> What I'm worrying about is the promised automatic nature of
> the planning process of the Parecon. If my mind isn't in
> Alzheimer's territory again, Albert and Hahnel present a
> story about how all the balanced job complexes present their
> demand orders and supply offers to the plan and then a
> computer crunches out results that make for a consistent
> coordination of the various and heterogeneous orders and offers.
Well, no...this is not what happens. Rather it is an back and forth -- technical word is iterative -- process between consumers and producers, and computers only massage information to provide feedback as to what the totals are, what it means for relative valuations, etc. etc.
> But: if the planning program doesn't work perfectly (since
> nothing does), don't coordinators at the planning agency have
> to step in and fix the results, either in the plan or in its
> application? doesn't this mean that we could see the rise of
> a coordinator class, exploiting its central role in the
> system to gain greater power?
No. I don't think so. But I will be interested when you take a look at the model -- if you get a chance to do so -- what you think.
But, in addition, even if facilitators of the planning process -- people who work in infomration handling operations, etc., did have to do something that wasn't simply hueristic and algorithmic...and I think a parecon might well decide to let them -- this would not permit them to rise in class status. They still have only balanced job complexes and are only remunerated like everyone else, etc.
Take a look at the book -- honestly -- it does deal with such matters.
> Further, I don't remember anything about investment planning.
> How is planning for the future organized? how are the wishes
> of future generations represented?
Investments are more or less what you would expect -- long run consumption or production proposals, which go through the plan or not -- more likely, are adapted. There is no way to represent future generations or for that matter other species I am aware of other than solidarity with them...or, if one was worried that would flag without persistent pressure, laws.