Month: February 2023

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Socialist economics

Socialist economics is characterized by social ownership and operation of the means of production. This means that the control and management of resources, factories, and other productive assets are in the hands of society as a whole, rather than in the hands of a small group of individuals or corporations.

There are many different forms of socialism, each with its own unique economic model. Autonomous cooperatives are one common form of socialist organization, in which workers collectively own and manage their own workplaces. Another form of socialism is direct public ownership, in which production is carried out directly for use rather than for profit. In both cases, the goal is to prioritize the needs of society as a whole, rather than the interests of a small group of owners or shareholders.

Socialist systems that utilize markets for allocating capital goods and factors of production among economic units are designated market socialism. In these systems, prices are set by supply and demand, but the means of production are owned and controlled by society as a whole. When planning is utilized, the economic system is designated as a socialist planned economy. In a planned economy, production is centrally coordinated by a planning authority, rather than by the market.

Non-market forms of socialism usually include a system of accounting based on calculation-in-kind to value resources and goods. This means that resources are valued not based on their monetary price, but on their actual physical or labour inputs.

Marxian economics provided a foundation for socialism based on analysis of capitalism. Marx believed that capitalism was inherently unstable and exploitative, and that socialism offered a better path forward for society. Neoclassical economics and evolutionary economics have also contributed to socialist thought, providing comprehensive models of socialism that take into account both economic efficiency and social justice.

During the 20th century, proposals and models for both socialist planned and market economies were based heavily on neoclassical economics or a synthesis of neoclassical economics with Marxian or institutional economics. These models have varied widely in their effectiveness, but they have all been driven by a common goal: to create an economic system that prioritizes the needs of society as a whole, rather than the interests of a small groups.

In conclusion, socialist economics is a diverse field that encompasses a range of economic theories, practices, and norms. At its core, socialist economics is characterized by social ownership and operation of the means of production, and a commitment to prioritizing the needs of society as a whole over the interests of a small groups. While there are many different forms of socialism, they are all united by a common goal: to create a more just and equitable society through a more democratic and egalitarian economic system.

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Anarchist economics

Anarchism is a radical left-wing movement that has a strong anti-authoritarian, anti-statist, and libertarian interpretation of socialism, communism, individualism, collectivism, mutualism, participism, and syndicalism. Anarchists support personal property based on mutualist usufruct, which refers to possession and use of property, but they oppose private ownership of productive property such as the means of production (capital, land, and labour) which is viewed as a fundamental aspect of capitalism.

In contrast to anarcho-capitalists, anarchists retain the labour theory of value and socialist doctrines, rejecting capitalism as a system that reproduces economic activity that they see as oppressive. Capitalist institutions such as private property, hierarchical production relations, collection of rents from private property, taking a profit in exchanges, and collecting interest on loans are viewed by anarchists as promoting and reproducing forms of economic oppression. They believe that the ruling class, including capitalists, landlords, and other coercive hierarchical systems, are the primary rulers of society. To remove such authority, anarchists endorse workers’ self-management, democratic education, and cooperative ideas.

Unlike right-libertarians, anarchists endorse possession-based ownership rather than propertarianism. Possession-based ownership means that ownership is based on use, while propertarianism means that ownership is based on control or domination. In possession-based ownership, the owner has the right to use the property for their own needs but does not have the right to exclude others from using it. This is a key difference between anarchists and capitalists, as anarchists believe in a system where everyone has equal access to the means of production and distribution of goods and services.

Anarchist economics involves the concept of mutual aid, which is a voluntary, reciprocal exchange of resources and services between individuals or groups. Mutual aid is based on the principle of solidarity, cooperation, and support rather than competition and profit. Mutual aid can take many forms, including community-based cooperatives, worker-owned businesses, and neighborhood support networks. Mutual aid is seen as a way to create a more sustainable and just economic system, one that is not based on profit but rather on the needs of individuals and communities.

