C. Albert
First, in parecon, how would we decide whether or not to start a new business and how do we decide when a business has failed? I think you have the R+D question backwards. R+D does not come out of what is desired but what is possible. Simply by placing R+D with consumption on a conceptual basis, you have not overcome the fact that much of what is developed is not ultimately found to be useful.
It seems to me that you have dramatically over-emphasized the consumer sector. Are factories to be judged according to their "effort" in order to justify the distribution of scarce raw maerials to them? A great deal of the economy is business-to-business.
Finally, you have not dealt with the question of quality. Look, for example, at bread. Bread is not one product but a range of products. Your system may deal well with bread, but how about fasteners for airframe panels? How would we decide, under parecon, whether to use screws or rivets and which manufacturer to favor with our custom?
peace,
boddi