是没有效率的，

and raising wages always kills jobs.

而提高工资总会扼杀工作机会。

Well, as a consequence of that thinking,

这样的思考结果便是，

over the last 30 years, in the USA alone,

过去30年间，光是美国，

the top one percent has grown 21 trillion dollars richer

最富有的1%人口已经比 以前多挣了21万亿美元

while the bottom 50 percent have grown 900 billion dollars poorer,

而底部的50%人比以前 少挣了9000亿美元，

a pattern of widening inequality that has largely repeated itself

一个扩大的不平等格局再次上演

across the world.

遍及全球。

And yet, as middle class families struggle to get by

然而，在中等阶级家庭艰难获得

on wages that have not budged in about 40 years,

在过去40年里保持不变的工资，

neoliberal economists continue to warn that the only reasonable response

新自由主义经济学家继续 警告对于财政紧缩

to the painful dislocations of austerity and globalization

和全球化带来的痛苦混乱 的唯一正确的反应

is even more austerity and globalization.

是更加紧缩的财政以及全球化。

So, what is a society to do?

所以，社会该如何做？

Well, it's super clear to me what we need to do.

我很清楚我们需要怎么做。

We need a new economics.

我们需要新型经济。

So, economics has been described as the dismal science,

因此，经济学被描述为一门沉闷的科学，

and for good reason, because as much as it is taught today,

有很好的理由， 因为尽管今天我们学了很多，

it isn't a science at all,

这根本不是一门科学，

in spite of all of the dazzling mathematics.

尽管其中的数学令人眼花缭乱。

In fact, a growing number of academics and practitioners

事实上，越来越多的学者和实践者

have concluded that neoliberal economic theory is dangerously wrong

得出结论认为新自由主义经济理论 是危险的错误

and that today's growing crises of rising inequality

并且今天日益加剧的不平等危机

and growing political instability

和不断加剧的政治不稳定

are the direct result of decades of bad economic theory.

是几十年来糟糕的经济理论 的直接结果。

What we now know is that the economics that made me so rich isn't just wrong,

我们现在所知道的是，让我如此 富有的经济学理论不仅是错的，

it's backwards,

而且是后退的，

because it turns out

因为事实证明

it isn't capital that creates economic growth,

不是资本创造了经济增长，

it's people;

是群众；

and it isn't self-interest that promotes the public good,

促进公共利益的不是自身利益，

it's reciprocity;

是互惠；

and it isn't competition that produces our prosperity,

不是竞争造就了我们的繁荣，

it's cooperation.

而是合作。

What we can now see is that an economics that is neither just nor inclusive

我们现在看到的是一个 既不公正也不包容的经济体，

can never sustain the high levels of social cooperation

永远无法维持让现代社会繁荣

necessary to enable a modern society to thrive.

所必须的高水平的社会合作。

So where did we go wrong?

所以我们哪里做错了？

Well, it turns out that it's become painfully obvious

其实，这是显而易见的

that the fundamental assumptions that undergird neoliberal economic theory

那就是支撑新自由主义经济理论 的基本假设

are just objectively false,

在客观上就是错误的，

and so today first I want to take you through some of those mistaken assumptions

所以今天我想先带你们 看看这些错误的假设

and then after describe where the science suggests prosperity actually comes from.

然后讲讲科学表明繁荣的真正来源。

So, neoliberal economic assumption number one is

所以，新自由主义经济学 的第一个假设是

that the market is an efficient equilibrium system,

市场是一个有效的均衡系统，

which basically means that if one thing in the economy, like wages, goes up,

也就是说，如果经济中有一样东西， 比如工资上涨，

another thing in the economy, like jobs, must go down.

经济中的另一件事， 比如就业，必须下降。

So for example, in Seattle, where I live,

例如，在我居住的西雅图，

when in 2014 we passed our nation's first 15 dollar minimum wage,

2014年，我们通过了国家首个 15美元的最低工资标准，

the neoliberals freaked out over their precious equilibrium.

新自由主义者为他们宝贵 的平衡而惊慌失措。

"If you raise the price of labor," they warned,

“如果你提高劳动力价格，”他们警告说，

"businesses will purchase less of it.

“企业将减少购买。

Thousands of low-wage workers will lose their jobs.

成千上万的低收入工人将失去工作。

The restaurants will close."

餐馆将会关门。”

Except ...

但是......

they didn't.

这都没有发生。

The unemployment rate fell dramatically.

失业率急剧下降。

The restaurant business in Seattle boomed.

西雅图的餐饮业蓬勃发展。

Why?

为什么？

Because there is no equilibrium.