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Libertarian socialism

Libertarian socialism is a political philosophy that has gained popularity in recent years due to its emphasis on liberty and social justice. It is a left-wing, anti-authoritarian, and anti-statist movement within socialism that rejects the state’s control of the economy of state socialism. This philosophy is rooted in the idea that workers should have greater control over their workplaces and that centralized institutions should be dismantled in favour of decentralized, democratic structures.

Libertarian socialism is not a singular movement, but rather a broad socialist tradition that encompasses a variety of different schools of thought. This includes anarchism, Marxism, and other left-libertarian tendencies. These different strands of libertarian socialism share a commitment to freedom, a rejection of authoritarianism, and a desire to create a more equitable and just society.

One of the key tenets of libertarian socialism is the rejection of the concept of a state. Libertarian socialists argue that a truly free and just society can only be achieved through the abolition of authoritarian institutions that control the means of production and subordinate the majority to a ruling class. Instead, libertarian socialists advocate for decentralized structures based on direct democracy and federal or confederal associations.

These decentralized structures can take many different forms, including citizens’/popular assemblies, cooperatives, libertarian municipalism, trade unions, and workers’ councils. The goal is to create a society where power is distributed more equally and where individuals have greater control over their own lives.

At the heart of libertarian socialism is a commitment to workers’ self-management. Libertarian socialists criticize wage slavery relationships within the workplace, emphasizing the need for workers to have greater control over their own labour. This includes the ability to make decisions about the products they produce, the working conditions they face, and the distribution of benefits. Libertarian socialism is distinguished from the authoritarian approach of Bolshevism and the reformism of Fabianism.

In conclusion, libertarian socialism is a left-wing, anti-authoritarian, and anti-statist political philosophy that emphasizes workers’ self-management and decentralized structures of political organization. It rejects the concept of a state and seeks to create a more equitable and just society by dismantling authoritarian institutions and empowering individuals and communities. While there are many different schools of thought within the libertarian socialist movement, they all share a commitment to liberty and social justice.

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Anti-capitalism

Anti-capitalism is a political movement that challenges the current economic system, capitalism. It is based on the understanding that capitalism is an unjust system that creates inequality, concentrates power in the hands of a few individuals and corporations, and exploits workers and resources for profit.

One alternative to capitalism proposed by anti-capitalists is socialism. Socialism advocates for public or direct worker ownership and control of the means of production, as well as an equal distribution of resources and an egalitarian method of compensation. This would lead to a society where all people have access to resources and decision-making power.

Socialists argue that capitalism unfairly concentrates power and derives wealth through exploitation. That capitalism generates wasteful industries and practices that exist only to create demand for products, which contributes to environmental degradation and the overconsumption of resources. Socialists contend that private ownership of the means of production imposes a tremendous waste of material resources.

Anarchism and libertarian socialism are two closely related ideologies that share a common goal of creating a stateless, classless society, organized along democratic and egalitarian principles. Both of these ideologies have their roots in the 19th century, when the Industrial Revolution was transforming society and capitalism was becoming the dominant economic system.

At its core, anarchism is a philosophy that rejects all forms of hierarchical authority, including the state, capitalism, and organized religion. Anarchists believe that people are capable of governing themselves through direct democracy and voluntary cooperation, without the need for a centralized authority to tell them what to do. Anarchists also reject the idea of private property, which they view as a tool of oppression that allows a privileged few to control the resources and means of production that are necessary for life.

Libertarian socialism is a more specific form of anarchism that emphasizes the importance of collective ownership and control of the means of production. Libertarian socialists believe that workers should control their workplaces, and that economic decision-making should be decentralized and democratic. They reject the idea of a vanguard party or a centralized authority that would guide the revolution or manage the economy after the revolution.

One of the central criticisms of capitalism from the anarchist and libertarian socialist perspective is the concept of wage slavery. This refers to the idea that workers are not truly free because they depend on wages to survive, and because their labour is exploited by capitalists who profit from their work. Their lives being dictated by the market and a small group of wealthy individuals.

Anarchism and libertarian socialism have a rich history of theory and practice. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, anarchism was associated with militant activism, such as the Haymarket Affair in Chicago in 1886, which resulted in the execution of several anarchist labor organizers. The anarchist movement was also involved in the Spanish Civil War, where anarchist militias fought against fascist forces.

