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Title: Parecon: Life After Capitalism by Michael Albert ISBN: 1-85984-698-X Publisher: Verso Books Pub. Date: April, 2003 Format: Hardcover Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $21.00 |
Average Customer Rating: 3.91 (11 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: Clear alternative to capitalism
Comment: This is the clearest exposition yet of participatory economics,
an alternative to captitalism, market socialism, and
Soviet-style central planning. The participatory economics
model was developed by Michael Albert in collaboration
with Robin Hahnel. I would recommend reading this book
with Hahnel's recent book, The ABCs of Political Economy,
which provides a more in-depth critique of mainstream
pro-market economics.
Instead of allocation by how much
power or bargaining clout you have -- which is how markets
really work (forget about mainstream propaganda
about markets as "efficiency machines"!) --
participatory economics is based on the idea of
self-management -- each is to have a say over economic
decisions in proportion to how much they are impacted.
Governance by corporations and the state is replaced
by democratic worker and neighborhood organizations.
The market is replaced by participatory planning -- the
creation of a comprehensive agenda for production by
the direct input of requests
for work and consumption outcomes by individuals and
groups, and a back and forth process of negotiation.
Intead of elite planners, as in Soviet-style central
planning, we all would craft the economic plan.
In the process of individuals and groups evaluating
possible outcomes, the planning system takes account
of consumer and worker preferences, thus giving measures
of social benefits and costs. As each production group
approximates to the average social cost/benefit, waste
is avoided. The overall structure is designed to support
the tendencies in human nature towards solidarity and
cooperation, as opposed to the market, which imposes
a regime where "nice guys finish last."
Parecon has a particularly elegant solution to the
problem of under-production of collective goods,
and over-production of negative external effects,
like pollution, which are widespread and destructive
effects of markets.
Little is said about how such an economic framework
would come about. Albert thinks that having a good
vision of where we want to go is important to motivating
the kinds of mass movements that would be needed to
bring about such a change.
Rating: 5
Summary: Economies Affect People
Comment: When was the last time you had a voice regarding what's being produced in the economy? And how much of an influence did you have over the cost of your last doctor visit? Finally, does the market care about the homeless or the environment, or does it only care about profits, leaving the former two concerns for you, the taxpayer, to deal with (i.e., market discipline)? People should ask themselves questions such as these before reading Michael Albert's Parecon: Life After Capitalism.
In a nutshell, this book offers an alternative economic vision that could fulfill human potentials and needs in participatory ways. Parecon's guiding values are equity, diversity, solidarity, and participatory self-management.
Clearly then, this book requires critical thinking on the part of the reader. Prepare to be challenged at first, as Albert analyzes the inherent weaknesses of both capitalist and the so-called "socialist" economies (e.g., former USSR), and how they both subvert human values to a considerable extent. In fact, he demonstrates conclusively how capitalism destroys equity, limits choices, wrecks solidarity, and smashes worker self-management. And because capitalism remunerates for bargaining power and has corporate divisions of labor, these ill-effects will be inevitable under capitalism, according to Albert. Therefore, Albert dismisses capitalism when thinking about a desirable economic vision.
Albert picks apart the so-called "socialist" economies in the same way. He shows the reader that such economies are clearly totalitarian, as they typically have state ownership and central planning; despite some marginal democratic forms on the periphery. Further, he argues that such systems create a new class of people who monopolize skills and decision-making -- what he calls the "coordinator class". Ironically, the philosopher Bakunin warned of this over a century ago about such a systems; a system under the control of an elite minority "overflowing with brains". Ultimately, Albert proclaims, we should reject such "socialist" systems on the same grounds that we reject capitalism; they're flawed, and violate basic human rights and "the values we hold dear".
But again, the focus of this book is to actually develop a new economy -- its relations, institutions, and so on. At the same time, it's remarkably consistent with a long tradition of libertarian thought from the Left. Albert merely expands upon those ideas in order to arrive at a realistic, desirable economic vision for the future.
Economies affect people. Understanding this and working to make that relationship compatible should be our concern. This book is an important step in that direction.
Rating: 1
Summary: Just another attempt at brainwashing the masses
Comment: This book is good for two audiences:
1. People who are socialists and want to read more ways they can implement their big plans to destroy capitalism.
2. People who are reasonable/capitalists who want to read a laughable proposal to unite the masses and bring down the great evil capitalist societies of the world.
So basically this book is suitable for anyone. But seriously, it is simply another way to say "Down with successful people! I deserve an equal share of the economic pie just because I'm a human and I'm equal to everyone else!" and other familiar chants of the far, far left wing. It's actually quite amazing to me that people still propose such nonsensical "progressive" ideas to implement socialism and can keep a straight face. Some people are incapable of reason and/or learning apparently. This book tries to counter the common (as in common-sense) attacks on socialism and uses the familiar notion that past attempts at socialism were different or implemented incorrectly and that this new great revolutionary book has the answers to make sure the next attempt is successful.
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Title: The ABC's of Political Economy: A Modern Approach by Robin Hahnel ISBN: 0745318576 Publisher: Pluto Press Pub. Date: 24 January, 2003 List Price(USD): $19.95 |
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Title: Contours of Descent: US Economic Fractures and the Landscape of Global Austerity by Robert Pollin ISBN: 1859846734 Publisher: Verso Books Pub. Date: September, 2003 List Price(USD): $21.00 |
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Title: After the New Economy by Doug Henwood ISBN: 1565847709 Publisher: New Press Pub. Date: 01 October, 2003 List Price(USD): $24.95 |
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Title: Hegemony or Survival: America's Quest for Global Dominance (The American Empire Project) by Noam Chomsky ISBN: 0805074007 Publisher: Metropolitan Books Pub. Date: 04 November, 2003 List Price(USD): $22.00 |
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Title: Empire of Capital by Ellen Meiksins Wood ISBN: 1859845029 Publisher: Verso Books Pub. Date: June, 2003 List Price(USD): $22.00 |
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