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February 2018

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Fwd: [Networked-Labour] Fwd: State of Power 2018: Counter-power
by Michel Bauwens 09 Feb '18

09 Feb '18

---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Nick Buxton <nick(a)tni.org> Date: Thu, Feb 8, 2018 at 10:36 PM Subject: [Networked-Labour] Fwd: State of Power 2018: Counter-power To: networked-labour_igopnet(a)lists.igopnet.cc I think our latest State of Power report would be of strong interest to this list, so am circulating it in case you hadn't seen it yet http://tni.org/stateofpower2018 We have also since launched a retrospective of diverse people-power victories since 1968 at http://50years.tni.org/ Best wishes, Nick -------- Forwarded Message -------- Subject: State of Power 2018: Counter-power Date: Wed, 24 Jan 2018 13:46:46 +0000 From: Transnational Institute <news(a)tni.org> <news(a)tni.org> Reply-To: webmaster(a)tni.org To: Friend <nicholasbuxton(a)gmail.com> <nicholasbuxton(a)gmail.com> TNI launched our annual State of Power reports because we believe that the issue of power is central to the struggle for social justice. It has since become our most popular report, delving into who has power, how it's exercised and how we can realise our collective power to transform society. In this year's seventh edition of State of Power, we decided to focus on counter-power, to examine what is needed to build up the power of social movements and how it can be best harnessed. We are thrilled with the essays and analysis we brought together from leading activists and thinkers. We welcome your thoughts and comments so please get in touch via our social media channels or by emailing stateofpower(a)tni.org Read the overview online <http://app.getresponse.com/click.html?x=a62b&lc=BJ9Wmf&mc=IJ&s=WhgHyC&u=Stc…> <http://app.getresponse.com/click.html?x=a62b&lc=BJ9Wmf&mc=IJ&s=WhgHyC&u=Stc…> Introductory interview Marching forward: Women, resistance and counter-power *An interview with Bertha Zúñiga Cáceres, Medha Patkar and Nonhle Mbuthuma* Three inspiring and courageous social movement leaders from Honduras, India and South Africa share their perspectives on how to build durable and effective popular movements. > Read the interview <http://app.getresponse.com/click.html?x=a62b&lc=BJ9WfC&mc=IJ&s=WhgHyC&u=Stc…> Essays 'Beneath the pavements, the beach' - or the whirlpool? Lessons of 1968 *Hilary Wainwright* in her preview of an upcoming book argues that the revolutions of 1968 have an ambivalent legacy - they both regenerated capitalism but also experimented with forms of participation and transformative power that can and are inspiring today's social movements. > Read online <http://app.getresponse.com/click.html?x=a62b&lc=BJ9W8b&mc=IJ&s=WhgHyC&u=Stc…> . Thinking Freedom: achieving the impossible collectively Drawing on his award-winning book, *Michael Neocosmos* argues that real emancipation emerges out of the universalist thinking that comes from collective struggle and must not be conflated with the politics of representation whether by parties or states. > Read online <http://app.getresponse.com/click.html?x=a62b&lc=BJ9WUv&mc=IJ&s=WhgHyC&u=Stc…> . >From protest movements to transformative politics Renowned Italian political activist, *Luciana Castellina* argues that movements are not enough to build counter-power. There is a need for a new kind of political party to mediate organized and diverse peoples and to rebuild the connective tissue that binds society and politics. > Read online <http://app.getresponse.com/click.html?x=a62b&lc=BJ9WkB&mc=IJ&s=WhgHyC&u=Stc…> . Without translation, no hay revolución! *Alice Froidevaux and Eline Müller* Two radical interpreters with La Via Campesina assert that language - and thus translation and interpretation - is about access, about participation, about power. How can we bring about language justice within transnational social movements? > Read online <http://app.getresponse.com/click.html?x=a62b&lc=BJ9WY5&mc=IJ&s=WhgHyC&u=Stc…> Building feminist counter-power: In for the long haul Author of One-Dimensional Woman, *Nina Power*, acclaims the new feminist militancy on the streets, across the globe and in the air. Social movements should use this moment to overcome the socialization of girls and boys that has been