In recent years, anarchism and libertarian socialism have experienced a resurgence of interest, particularly among young people who are disillusioned with the current political and economic system. Some contemporary anarchist and libertarian socialist movements include the antiglobalization movement of the last 30 years, Zapatista movement in Mexico, the Rojava Revolution in Syria.

These movements offer a powerful critique of capitalism and state power, and they provide a vision of a world where people are free to govern themselves, work collectively to meet their needs, and create a more sustainable and equitable world.

Marxism is a social, economic, and political theory developed by Karl Marx in the mid-19th century. It argues that capitalism is an unjust and unstable system that will be replaced by socialism. Marxism sees capitalism as a historical stage that was once progressive, but has now become stagnant due to internal contradictions. Marx claimed that the capitalist mode of production creates a class struggle between the bourgeoisie, who own the means of production, and the proletariat, who must sell their labour to survive.

Marx believed that the contradictions inherent in capitalism would eventually lead to a political revolution, where the proletariat would overthrow the bourgeoisie and establish a socialist society. In this society, the means of production would be owned by the workers, and wealth would be distributed more equally.

Contemporary anti-capitalist movements are often influenced by Marxist thought. Anti-globalization and alter-globalization movements also criticize capitalism, particularly neoliberalism and pro-corporate policies that have spread internationally.

However, the space for anti-capitalism has shrunk significantly since the end of the Cold War and the globalization of capitalism. Postmodern philosophers pushed the mess, of identitie politics. Many on the left have shifted their focus to multiculturalism and partisan culture war issues, leading to capitalist realism – the idea that capitalism is the only viable political and economic system.

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For the last 30 years the has been a strong alt-globalization movement

The opposition to neoliberalism (the #deathcult) is a global movement that advocates for the protection of humane culture, environmental survivability, and democratic institutions in the face of economic globalization. The anti #mainstreaming of this movement argue that the neoliberal position of free trade and removing public sector regulation has not benefited society and global survival.

One of the key events that sparked this movement was the proposed Multilateral Agreement on Investment (MAI) by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in the 1990s. This treaty aimed to liberalize cross-border investment and trade restrictions, but it faced significant opposition from civil society representatives, who argued that mandatory standards were needed to ensure that globalization did not put people or the environment at risk.

Critics of neoliberalism argue that the interests of investors are prioritized over those of people, and that this leads to the exploitation of workers and natural resources. Noam Chomsky, a prominent scholar and activist, argued that the term “globalization” has been appropriated by the powerful to refer to a specific form of international economic integration, one that prioritizes investor rights over human rights.

Opposition to neoliberalism is not opposition to globalization itself, but rather to the specific form of globalization that prioritizes the interests of private power systems over the rights of people. The movement for an alternative form of globalization seeks to promote international integration that attends to the rights of people, promotes democratic institutions, and preserves the natural environment.

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The Genoa #G8 Summit protest

The Genoa #G8 Summit protest, which took place from July 18 to July 22, 2001, was a significant event in the history of modern protest movements. The protest drew an estimated 200,000 demonstrators from all over the world, who came together to block the event and voice their concerns about the power and influence of the #deathcult in the G8 countries.

The G8 Summit, which brings together the world’s eight most powerful countries, is a controversial event that has long been the target of protest movements. Critics of the G8 argue that it is an undemocratic institution that seeks to set the rules for the world at large, without real accountability to the people it purports to serve.

The protesters who gathered in Genoa were determined to block the event and make their voices heard, and they were met with an extremely violent and heavy-handed response from the Italian police. Dozens of protesters were hospitalized, more were taken into custody after night raids on two schools housing sleeping #NGO activists and #indymedia journalists.

The treatment of those who were taken into custody was barbaric. Protesters were beaten, sexually assaulted, and denied access to medical treatment. Many of those who were held in custody were subjected to psychological torture, including sleep deprivation and solitary confinement. Despite the brutality of the police response, the protesters remained resolute, Seeing the G8 Summit as a symbol of everything that is wrong with the world.