因为市场不是一个均衡系统。

Because raising wages doesn't kill jobs, it creates them;

因为提高工资不会扼杀就业机会， 而是创造就业机会;

because, for instance,

例如，因为，

when restaurant owners are suddenly required to pay restaurant workers enough

当餐馆老板突然被要求付给 餐馆员工足够的工资时，

so that now even they can afford to eat in restaurants,

所以现在即便他们也可以在餐馆吃饭，

it doesn't shrink the restaurant business,

它不会缩减餐饮业，

it grows it, obviously.

反而呢，它增长生意。

(Applause)

（欢呼）

谢谢。

Thank you.

The second assumption is

第二个假设是

that the price of something is always equal to its value,

某物的价格总是等于它的价值，

which basically means that if you earn 50,000 dollars a year

也就是说如果你一年赚5万美元，

and I earn 50 million dollars a year,

我每年赚5000万美元，

that's because I produce a thousand times as much value as you.

那是因为我创造的价值是你的一千倍。

Now,

现在，

it will not surprise you to learn

这不会让你太惊讶

that this is a very comforting assumption

就是这是一个不错的假设，

if you're a CEO paying yourself 50 million dollars a year

如果你是一个企业的CEO每年赚五千万

but paying your workers poverty wages.

并且你付给你的员工很低的工资的话。

But please, take it from somebody who has run dozens of businesses:

但是，请相信一位经营过 几十家企业的人:

this is nonsense.

这是无稽之谈。

People are not paid what they are worth.

人们的工资与他们的价值无关。

They are paid what they have the power to negotiate,

他们得到的报酬是他们有权协商的，

and wages' falling share of GDP

工资占GDP的比例在下降

is not because workers have become less productive

不是因为工人的生产力下降了，

but because employers have become more powerful.

而是因为雇主的权力变大了。

And --

而且

(Applause)

（欢呼）

And by pretending that the giant imbalance in power between capital and labor

而且通过假装资本和劳动力之间 巨大的力量不平衡

doesn't exist,

根本不存在，

neoliberal economic theory became essentially

新自由主义经济理论在根本上

a protection racket for the rich.

就是富人的保护伞。

The third assumption, and by far the most pernicious,

第三种假设，也是迄今为止最有害的假设，

is a behavioral model

是一个行为模型，

that describes human beings as something called "homo economicus,"

那就是将人类描述为“经济人”，

which basically means that we are all perfectly selfish,

这基本意思是我们都非常自私，

perfectly rational and relentlessly self-maximizing.

完全的理性，并且不断地自我最大化。

But just ask yourselves,

但问问你自己，

is it plausible that every single time for your entire life,

你觉得在你一生中 当你有助于他人时

when you did something nice for somebody else,

都只是为了最大化你自己的效用，

all you were doing was maximizing your own utility?

这种说法是可信的吗？

Is it plausible that when a soldier jumps on a grenade to defend fellow soldiers,

你觉得一个士兵舍身掩盖住手榴弹 去保护他的战友时，

they're just promoting their narrow self-interest?

他们只是在促进他们的一己私利， 这种说法可信吗？

If you think that's nuts,

如果你觉得这太荒唐了了，

contrary to any reasonable moral intuition,

与任何合理的道德直觉相反，

that's because it is

因为它的确是如此，

and, according to the latest science,

根据最新的科学研究，

not true.

假的。

But it is this behavioral model

但恰恰就是这个行为模型，

which is at the cold, cruel heart of neoliberal economics,

这个以残忍为核心的新自由主义经济，

and it is as morally corrosive

它在道德上的腐败

as it is scientifically wrong

就如同它在科学上是如此错误一样，

because, if we accept at face value

因为，如果我们接受了错误的想法——

that humans are fundamentally selfish,

人类在本质上是自私的，

and then we look around the world

那么我们看着这个世界里

at all of the unambiguous prosperity in it,

所有清晰的繁荣景象，

then it follows logically,

那么根据逻辑，

then it must be true by definition,

根据定义它一定是正确的，

that billions of individual acts of selfishness

数十亿个人的自私行为

magically transubstantiate into prosperity and the common good.

奇迹般地转化为繁荣和共同利益。

If we humans are merely selfish maximizers,

如果我们人类仅仅是自私的放大化者，

then selfishness is the cause of our prosperity.

那么自私就是我们财富的来源。

Under this economic logic,

在这个经济逻辑下，

greed is good,

贪婪是好的，

widening inequality is efficient,

扩大不平等是有效的，

and the only purpose of the corporation

公司的唯一目的，

can be to enrich shareholders,

是让股东变得更加富有，

because to do otherwise would be to slow economic growth

因为如果不这样做， 经济增长就会放缓，

and harm the economy overall.

