[lbo-talk] Parecon entrepreneurialism?

boddhisatva boddhisatva at netzero.net
Wed Sep 24 03:08:25 PDT 2003


C. Albert,

First, you said that "workplaces must produce in accord with their assets." It's unclear to me what you mean by that. What "assets"? The question was why give one plant, say, diesel fuel and not another? On what basis?

That aside you have already run into at least one enormous problem. If workers want to start an industry and they have to get permission from industry you have the same problems as under the Soviet system. Existing industries become entrenched because they have political clout.

Even then, say I get permission from industry to open a new electronics plant in Corvallis, Oregon. Things go well and I find I am understaffed. What inducements can I offer to get workers to move to Corvallis? Why should they go? What if they say "No"? What if my suppliers don't give me what I ask for or don't give it on time because they don't want a new factory rocking the boat? Do I sue them? What can I ask for in damages if there are no monetary damages?

But I'm fairly sure that under parecon this would not be a problem since there is really no reason to start a new industry at all. First, people don't know what they want before they've seen it so consumers councils won't ask. Second, there is nothing to compel anybody to start an industry even if it is wanted. Why bother?

Indeed I don't see anything that compels people to satisfy the demands of consumers' councils at all. What if the demands of consumers go unfulfilled? To whom can they turn?

peace,

boddi



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