The Italian government was later brought to trial in the European Court of Human Rights, where it was found guilty of violating the human rights. The court ruled that the police response to the protest was excessive.

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A story about outreach

The #openweb has become an integral part of our daily lives, with almost every aspect of our existence now touched by it. However, over the years, concerns have grown about the centralized nature of the internet and the power politics this creates. The rise of social media giants such as Facebook, Twitter, and Google has brought this issue to the fore. These platforms, #dotcons, are centralized and controlled by a handful of powerful corporations, which poses a significant threat to user privacy and freedom of expression.

In response to this, a disparate group of committed libertarian “cats” from the Fediverse community decided to take #directaction to promote decentralized and #openweb models of the Fediverse to the European Union (#EU). The Fediverse is a collection of decentralized social networking platforms that use the ActivityPub protocol to interconnect with each other.

The Fediverse crew participated in EU events, conferences, engaged with policy-makers. They explained the benefits of decentralized and autonomous models of the #openweb and how they can shape a more humane online world. As a result, a minority of people in the #EU became interested in these technologies and began to adopt them in a soft rollout of “official” instances.

The huge growth of Mastodon, one of the most popular social networking platforms in the Fediverse, due to the #Twittermigration attracted a diverse and vibrant community of users from across the EU and the world. This growth helped to validate the importance of decentralized internet and its potential to shape a more humane world.

From this seed, Today, ActivityPub, Fediverse, and Mastodon continue to grow to becoming important players in the EU’s efforts to promote a more humane internet. The unspoken grassroots outreach and community-building efforts by the Fediverse “cats” have empowered us, and helped to shift the EU closer to being what they say they are.

The story of the mouse and the elephant making friends is a reminder that even the most Eurocratic and ossified institutions can embrace radical grassroots movements. The Fediverse “cats” have shown that by working together, we can be a part of the change we would like to see. The #openweb is a powerful tool, and it is up to us to use it.

In conclusion, the efforts of the Fediverse community to promote decentralized and autonomous models of the internet to the EU have been successful. Our outreach and advocacy have helped to shift the EU closer to promoting a more humane internet, and the growth of platforms such as Mastodon has validated the importance of these models. It is up to all of us to ensure that the internet is used for the betterment of society.

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The Mess We’ve Made: Neoliberalism.

Over the past 40 years, humanity has created a complete mess of our society and environment. #Climatechaos, the degradation of the biosphere, and growing global inequalities are not separate issues but different facets of the same problem. This problem is the #neoliberal economic system that has spread across the world through globalization, promoting high production and high consumption lifestyles and prioritizing economic growth over environmental sustainability and social equity. It is a #deathcult we all worship.

The #neoliberal economic system has created a world that is not only incompatible with a functioning Earth System at the planetary level, but also eroding human and societal well-being, even in the wealthiest countries. The consequences of continuing on the present trajectory are dire. Collapse is the most likely outcome.

To have any hope of turning this around, we need to prioritize social equity. This requires a fundamental shift in our economic system, where sustainability and equity are prioritized over short-term greed. A transition to a more socialist economy is a path out of this mess.

The transition to a more sustainable and equitable economic system will not be easy, but it is necessary. It requires us to fundamentally change our values and priorities as a society. This cannot be done without social friction and more mess, we need to stand up and fight for a more sustainable and equitable world. It is well pastime to reject the #deathcult of neoliberalism and build a humane and better world for all earths creatures.

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The 1999 Seattle WTO protests were a strong moment in the history of globalization and global trade

The 1999 Seattle WTO protests, known as the Battle of Seattle, were a turning point in the history of globalization and global trade. The protests took place from November 30 to December 3, 1999, during the World Trade Organization’s (#WTO) Ministerial Conference, which aimed to launch a new round of trade negotiations. However, the negotiations were overshadowed by a massive demonstration that turned into a battle between protesters and law enforcement.