so hard to shift in order to permanently end the bullying and harassment typified in the likes of Trump. > Read online <http://app.getresponse.com/click.html?x=a62b&lc=BJ9Wx9&mc=IJ&s=WhgHyC&u=Stc…> Flowing Movement: Building alternative water governance in Mexico *Gerardo Alatorre Frenk* tells the inspiring story of how the Mexican government's decision to acknowledge access to water as a human right led to a massive civil society response including 99 public forums to define what good water governance looks like. What can we learn from the experience? > Read online <http://app.getresponse.com/click.html?x=a62b&lc=BJ9WTd&mc=IJ&s=WhgHyC&u=Stc…> Madrid's Community Gardens: Where neighbourhood counter-power puts down roots *José Luis Fernández Casadevante Kois, Nerea Morán and Nuria del Viso* report on the community garden movement that has emerged in Madrid. What if, rather than the barricade, we were to think of counter-power in terms of a space such as a community garden? > Read online <http://app.getresponse.com/click.html?x=a62b&lc=BJ9Wpe&mc=IJ&s=WhgHyC&u=Stc…> People in defence of life and territory: Counter-power and self-defence in Latin America *Raúl Zibechi* reports on the liittle-reported rise of self-defence groups and community police forces created across Latin America by communities to resist state and corporate violence. What do these counter-power structures look like and what we can learn from them? >Read online <http://app.getresponse.com/click.html?x=a62b&lc=BJ9W1G&mc=IJ&s=WhgHyC&u=Stc…> Making counter-power out of madness Journalist and TV presenter *Laura Flanders* asks how movements in the US can build counter-power out of Trumpian madness? Against the odds, a new vision is emerging that seeks to bring together a systemic critique with an embodied practice based on shared decision-making, solidarity economics and community-based approaches to prosperity and security. > Read online <http://app.getresponse.com/click.html?x=a62b&lc=BJ9Wbx&mc=IJ&s=WhgHyC&u=Stc…> Fighting for public health: How a Swedish rural community confronted neoliberal cutbacks *Desirée Enlund* The rural communities in the Västernorrland county of Northern Sweden are often ignored, but in 2017 their struggle to stop cutbacks in maternity and emergency care made national news. What lessons can we learn on how to build counter-power in rural areas of the Global North? > Read online <http://app.getresponse.com/click.html?x=a62b&lc=BJ9WNl&mc=IJ&s=WhgHyC&u=Stc…> You can read all the essays here <http://app.getresponse.com/click.html?x=a62b&lc=BJ9W7D&mc=IJ&s=WhgHyC&u=Stc…> On 30th January, TNI will also launch a visual history of 50 years of counter-power. Keep an eye out for it on our Facebook <http://app.getresponse.com/click.html?x=a62b&lc=BJ9Wqm&mc=IJ&s=WhgHyC&u=Stc…> and Twitter <http://app.getresponse.com/click.html?x=a62b&lc=BJ9WnM&mc=IJ&s=WhgHyC&u=Stc…> pages. Transnational Institute <http://app.getresponse.com/click.html?x=a62b&lc=BJ9WDs&mc=IJ&s=WhgHyC&u=Stc…> - putting ideas into movement since 1974 Follow us on Facebook <http://app.getresponse.com/click.html?x=a62b&lc=BJ9Wqm&mc=IJ&s=WhgHyC&u=Stc…>, Twitter <http://app.getresponse.com/click.html?x=a62b&lc=BJ9W4i&mc=IJ&s=WhgHyC&u=Stc…> or YouTube <http://app.getresponse.com/click.html?x=a62b&lc=BJ9WA6&mc=IJ&s=WhgHyC&u=Stc…> . Wittenstraat 25, 1052AK, Amsterdam, Netherlands You may unsubscribe <http://app.getresponse.com/unsubscribe.html?x=a62b&m=fnt3j&s=WhgHyC&u=Stcs4…> or change your contact details <http://app.getresponse.com/change_details.html?x=a62b&m=fnt3j&s=WhgHyC&u=St…> at any time. Powered by: <http://app.getresponse.com/referral.html?x=a62b&c=h5iJv&u=Stcs4&y=W&>[image: GetResponse] <http://app.getresponse.com/referral.html?x=a62b&c=h5iJv&u=Stcs4&y=W&> _______________________________________________ Networked-labour_igopnet mailing list Networked-labour_igopnet(a)lists.igopnet.cc http://grups.pangea.org/mailman/listinfo/networked-labour_igopnet -- Check out the Commons Transition Plan here at: http://commonstransition.org P2P Foundation: http://p2pfoundation.net - http://blog.p2pfoundation.net <http://lists.ourproject.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/p2p-foundation>Updates: http://twitter.com/mbauwens; http://www.facebook.com/mbauwens #82 on the (En)Rich list: http://enrichlist.org/the-complete-list/

