Parecomic

[jondwhite]

I’ve seen the debate between Albert and SPGB but it seems there is still some support for Parecon

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/471898784/parecomic-a-documentary-graphic-novel

[ALB]

Funny you should mention this as I’m reading a book on “Anarchist Economics” that AK Press have sent us for review. And what does the first article advocate but “parecon”? I see there’s an Afterword by Michael Albert himself. I’m hoping that in between some more sensible ideas will emerge. After all, there are anarchists who are communists and want the same sort of classless, stateless, moneyless, wageless society we do.I can’t understand why some anarchists should fall for Albert’s detailed blueprint for a society which would be a bureaucratic nightmare of form-filling with your consumption monitored by your neighbours and your work performance by your work mates, and with rationing taking place through plastic cards registering the “labour-credits” you’ve earned instead of conventional money.

[jondwhite]

I saw a website for an illustrator / graphics designer who does this sort of project for anarchist publications. If its effective then perhaps this is something the party could consider commissioning one day?

[ALB]

I’ve now finished reading that book on “Anarchist Economics” and am pleased to report that there are 2 chapters, by writers describing themselves as “libertarian communists” (Deric Shannon and Scott Nappalos), making the same criticism as us of both “market anarchism” (derived from Proudhon and propagated today by modern “mutualists” such as Kevin Carson) and of  Michael Albert’s “parecon” — one of them even refers to our pamphlet Socialism As A Practical Alternative. Both writers advocate instead “from each according to ability, to each according to need”Nappalos criticises Albert’s blueprint for proposing a modified wages system (by linking people’s consumption to the amount of work effort they put in). He also makes the same critcism as us of having your fellow workers judge how hard you work:

Quote:

Having coworkers judge each other’s work would turn the gossip and infighting at work presently from an annoyance into a system of power over wages.

Yes, it would be worse than now when this is judged by management !

[Author]

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