损害整体经济。

And it is this gospel of selfishness

就是这种自私的福音

which forms the ideological cornerstone of neoliberal economics,

形成了新自由主义经济学 的意识形态基石，

a way of thinking which has produced economic policies

这种产生经济政策思维方式

which have enabled me and my rich buddies in the top one percent

让我和我那些富有的朋友们进入了前1%，

to grab virtually all of the benefits of growth over the last 40 years.

从过去40年的经济增长中获益。

But,

但，

if instead

如果相反，

we accept the latest empirical research,

我们接受最新的实证研究，

real science, which correctly describes human beings

真正的科学，即正确地描述了人类

as highly cooperative,

是会高度合作，

reciprocal

互惠的

and intuitively moral creatures,

直觉上道德的生物，

then it follows logically

那么必然是

that it must be cooperation

合作

and not selfishness

而不是自私

that is the cause of our prosperity,

成就了我们的繁荣，

and it isn't our self-interest

并不仅仅是我们自身的利益

but rather our inherent reciprocity

而是我们整体的互惠

that is humanity's economic superpower.

才是人类经济的超力量。

So at the heart of this new economics

所以，这个新经济的核心

is a story about ourselves that grants us permission to be our best selves,

是一个关于我们自己的故事， 允许我们做最好的自己，

and, unlike the old economics,

并且，与旧的经济学不同，

this is a story that is virtuous

这是一个善良的故事

and also has the virtue of being true.

也有真实的美德。

Now,

现在，

I want to emphasize that this new economics

我想强调的是这种新的经济学

is not something I have personally imagined or invented.

不是我个人想象或发明的。

Its theories and models are being developed and refined

它的理论和模型正在发展和完善

in universities around the world

在世界各地的大学里

building on some of the best new research in economics,

基于一些最好的经济学新研究，

complexity theory, evolutionary theory,

复杂性理论，进化论，

psychology, anthropology and other disciplines.

心理学、人类学等学科。

And although this new economics does not yet have its own textbook

尽管这种新的经济学 还没有自己的教科书

or even a commonly agreed upon name,

甚至一个大家都同意的名字，

in broad strokes

大体来说

its explanation of where prosperity comes from goes something like this.

它对繁荣从何而来的解释是这样的。

So, market capitalism is an evolutionary system

所以，市场资本主义是一个进化系统，

in which prosperity emerges

在其中财富的涌现是

through a positive feedback loop

通过在不断增长的创新和

between increasing amounts of innovation and increasing amounts of consumer demand.

不断增长的消费需求之间 的正反馈循环而获得的。

Innovation is the process by which we solve human problems,

创新是我们解决人类问题的过程，

consumer demand is the mechanism through which the market selects

消费者需求是市场选择

for useful innovations,

有用创新的机制，

and as we solve more problems, we become more prosperous.

随着我们解决更多的问题， 我们变得更加繁荣。

But as we become more prosperous,

但随着我们变得更加繁荣，

our problems and solutions

我们的问题和解决方案

become more complex,

变得更加复杂，

and this increasing technical complexity

技术的复杂性也在增加

requires ever higher levels of social and economic cooperation

需要更高水平的社会和经济合作

in order to produce the more highly specialized products

以生产更加专业化的产品

that define a modern economy.

以定义现代经济。

Now, the old economics is correct, of course,

当然，旧的经济学是对的，

that competition plays a crucial role in how markets work,

竞争在市场运作中起着至关重要的作用，

but what it fails to see

但它却忽视了

is that it is largely a competition between highly cooperative groups --

在很大程度上这是高度合作 的群体之间的竞争——

competition between firms, competition between networks of firms,

公司之间的竞争，公司网络之间的竞争，

competition between nations --

国与国之间的竞争——

and anyone who has ever run a successful business knows

任何经营过成功企业的人都知道

that building a cooperative team by including the talents of everyone

通过吸收每个人的才能 来建立一个合作的团队

is almost always a better strategy than just a bunch of selfish jerks.

这几乎总是比一群自私 的混蛋好得多的策略。

So how do we leave neoliberalism behind

那么，我们如何将新自由主义抛诸脑后

and build a more sustainable, more prosperous

去建设一个更可持续、更繁荣的社会

and more equitable society?

和一个更公平的社会呢？

The new economics suggests just five rules of thumb.

新经济学提出了五条经验法则。

First is that successful economies are not jungles, they're gardens,

首先，成功的经济体不是丛林，而是花园，

which is to say that markets,

也就是说市场，

like gardens, must be tended,

就像花园，必须有人照料，

that the market is the greatest social technology ever invented

市场是有史以来解决人类的问题的

for solving human problems,

最伟大的社会技术，

but unconstrained by social norms or democratic regulation,

但不受社会规范或民主监管的约束，

markets inevitably create more problems than they solve.