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Fwd: Connecting movements: A conference, survey and new articles
by Michel Bauwens 08 Feb '18

08 Feb '18

---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Dante-Gabryell Monson <dante.monson(a)gmail.com> Date: Wed, Feb 7, 2018 at 12:52 PM *" Take part in mapping degrowth activities "* ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Degrowth Webportal <no-reply(a)degrowth.de> Date: Tue, Feb 6, 2018 at 4:11 PM Subject: Connecting movements: A conference, survey and new articles To: Dante-Gabryell Monson <dante.monson(a)gmail.com> Display problems? View this newsletter in your browser. <https://www.degrowth.info/de/?email_id=105&user_id=395&urlpassed=W3ZpZXdfaW…> <http://www.degrowth.info/> Dear readers, be it climate justice, self-determined development or the revolution of care-work, aspects of the degrowth-discourse can be found in many social movements.Therefore, we're working on common perspectives for changing society across movements. One of our highlights 2017 was the conference "Self-Determined & in Solidarity - migration, development and ecological crises". Its success keeps us motivated to further seek the connection of movements. In this newsletter we want to give you an insight into the conference - as well as the debates on our blog. Enjoy the read! The editing team of degrowth.info [image: ---] Self-Determined & in Solidarity!Videos, photos and reports online <https://youtu.be/sjc8jOlOn_U> *All videos of the conference are subtitled!* With 700 participants, the conference "Self-Determined & in Solidarity" was more than twice the expected size. It took place from October 6 to 8 in Leipzig, Germany, treating questions such as: What is the connection between the debate around a just design of migration and the one around an ecological and social economy? What are the links between alternative concepts such as „Degrowth“ or „Post-Development“ and a postcolonial perspective on the causes of flight? Why do migrants start their journeys and what do we mean when we call for "self-determined development"? Participants treated these quesions in workshops, panel discussions, theater performances and exhibitions. The conference connected the topics of flight and migration, self-determined development and ecological crises - and built bridges between the respective movements: from freedom of movement and anti-racism to agriculture, degrowth and climate justice. You can see several panel discussions and lectures as videos <https://www.degrowth.info/en/self-determined-in-solidarity/documentation/>. In addition, we have published a photo gallery <https://www.degrowth.info/de/selbstbestimmt-solidarisch/allgemein/bilder-de…>of the conference. [image: ---] Take part in mapping degrowth activities The Degrowth Support Group, which promotes the International Degrowth Conferences, has launched *a short survey to find out who is already working on degrowth where <https://degrowth.community/surveys/mapping-degrowth-worldwide> *and then start a map with this information. If there is sufficient drive, a loose network can also evolve. The map will aim to facilitate those interested in degrowth to join a nearby group and work together on the territory, while connecting already existing groups. It is an attempt to bring groups and individuals together for political and practical actions on degrowth. To organize and build synergies for joint action on degrowth we need to know who we are and what our ideas are. *> Take part in the survey* <https://degrowth.community/surveys/mapping-degrowth-worldwide> Feel free to forward the survey to groups who you think might be interested! [image: ---] Have you read yet?Just three of the many great posts on our blog [image: Decolonisation and Degrowth] <https://www.degrowth.info/en/2018/02/decolonisation-and-degrowth/> Decolonisation and Degrowth <https://www.degrowth.info/en/2018/02/decolonisation-and-degrowth/> By Claire Deschner and Elliot Hurst Why do degrowth scholars use the word "decolonise" to discuss the process of changing the growth imaginary? Isn’t decolonisation about undoing the historical colonisation of land, languages and minds? How do these two uses of the word relate? *> read more <https://www.degrowth.info/en/2018/02/decolonisation-and-degrowth/>* [image: From Degrowth to De-Globalization] <https://www.degrowth.info/en/2018/01/from-degrowth-to-de-globalization/> >From Degrowth to De-Globalization <https://www.degrowth.info/en/2018/01/from-degrowth-to-de-globalization/> By Samuel Decker The rise of far-right globalization criticism requires a new role for the Degrowth movement. ‘Progressive De-Globalization‘ could be the counter-project that is urgently needed. *> read more <https://www.degrowth.info/en/2018/01/from-degrowth-to-de-globalization/>* [image: Degrowth and Feminism] <https://www.degrowth.info/en/2017/11/degrowth-and-feminism/> Degrowth and Feminism <https://www.degrowth.info/en/2017/11/degrowth-and-feminism/> By Corinna Dengler and Birte Strunk Is it possible to reconcile sustainable development, a fair distribution of both paid and unpaid work among genders, and an economic strategy based on growth? *> read more <https://www.degrowth.info/en/2017/11/degrowth-and-feminism/>* [image: ---] Unsubscribe <https://www.degrowth.info/de/?email_id=105&user_id=395&urlpassed=W3Vuc3Vic2…> - Edit your subscription <https://www.degrowth.info/de/?email_id=105&user_id=395&urlpassed=W3N1YnNjcm…> Editors: Christopher Laumanns and Ruth Krohn Donations: Our work needs financial support. Support us with a regular donation! Konzeptwerk Neue Ökonomie (Special account for degrowth-projects) GLS Bank IBAN: DE72 4306 0967 1137 2088 01 BIC: GENODEM1GLS -- Check out the Commons Transition Plan here at: http://commonstransition.org P2P Foundation: http://p2pfoundation.net - http://blog.p2pfoundation.net <http://lists.ourproject.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/p2p-foundation>Updates: http://twitter.com/mbauwens; http://www.facebook.com/mbauwens #82 on the (En)Rich list: http://enrichlist.org/the-complete-list/

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Fwd: Commons Gent - Uitnodiging dialoogavond: “Hoe maken we van Gent een partnerstad voor de commons?”
by Michel Bauwens 06 Feb '18

