> But it should be emphasized that this is not the same
> thing as prefiguring an actual economy.
Of course -- a part of me agrees -- you are absolutely correct. But there are people here who have been playing the skeptical much better than I could possibly do. I can also see the formidable obstacles ahead, the length of the journey, and how small and weak we appear before them. So, let me construe the verb "to prefigure" as, per my dictionary, as "imagine in advance" or "anticipate." That is what I mean by "prefigure." I don't mean that Occupy Wall Street is a full dress rehearsal. My point is that big things start small. Yes, I know that not everything scales up nicely. Complexity gets in the way. But, in my book, the fact that regular people get into their heads that they can organize and manage their lives without capital and without an alien political apparatus *is* the beginning of socialism. This is where I choose to place the emphasis now. This level of social energy among the rank and file is not going to dissipate unless we achieve serious results or suffer a massive, crushing defeat. I know that, for those of us of a certain age and experience, the latter looks much more likely. But that may be an illusion of our times. Nothing is yet decided. We must play to win.