Turning 99% into 100%: Visionary Economy for a Good Society

Participatory Economics (cc) image by quoimedia on Flickr Capitalism Turning 99% into 100% today the world is ruled by a system called.... What is capitalism? Why is it bad? Is there an alternative? Values 1st step 2nd step 3rd step Directly Democratic Iterative facilitation board Progress in one sphere may be dragged back by others. Participatory Economics promotes: (1) Self Management: People should have decision making power proportional to how they are affected by the decision. (2) Equity: Fair remuneration (payment). (3) Solidarity: The economy should promote consideration for others, and agreeable societal relations. (4) Diversity: The economy should promote a range of opinions and cultures. (5) Efficiency: The economy should provide in a way that minimises social and ecological cost. Remuneration and Equity There are several ways a society can reward work: (1) Payment according to bargaining power and property owned: Today’s norm, abysmal. (2) Payment according to output: Rewards genetic lottery. (3) Payment according to effort and sacrifice: Working harder or difficult job = more compensation. Incentive to work, fair. (4) Payment according to need: Unarguably right, but impractical. No incentive. work How do we improve the workplace? Current workplaces are empowering and rewarding for owners and the “coordinator class For most, the workplace is not very enjoyable, rewarding or empowering. (1) Install workplace democracy (self management): Give all workers one vote each on workplace affairs However... Conceptual workers will monopolise facts and figures to get their way. Still unpleasant jobs to perform for most. Therefore… (2)Share rote, unpleasant work and empowering, enjoyable work: Everyone does their fair share of rote, boring and unpleasant tasks, but Everyone does their fair share of conceptual, empowering, and enjoyable tasks. Worker’s councils and work life Democratic councils from small groups to industry federations deal with work projects. Council Decisions: Decisions will be made by those directly affected by the decision. -Votes will require a majority, or two thirds majority, or consensus, etc. whatever is appropriate. Cannot vote on every decision, such as personnel and budgeting. -All these empowering jobs will be rotated. Day to day life: -Workers will do the job they have been trained for. -Workers will meet to discuss the how and when for projects they are doing, how to improve life on the floor, resolve disputes, etc. Large scale decisions will be made during yearly planning process: -Every worker will be able to submit suggestions on how much and how to produce things for the next year. -The results will be made into long term plans by facilitation boards to be voted on by the workers. Member Member Member Member (cc) photo by theaucitron on Flickr Whats wrong with Capitalism? Market goal is only to buy cheap and sell for profit Class based economics leads to: 1% of population controls 47% of net financial wealth Ruling Class Managerial Class 19% of pop. controls 44% of wealth Working Class 80% of pop. controls 9% of wealth Institutions in Capitalism are set up to further the interests of a small elite. Racism sexism and heterosexism WAR Wage Slavery This leads to: Private and Undemocratic Media Monopolies Allocation in a Participatory Economy Allocation in a parecon is very different than any type of allocation we are used to. Economists accept two means of allocating goods and services to people: 1) By a Market 2) By central Planning 3) Participatory allocation is the third way, and should be a superior allocation system... Consumers Council Workers Council Every year, Individual Consumers make consumption requests Individuals or groups of like minded people submit large scale proposals to Iterative Facilitation Boards . Neighbourhood councils meet to discuss and vote on proposals to make neighbourhood requests. City-wide requests, provincial, and country wide requests are made also. Each worker also requests how much work they would like to do in the following year. Production units also make proposals for what they will produce. Iterative Planning Procedure (first round): Proposals are summed up by computer. Supply and demand is now known, and social and environmental costs are taken into account to generate prices of all goods and services. Prices reflect the “social opportunity cost.” IFB’s provide this service. Consumers and workers look at new prices and make new proposals based on them. Workers will also propose how much and what type of work they wish to do. Worker’s Proposals They will submit proposals on technological upgrades, plant expansion, etc. Facilitation boards will work these into planning packages to vote on. Second round: proposals go in, new prices are generated. Third round: proposals cannot deviate from past request by more than a certain percentage. Four and fifth round: less deviation allowed, converging to a workable plan IFB’s aid this process, generating a few feasible plans based on past rounds. Plans are voted on, one is implemented for the year. “Slack” is incorporated. Consumer proposals are related to one’s work proposal. One does not have to propose their shoe color. Computers are needed for this process. Requests are reviewed by boards made up of facilitation workers and community members. One must justify an above average request, otherwise one is told to make a new one: -Reasons: disabilities, past work, borrowing, community service etc. Community members look at other’s proposals (anonymously) and can critique. Nobody can stop another’s request. Reason for scrutiny is the self management principle, and to understand local needs. Individual Proposals Answering Criticisms Criticism: Too much bureaucracy. Answer: We already have a lot of bureaucracy 10% of workers today are involved in bureaucratic functions. It would be less in ParEcon. Criticism: Too many meetings and too much work for consumers. Answer: The planning process would probably last a month. We already fill out bills and do tax returns, and do volunteer work. Participatory planning might take more time, but you would get time off work. Criticism: People are too greedy and selfish. Answer: Parecon would encourage people to work together, not compete: -People are products of their environment. If it is true that people are too greedy and selfish, then it is useless to try and change anything for the better, and we might as well give up and submit to injustice. This is an abysmal state of affairs indeed, but if there is even a tiny bit of doubt that this is the case, then it is worth it to try. -People today care at least for family members and friends, parecon encourages more. In Parecon, the best way for a selfish person to get ahead is to work hard for the benefit of all. Getting there: How do we establish a better economy, like Parecon? Strengthen unions and social institutions that work for the 99% Campaign for a thirty hour work week, tax the rich, and participatory budgeting. Support the fight against racism, sexism, heterosexism war, and all areas of social justice. #Occupyeverywhere! Establish Balanced Job Complexes wherever we can, and try to experiment with parecon allocation. One example is Mondragon Bookstore and Coffehouse in Winnipeg. Develop compelling vision for all social spheres. Answer Difficult questions: ie. Can an isolated country establish a parecon? Unless powerful states (i.e. the U.S.A) establish a parecon first, an isolated country might not survive. What are your visions for a better world? How do they combine or diverge from parecon? Support Indigenous Peoples Rights. Their economic models often reflect a Participitory Economy. The Zapatistas in Mexico and the Mondragon cooperative in Spain have created a collective dual power that prefigures many aspects of a parecon. Cultural Work Marxists fail to recognise the existence of the “coordinator class” The coordinator class is made up of Managers, lawyers, doctors, ect. -Don’t own the means of production, but coordinate the activities of other workers. -They hire and fire, make up company policy, etc. After communist revolution (with central planning) coordinator class becomes the new ruling class. Whats wrong with Communism? power relations, government, laws & law enforcement. resource allocation, pay, work environment. - race, socialisation, religion. All four areas must be prioritized gender, sexuality, child-adult relations. The Four Social Spheres Polity Economy Kinship Community Visionary economy without the need for the 1% To create a genuine revolution and a sustainable long term tranformation