06 Feb '18

it's in dutch, but very good news, the ghent commons project is going forward, Michel ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Ramit'san Annelore <Annelore.Raman(a)stad.gent> Date: 2018-02-05 14:43 GMT+01:00 Subject: Commons Gent - Uitnodiging dialoogavond: “Hoe maken we van Gent een partnerstad voor de commons?” To: Michel Bauwens <michelsub2004(a)gmail.com> Dag Michel, Hieronder de uitnodiging voor het eerste overleg met de commoners op vrijdag 2 maart. Ik deelde het ondertussen ook al op de Facebook-pagina en contacteerde een 150-tal personen via mail, je kan het gerust ook nog eens delen. Ik zal je op de hoogte houden van de opkomst! Vriendelijke groet, Annelore Beste commoner(s), Het Gentse stadsbestuur nodigt u uit op *2 maart 2018 om 19 uur in NEST* (zaal Mus) voor een dialoogavond rond de vraag: *“Hoe maken we van Gent een partnerstad voor de commons?”* We bouwen verder op de aanbevelingen uit het onderzoek van Michel Bauwens naar ‘Gent als commonsstad van de toekomst’. Samen met u en andere commoners willen we van gedachten wisselen over hoe we van Gent effectief een ‘partnerstad’ kunnen maken die commonsprojecten mogelijk maakt en ondersteunt. Op deze avond willen we kennismaken, verwachtingen uitwisselen en een aanpak uitwerken voor een gezamenlijk actieplan om de aanbevelingen van het onderzoek te realiseren. *Programma:* 19.00 u. Verwelkoming met drankje 19.30 u. Welkomstwoord - Daniël Termont, burgemeester 19.45 u. Inleiding - Karl-Filip Coenegrachts, strategisch coördinator 20.00 u. Toelichting onderzoek en Commons Transitie Plan - Annelore Raman 20.20 u. Voorstel aanpak actieplan - Tom Van Nieuwenhove 20.30 u. Plenair overleg over verwachtingen en aanpak 21.30 u. Receptie & netwerkmoment *Wilt/kunt u er bij zijn? Laat het ons weten als antwoord op deze mail (annelore.raman(a)stad.gent <annelore.raman(a)stad.gent>**).* We hopen u daar te zien! Daniel Termont Burgemeester stad Gent https://stad.gent/over-gent-en-het-stadsbestuur/nieuws-evenementen/gent-als- commonsstad/dialoogavond-hoe-maken-we-van-gent-een- partnerstad-voor-de-commons -- P2P Foundation: http://p2pfoundation.net - http://blog.p2pfoundation.net Connect: http://p2pfoundation.ning.com; Discuss: http://lists.ourproject.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/p2p-foundation Updates: http://del.icio.us/mbauwens; http://friendfeed.com/mbauwens; http://twitter.com/mbauwens; http://www.facebook.com/mbauwens

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Re: [P2P-F] [CommonGood] Urban Commons
by Michel Bauwens 06 Feb '18

06 Feb '18

Thank you so much Birgit for this very important work, and great to see the focus on global south examples, May I suggest another source... Foster/Iaione (with p2p-f) upcoming co-cities report has 100 detailed case studies, 50 of which are from the global south; Vasilis in cc has access to the first 20, to which we intensely colloborated in that first stage of the study, Please note the p2pfoundation wiki has special section on Category:Urban Commons and Category:Commons Policy, with hundreds of documented references to real cases, for example here at https://wiki.p2pfoundation.net/Category:Urban_Commons Michel On Mon, Feb 5, 2018 at 9:31 AM, Birgit Daiber <bir.dai(a)hotmail.com> wrote: > Dear friends and colleagues, from 7-13 Feb. the 9th World Urban Forum is > taking place in Kuala Lumpur. Action Aid India asked me to write a paper on > the subject for the compilation they prepare for this conference. You find > my paper attached. > > Actually I'm preparing something reasonable on possible strategies to > introduce Commons in the up-coming European campaign of European Left (next > European elections are in 2019) - debates are starting with the > Transform!-seminar on March 17 in Copenhagen and continue with the > preparatory AEPF-Transform!-conference in June in Barcelona. > > Yours, Birgit > > > > > > > *bir.dai(a)hotmail.com <bir.dai(a)hotmail.com>* > *www.birgitdaiber.eu <http://www.birgitdaiber.eu>* > *Mobile: 0039-366-4207762* > > *Casella Postale No. 28, * > *Uff. Posta, Via Vittorio **Emanuele* > *I-98055 Lipari* > > > > _______________________________________________ > CommonGood Mailingliste > JPBerlin - Politischer Provider > CommonGood(a)listi.jpberlin.de > https://listi.jpberlin.de/mailman/listinfo/commongood > > -- Check out the Commons Transition Plan here at: http://commonstransition.org P2P Foundation: http://p2pfoundation.net - http://blog.p2pfoundation.net <http://lists.ourproject.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/p2p-foundation>Updates: http://twitter.com/mbauwens; http://www.facebook.com/mbauwens #82 on the (En)Rich list: http://enrichlist.org/the-complete-list/

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Re: [P2P-F] My review (bauwens) of Alex Foti's General Theory of the Precariat
by Michel Bauwens 06 Feb '18