市场不可避免地会产生比它们 解决的问题更多的问题。

Climate change,

气候变化，

the great financial crisis of 2008

2008年的经济危机

are two easy examples.

是两个很简单的例子。

The second rule is

第二点是，

that inclusion creates economic growth.

包容创造了经济增长。

So the neoliberal idea

所以这种新自由主义思想是

that inclusion is this fancy luxury

如果我们的经济增长是 错误的，而且是倒退的，

to be afforded if and when we have growth is both wrong and backwards.

那么这种包容就是我们 能够负担得起的奢侈。

The economy is people.

经济是人民的。

Including more people in more ways

包括更多人以更多不同的方式

is what causes economic growth in market economies.

在市场经济中导致了经济的增长。

The third principle

第三点是

is the purpose of the corporation is not merely to enrich shareholders.

公司的目的不只是为了使股东富裕。

The greatest grift in contemporary economic life

当代经济生活中最大的骗局

is the neoliberal idea that the only purpose of the corporation

是新自由主义想法里

and the only responsibility of executives

公司的唯一目的， 执行主管的唯一责任是

is to enrich themselves and shareholders.

让他们自己和股东变得更富。

The new economics must and can insist

新经济必须并且坚持

that the purpose of the corporation

企业的目的

is to improve the welfare of all stakeholders:

是提升所有人利益：

customers, workers,

顾客，工人，

community and shareholders alike.

集体和股东一样。

Rule four:

第四：

greed is not good.

贪婪是错误的。

Being rapacious doesn't make you a capitalist,

贪婪并不能让你成为资本家，

it makes you a sociopath.

会让你成为一个变态。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

(Applause)

（鼓掌）

And in an economy as dependent upon cooperation at scale as ours,

在一个像我们这样依赖 大规模合作的经济体中，

sociopathy is as bad for business as it is for society.

社会病态对企业和社会都是有害的。

And fifth and finally,

第五，也是最后一点，

unlike the laws of physics,

不像物理定律，

the laws of economics are a choice.

经济学定律是一种选择。

Now, neoliberal economic theory

新自由主义经济理论

has sold itself to you as unchangeable natural law,

把自己当作不变的自然法则说服你，

when in fact it's social norms and constructed narratives

事实上，这种社会规范和构建的说法

based on pseudoscience.

基于伪科学。

If we truly want a more equitable,

如果我们真的想要一个更公平的，

more prosperous and more sustainable economy,

更加繁荣和可持续的经济，

if we want high-functioning democracies

如果我们想要高功能的民主

and civil society,

和民主社会，

we must have a new economics.

我们必须有新经济。

And here's the good news:

好消息是：

if we want a new economics,

如果我们想要拥有新经济，

all we have to do is choose to have it.

我们所需要做的只是选择去拥有它。

Thank you.

谢谢。

(Applause)

（鼓掌）

Moderator: So Nick, I'm sure you get this question a lot.

主持人:所以尼克, 我相信你经常会碰到这个问题。

If you're so unhappy with the economic system,

如果你对经济体系如此不满，

why not just give all your money away and join the 99 percent?

为什么不捐出你所有的钱， 加入那99%的人呢?

Nick Hanauer: Yeah, no, yes, right.

尼克:是的，不，是的，没错。

You get that a lot. You get that a lot.

经常有人这么问我。

"If you care so much about taxes, why don't you pay more,

“如果你这么在意税收， 为什么不多付一些呢?

and if you care so much about wages, why don't you pay more?"

如果你那么在意工资， 为什么不多付一点呢?”

And I could do that.

我可以那么做。

The problem is,

问题是，

it doesn't make that much difference,

那不会改变什么，

and I have discovered a strategy

我发现策略

that works literally a hundred thousand times better --

比那有用无数倍。

Moderator: OK.

主持人:好的。

NH: which is to use my money to build narratives and to pass laws

NH:那就是用我的钱来 建立叙事并通过法律，

that will require all the other rich people

这将会要求所有其他富人

to pay taxes and pay their workers better.

为他们的工人支付更好的税收。

(Applause)

（鼓掌）

And so, for example,

所以，比如，

the 15-dollar minimum wage that we cooked up

我们制造的的15美元的最低收入

has now affected 30 million workers.

现在已经影响了3000万工人。

So that works better.

这更有用。

Moderator: That's great.

主持人:太好了。

If you change your mind, we'll find some takers for you.

如果你改变主意，我们会为你找到一些人选。

NH: OK. Thank you. Moderator: Thank you very much.

NH:好的。谢谢你！ 主持人:非常感谢。