The protests drew tens of thousands of activists, including labour unions, environmentalists, anti-globalization campaigners, and anarchists from across the United States and the world. They came to express their opposition to the #WTO and its policies, which promoted corporate interests at the expense of workers, the environment, and humans. The protesters criticized the WTO for its lack of transparency, undemocratic decision-making processes, and the negative impact of globalization on economies, workers, and the environment.

The protesters organized a range of activities, including marches, rallies, teach-ins, and direct action. They blockaded streets, disrupted traffic, and shut down the #WTO’s meeting using various tactics, nonviolent civil disobedience, such as chaining themselves together, locking themselves to buildings and vehicles, and staging sit-ins. Some protesters engaged in violent confrontations with the police, breaking windows, looting stores, and setting fires.

The police response to the protests was controversial and criticized for its use of force and violation of protesters’ rights. The police used tear gas, pepper spray, rubber bullets, and flashbang grenades to on the protesters. They also arrested more than six hundred people, including peaceful demonstrators, journalists, and bystanders. The police’s tactics drew widespread condemnation from human rights groups, civil liberties advocates, and some progressive political leaders.

The Seattle protests had significant political and social implications, both in the United States and internationally. They exposed the growing divide between the proponents and opponents of neoliberal globalization and sparked a global movement against corporate-led globalization. The protests also marked the emergence of a new kind of activism that combined environmental, labor, human rights, and social justice concerns into a unified anti-corporate agenda. The Seattle protests were a part of similar protests around the world, including the Genoa G8 summit protests in 2001 and the Occupy Wall Street movement in 2011.

In conclusion, the 1999 Seattle WTO protests were a strong moment in the history of globalization and global trade. The protests represented a clash between two world-views, #deathcult agenda that championed corporate-led globalization and the progressive’s that demanded a more equitable and sustainable economic system. The Seattle protests remain a powerful symbol of popular resistance to the last 40 years of dogmatic neoliberalism, unaccountable corporate power and a call to action for a more just and democratic world.

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The carnival was a reminder that resistance is possible

The Carnival Against Capital was a global day of protest that took place on Friday, June 18th, 1999. It was a response to the 25th G8 Summit, which was being held in Cologne, Germany at the time. The carnival was organized as an international day of action to protest against the capitalist system and the role of the G8 in maintaining it. The event was also known as #J18, and it was inspired by previous protests such as the Stop the City protests in the 1980s, Peoples’ Global Action (#PGA), and the Global Street Party (#RTS)

The main rallying cry for the Carnival Against Capital was “Our Resistance is as Transnational as Capital.” This was a call to action for people around the world to come together and resist the global capitalist system. The event was organized by a loose coalition of groups and organizations who shared a common goal of fighting against capitalism and its impact on people’s lives.

In London, a spoof newspaper was produced to promote the event, alongside other publicity. On the day itself, the carnival started with a Critical Mass bike ride, which saw cyclists taking to the streets to highlight the problems of car culture and promote alternative forms of transport. This was followed by an action by the Campaign Against Arms Trade, which aimed to draw attention to the role of the arms trade in perpetuating war and conflict.

Later in the day, a large march converged on the London International Financial Futures Exchange for a street party. The exchange was chosen as a symbolic target because it represented the heart of the global financial system. The street party was a festive and creative event, featuring music, dancing, and street theatre. It was also an opportunity for people to express their anger and frustration at the system that was causing them harm.

The Carnival Against Capital was not just limited to London. There were protests in over 40 cities around the world, including Barcelona, Montevideo, Port Harcourt, and San Francisco. Using then new technology, the protests were reported on the internet by independent media activists from London and Sydney, in a step towards the #Indymedia network. This was a significant development in the history of protest movements, as it allowed activists to bypass the mainstream media and communicate directly with each other and the wider public.

The legacy of the Carnival Against Capital lives on today. It was a powerful moment in the history of the anti-globalization movement and showed that ordinary people could come together to challenge the #mainstreaming globalist thinking. The event inspired many people to become involved in activism and to work towards a fairer and more just world. The carnival was a reminder that resistance is possible, and that another world is not only desirable but also achievable.