06 Feb '18

thanks Alex!! On Mon, Feb 5, 2018 at 6:03 PM, Alex Foti <alex.foti(a)gmail.com> wrote: > Dear friends > > thanks for your food for thought. was at transmediale for a few days and > then lost two planes but it went well and talk about the precariat and the > threat of national populism, all too evident in italy as a fascio-leghista > goes on a killing rampage targeting anybody who's black in the provincial > town of macerata. i agree with michel that in france and belgium unions and > their mutualities are integrated in the welfare state and they get to > co-manage social security (it's not like that all over europe) - true > unions have roles in the co-op industry, but this operates largely > indistinguishably from corporations with social responsibility. anyway i > really think UBI would do wonders to encourage people to engage with the > commons, and social entrepreneurship around the commons. it would abolish > workfare and all other paternalistic, vertical element still attached to > the fordist welfare state. best ciaos and a little poem i recited for the > opening. alex > > An Ode to the Multiethnic, Transgendered Precariat > PRECARIOUS OF EUROPE, LET'S DEFEAT THE NEW FASCISM > > Neoliberalism made its profits on the precariat's back > now nazi-populism wants to turn the clock back > on the millennials' untamed spirit of subversion > by quashing rebellion and persecuting migration: > nationalism is back and the left is held in check, > so we need a whole new anticapitalist hack! > > nazis and fascists give people identity, > to vanquish the bastards in perpetuity > we need the class based on precarity! > europe is old and old people hate, > right-wing populism won't disintegrate > unless social populism occupies the state: > a european republic of regions and city-states > against assimilation by christian nation-states! > > not a world of magic, but a barricade against tragic > return of nationalism in the continent that spawned it; > since '11 the precariat's been fighting for world liberation: > it is on the side of women's emancipation vs. male domination, > it needs constituent power to stop trump and putin's aberration.. > > O precariat, rise from your slumber > and riot in multitudinous number: > you were neoliberalism's early creation > in affinity groups u opposed globalization; > > Now the times have changed for worse: > fascism is again riding history's mad horse > from america to russia, from berlin to vienna > antifa is the last barricade vs racist gehenna! > > Anarchists, feminists, ecologists > commonists, populists, socialists > must enter in broad alliance > with the precariat's new defiance, > to dismantle neoliberalism > and defeat all nazi populists! > let's overthrow unequal oligarchy > let's defeat once for all patriarchy!! > > May the 2011 revolution's embers > spark your minds, guide your levers: > defeat the bosses in this game's new levels > free and open europe from Warsaw to Paris; > we all gotta fight for real democracy, > welcome refugees, oppose eurocracy! > The signs of dystopia are all too clear > war n climate disaster are all too near, > but hey the people's upswell never stops, > it will bury Ordoliberismus before it rots.. > > > On Mon, Feb 5, 2018 at 5:48 PM, Stacco Troncoso < > staccotroncoso(a)p2pfoundation.net> wrote: > >> Hi everyone, >> >> Here's Michel's review of Alex's book, published in the P2PF blog: >> https://blog.p2pfoundation.net/p2p-review-alex-fotis-general >> -theory-precariat/2018/01/30 >> >> Cheers, >> >> Stacco >> >> On Wed, Jan 31, 2018 at 6:58 PM, Michael Lewis <Lewiscccr(a)shaw.ca> wrote: >> >>> This is a brilliant article Pat. Thanks for sharing. >>> >>> On Jan 31, 2018, at 6:21 AM, pat commonfutures < >>> pat.commonfutures(a)phonecoop.coop> wrote: >>> >>> In the UK it would be great if we had a supportive mayor somewhere like >>> in Barcelona or the work in Ghent. One local government though that is >>> going down this road is Preston. This article in the Guardian today tells >>> the story. >>> >>> https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/jan/31/presto >>> n-hit-rock-bottom-took-back-control >>> >>> Pat >>> >>> On 30 January 2018 at 20:01 Holemans Dirk <Dirk.Holemans(a)stad.gent> >>> wrote: >>> >>> Me too, I just bought a second-hand version of Henry’s book online >>> >>> Michel: we can share it! >>> >>> >>> *Van: *<michelsub2004(a)gmail.com> namens Michel Bauwens < >>> michel(a)p2pfoundation.net> >>> *Datum: *dinsdag 30 januari 2018 14:10 >>> *Aan: *pat commonfutures <pat.commonfutures(a)phonecoop.coop> >>> *CC: *Simona Levi Xnet <simona(a)xnet-x.net>, emanuele braga < >>> bragaberlino(a)gmail.com>, "visioning(a)p2pfoundation.net" < >>> visioning(a)p2pfoundation.net>, David Bollier <david(a)bollier.org>, George >>> Papanikolaou <georgepapani(a)gmail.com>, Daniel Chavez <chavez(a)tni.org>, >>> Stacco Troncoso <staccotroncoso(a)gmail.com>, Fiona Dove <fdove(a)tni.org>, >>> Hazel Henderson <hazel.henderson(a)ethicalmarkets.com>, John Restakis < >>> restakis(a)gmail.com>, Holemans Dirk <Dirk.Holemans(a)stad.gent>, Alex Foti >>> <alex.foti(a)gmail.com>, p2p-foundation <p2p-foundation(a)lists.ourproje >>> ct.org>, Geert Lovink <geert(a)xs4all.nl>, Margie Mendell < >>> mendell(a)alcor.concordia.ca>, Michael Lewis <Lewiscccr(a)shaw.ca> >>> *Onderwerp: *Re: My review (bauwens) of Alex Foti's General Theory of >>> the Precariat >>> >>> >>> looking forward to Henry's book! >>> >>> >>> On Tue, Jan 30, 2018 at 1:59 PM, pat commonfutures < >>> pat.commonfutures(a)phonecoop.coop> wrote: >>> >>> Michel >>> >>> Thanks for this link. Just to let you know that the communitarian >>> thinker and former UK civil servant Henry Tam is compiling a book on >>> Reinventing Government. I am contributing a chapter on ideas like those I >>> have shared and Anna Coote at New Economics Foundation is also doing a >>> chapter on social commons. She is drawing from your work and David >>> Bollier's. >>> >>> Henry's book will come out later this year. >>> >>> Pat >>> >>> >>> On 29 January 2018 at 13:27 Michel Bauwens <michel(a)p2pfoundation.net> >>> wrote: >>> >>> thanks a lot Pat, very useful! >>> >>> >>> keeping track of 232 current commonfare initiatives here for just that >>> reason: >>> >>> https://wiki.p2pfoundation.net/Category:P2P_Solidarity >>> >>> >>> On Mon, Jan 29, 2018 at 1:33 PM, pat commonfutures < >>> pat.commonfutures(a)phonecoop.coop> wrote: >>> >>> Hi Dirk. Alex and Michel >>> >>> We need to be aware that public services as we know them had their >>> origins in pioneering class struggles by commoners that developed the >>> fundamental social economic innovations. We forget this out of ignorance >>> and at our peril. >>> >>> A great book on the history you ask about Dirk is Eric Hopkins' >>> Working-class Self-Help in nineteenth century England. By 1900 there were >>> 27,000 friendly societies providing a wide range of mutual aid services for >>> funerals, for sick pay and also for small pensions. They date back in >>> formation to the 18th century and many early trade unions before they were >>> legalised after 1825 operated clandestinely as friendly societies. Also >>> early co-ops used friendly society laws to form legally. >>> >>> Alex you are right that social democracy emerged decades before 1945 and >>> those who studied closely over a century ago mutual aid, friendly >>> societies, co-ops and trade unions, like the Fabian socialists Beatrice and >>> Sidney Webb, advocated that the emerging Labour parties should seek to >>> collectivise the best practices of friendly societies and co-ops via >>> welfare state practices to provide sick pay, retirement pensions, >>> industrial injury payments and primary health care. The 1911 National >>> Insurance Act in the UK provided these services in collective ways via the >>> state in a three way contributory system into social insurance funds with >>> the workers paying in a third, employers a third and the government a >>> third. This was the deal with the state and from 1911 until 1948 - when the >>> National Health Service widen coverage and health services comprehensively >>> - the friendly societies were involved in the administration of the 1911 >>> Act. >>> >>> As Michel points out, trade unions in Belgium and in countries in >>> Scandinavia still to this day play a key social security delivery role. >>> >>> From 1948 as friendly society roles diminished as the state took all the >>> roles over, the numbers in the UK have reduced now to only about 200. >>> >>> Interesting to see that the Broodfonds or Bread Funds in the Netherlands >>> developed after 2006 as 21st century friendly societies when the Dutch >>> state ended access to sickness benefits for self-employed people. So where >>> markets fail and states leave gaps as is increasingly the case since 2010, >>> mutual aid re-emerges. >>> >>> You are right Dirk, the dialectical tension between waves of commons >>> movements and the state and how relationships are forged for better or for >>> worse is key for developing strategies for the new commons movement. >>> >>> Given that the public services required commons innovation and the >>> current commons innovations need to spread, what the deal is with the state >>> and especially municipalities is crucial for the emergence of a democratic, >>> social and ecological economy. >>> >>> Pat >>> >>> >>> On 29 January 2018 at 08:43 Michel Bauwens < michel(a)p2pfoundation.net> >>> wrote: >>> >>> by the way, I just want to mention that the p2p foundation maintains a >>> closed 'visioning' discussion list, in which high quality discussants are >>> very welcome, >>> >>> >>> Stacco can add you to the list, >>> >>> >>> Michel >>> >>> >>> On Sun, Jan 28, 2018 at 5:47 PM, Holemans Dirk < Dirk.Holemans(a)stad.gent> >>> wrote: >>> >>> Dear all, >>> >>> >>> Many thanks for this inspiring dialogue. As ecologist (director of green >>> foundation Oikos and city councillor in Ghent), I see I can learn a lot >>> from your contributions, and authors like GDH Cole and Clifford Douglas. >>> >>> >>> Being inspired by Polanyi, I am trying to connect his lines of thinking >>> with the historical research on the three waves of commons in Europe since >>> the Middle Ages. To reduce complex research to this simple line, one could >>> argue that the democratic second movement of Polanyi correspondents with >>> the second wave of the commons. By this I am very interested in what Pat >>> writes on the “23,000 mutual friendly societies set up over decades of >>> social movement struggles and almost all promoted and supported by diverse >>> trade unions for their members”. Are there specific articles or books that >>> documents these pre-war social movements in the UK? >>> >>> >>> Already many thanks >>> >>> Dirk >>> >>> >>> *Van: *pat commonfutures <pat.commonfutures(a)phonecoop.coop> >>> *Beantwoorden - Aan: *pat commonfutures <pat.commonfutures(a)phonecoop.c >>> oop> >>> *Datum: *zondag 28 januari 2018 13:31 >>> *Aan: *Alex Foti <alex.foti(a)gmail.com>, Michel Bauwens < >>> michel(a)p2pfoundation.net> >>> *CC: *Simona Levi Xnet <simona(a)xnet-x.net>, John Restakis < >>> restakis(a)gmail.com>, "david(a)bollier.org" <david(a)bollier.org>, Hazel >>> Henderson <hazel.henderson(a)ethicalmarkets.com>, Fiona Dove < >>> fdove(a)tni.org>, Holemans Dirk <Dirk.Holemans(a)stad.gent>, " >>> visioning(a)p2pfoundation.net" <visioning(a)p2pfoundation.net>, emanuele >>> braga <bragaberlino(a)gmail.com>, p2p-foundation < >>> p2p-foundation(a)lists.ourproject.org>, George Papanikolaou < >>> georgepapani(a)gmail.com>, Geert Lovink <geert(a)xs4all.nl>, Daniel Chavez < >>> chavez(a)tni.org>, Margie Mendell <mendell(a)alcor.concordia.ca>, Michael >>> Lewis <Lewiscccr(a)shaw.ca> >>> *Onderwerp: *Re: My review (bauwens) of Alex Foti's General Theory of >>> the Precariat >>> >>> >>> Hi Michel and Alex >>> >>> The commons work in Ghent is great to see. Also the Bologna regulations >>> work of Christian Iaione are needed to help commons and local government >>> partnerships and social contracts to be negotiated. >>> >>> Why GDH Cole and guild socialism ideas are relevant to the present is >>> that Cole proposed in 1919 in his book on Guild Socialism Restated that >>> guild congresses for economic democracy should complement local government >>> and regional and national governments and that social economic actors >>> involved in production and reproduction could be a co-operative economic >>> counterpart to parliamentary democracy. Therefore economic democracy would >>> become a separate form of democracy complementary to political democracy. A >>> system of checks and balances. >>> >>> Garden city ideas where all the land would be commonly owned and >>> economic rent captured for residents transparently was a foundational >>> concept for Cole for the guild assemblies locally. >>> >>> Remember Polanyi showed that the capitalist system is oppressive and >>> structured historically because people, money and land have been enclosed >>> and commodified. What was interesting about the guild socialist ideas in >>> the early 1920s that Bertrand Russell, RH Tawney and GDH Cole were working >>> on is that the garden city ideas and socialist planning would take land out >>> of the market for new housing, workspace, commons spaces etc, workplace >>> democracy advancing then and across Europe would end wage labour and the >>> further step would be pursued as Clfford Douglas argued by taking money out >>> of the market by issuing social credit as a national dividend that would be >>> locally managed by monetary authorities that could be part and parcel of >>> the guild economic congresses so that underconsumption would no longer be >>> addressed by more capitalist debt issuance by banks but by transparent >>> monetary reform to democratise money. >>> >>> Tawney and Cole did not push for what Douglas was arguing for which was >>> a pity. Polanyi only wrote about the tripartite need to take people, money >>> and land out of the market in his Great Transformation in 1944. But these >>> three reforms are the bedrock for a commons mode of production to pursue >>> structurally the paradigm shift to advance economic democracy and to secure >>> co-operative commonwealth. Sadly Massimo De Angelis only mentions Polanyi >>> in passing in his latest book and missed all this. Otherwise his book is >>> excellent I think. >>> >>> On your query about mutuals and co-op innovations and the doubt you have >>> Alex about the state replicating these. Keynes's gets his ideas of 'cheap >>> money' which is not the same as social credit from Clifford Douglas and >>> Silvio Gesell. See the last chapter of the General Theory by Keynes. >>> >>> In 1943 when the National Health Service was being designed, >>> co-operative and mutual health services in the UK were patchy but being >>> then provided by 23,000 mutual friendly societies set up over decades of >>> social movement struggles and almost all promoted and supported by diverse >>> trade unions for their members. There was an effort to incorporate these >>> mutuals into the NHS but authoritarian socialists refused to allow this to >>> happen. >>> >>> Also if you look at the reconstruction of housing and new towns after >>> 1948 in the UK, they used co-op Garden City ideas for guidance for public >>> land and public housing design but left out the ecological dimensions and >>> pursued post War reconstruction from the top down. >>> >>> Pat >>> >>> On 27 January 2018 at 19:40 Alex Foti <alex.foti(a)gmail.com> wrote: >>> >>> Dear Pat, >>> >>> >>> thanks for your observations on mutualism and the ecological and social >>> rights to the city. i'm a big gdh cole fan, btw. the weekend has >>> overwhelmed me with obligations. i ll try to come back to in more detail >>> tomorrow with more time. however the only thing i m doubtful the fact that >>> mutualism is replaced by the welfare state which was a way of neutralizing >>> and institutionalizing the commonist and separatist tendencies of the >>> working class. at least since 1919 it seems to me social democracy opted >>> for state intervention rather than self-reliant mutualism (or worse, >>> syndicalism). >>> >>> >>> best ciaos! >>> >>> >>> lx >>> >>> >>> On Fri, Jan 26, 2018 at 7:27 PM, pat commonfutures < >>> pat.commonfutures(a)phonecoop.coop> wrote: >>> >>> Hi Michel and Alex >>> >>> My two cents...... >>> >>> Enjoyed reading your review Michel and hearing loud and clear the >>> comments from Alex. Glad to see you recognise strategically the role for >>> economic democracy organisations to come together to develop commonwealth >>> solutions. Challenge is to animate and mobilise co-ops, trade unions, >>> mutual aid organisations and commons movements and other actors to cross >>> connect. >>> >>> Capital needs to be on tap not on top. Labour needs to hire capital. >>> Thus economic democracy is the operative mantra. But how.....? >>> >>> I think the analysis of Massimo De Angelis in Omnia sunt communia that >>> focuses on commons solutions for provisioning to address precarious >>> housing, precarious work, precarious social services, etc. is the way to >>> increasingly Walk the Talk. >>> >>> But so much of the infrastructure needs aligning to develop a generative >>> system to build the new to replace the toxic old. In the period from 1910 >>> to 1948 it was the working class self-organisations and partnerships with >>> municipalities that co-developed a turn key system for affordable housing, >>> mutual insurance services for access to health care, patient finance >>> instruments, etc. As you highlight Michel, without this proving of the >>> possible, the Post 1945 welfare states would not have been practical. >>> History has airbrushed out of memory all the working class achievements >>> leading up to social democracy's action to rebuild war torn Europe with >>> guidance from Keynes. Keynes himself took credit for what commoners had >>> innovated and brought into being over many decades. >>> >>> But we are back to the same situation again. >>> >>> To pursue pluralist commonwealth post capitalist futures, the facts are >>> similar at least as a pattern to 1945... >>> >>> Many good solutions that emerged out of commoner struggles since the >>> 1970s now exist as viable and proven models. Examples include Community >>> Land Trusts for housing and workspace, social co-operatives for care >>> services, community renewable energy, freelancer co-ops, etc but we lack >>> the general assembly of protagonists to plan and co-ordinate them all and >>> bring them together into a viable system. Neoliberalism continues to >>> repress and marginalise these Cinderella Liberties that if nurtured and >>> united could tackle the multiplying wants that make no sense among >>> economies of plenty perversely allocated. >>> >>> The Garden City movement pioneers developed socialist planning guidance >>> in 1906 which played a key role to unite the fragments. We need to revive >>> democratic planning again and make this participative to set in train >>> evolutionary urban and rural reconstruction and to help animate, activate >>> and co-ordinate economic democracy in action. Garden cities were on the >>> right road as they sought to unite urban and rural life in ecological >>> resilient ways. >>> >>> The guild socialist ideas of GDH Cole in the early 1920s are worth >>> revisiting. As Danny Dorling shows in his book on the 1%, between 1918 >>> and1978 social and economic inequality reduced across developing countries >>> and indeed as forms of socialism advanced stage by stage. >>> >>> Today socialism needs to be planned and re-implemented with deeper >>> democracy methods and on a co-operative and ecological economics >>> foundations to produce commonwealth via a commons mode of production. I >>> look forward to reading your book Alex. >>> >>> Thanks to you both for the joint inspiration. >>> >>> Pat >>> >>> On 26 January 2018 at 12:38 Michel Bauwens < michel(a)p2pfoundation.net> >>> wrote: >>> >>> hi alex, >>> >>> >>> very happy to engage, and I fully understand the legitimacy of your >>> strategic choices, though your vision of a successful new new deal is also >>> a sign of optimism in itself .... I agree we have to fight for it >>> >>> >>> this is a very good overiview of the other polarity, I think at the p2p >>> foundation, we are somewhere in between, even as we are very liberally >>> cited in this overview of commons-based relocalization: >>> https://wiki.p2pfoundation.net/Networked_Cities_as_Resilient >>> _Platforms_for_Post-Capitalist_Transition#Excerpt >>> >>> >>> On Fri, Jan 26, 2018 at 10:34 AM, Alex Foti < alex.foti(a)gmail.com> >>> wrote: >>> >>> Dear Michel, Dear Friends, >>> >>> a trillion thanks for this thoughtful and appreciative review. i look >>> forward to co-developing a veritable post-capitalist strategy by embodying >>> the commons-based approach and i find your criticism of an excessive >>> capitalist realism justified (lost a few nights' sleep about it, but i am >>> very fearful of cryptofascist reaction, and think we can force liberal >>> capitalism into a social compromise - which you're right would make funding >>> and reclaiming the commons a central feature of society - and also i guess >>> i wanted to avoid excessive utopianism given that current historical >>> reality is so dystopian). again thanks for taking the time to read and >>> engage with the book's arguments. >>> >>> best milanese ciaos, >>> >>> lx >>> >>> >>> On Fri, Jan 26, 2018 at 9:25 AM, Michel Bauwens < >>> michel(a)p2pfoundation.net> wrote: >>> >>> see also link here at https://wiki.p2pfoundation.net >>> /General_Theory_of_the_Precariat#Evaluation >>> >>> >>> "This book is essential reading for all commoners that want to think >>> through the right strategy for social change. It squarely places itself >>> from the point of few of the new social groups (or class in formation, as >>> Foti would have it) that have grown under the conditions of neoliberalism >>> and its decline, or in other words under the emergence of cognitive >>> capitalism or 'informationalism'. This key group are the various >>> constituent parts of the precariat, all the people who can no longer work >>> with dependable classic labor contracts and the steady income and >>> protection deriving from it. >>> >>> This book should be read through its end, i.e. chapter five, because its >>> first four chapters on the precariat are only set in a more complex >>> geopolitical context in that last chapter. To be honest, I was quite >>> reactive at times during the reading of the first four chapters, because >>> two very important structural elements were missing in his analysis. First >>> is the commons itself, the other side of the antagonistic struggles of the >>> precariat; and second is the ecological crisis, the very material >>> conditions under which this struggle must occur today. Foti indeed calls >>> for economic and monetary growth, and sounds like an unabashed >>> neo-Keynesian but only in the last chapter stresses that this growth should >>> be thermodynamically sound (i.e. he calls for monetary growth, but not >>> growth in material services). Foti also almost completely ignores the role >>> of the commons and 'commonalism' in the first four chapters, only >>> acknowledging in a few parts of chapter 5, that it is a vital constituent >>> part of the precarious condition. If you don't read chapter 5, you could be >>> mistaken for seeing Foti's analysis as an exercise in re-imagining the >>> class dynamics and compromises of the New Deal and post-WWII european >>> welfare states, and has simply replaced working class with precariat, >>> working class parties with social populism, and the New Deal with a social >>> compact for green capitalism. >>> >>> So, the fact that this is a remarkably thought out book about >>> contemporary strategy for social change, should be tempered by a few >>> paradoxes that the author has not completely resolved. >>> >>> Indeed at the heart of the book lies also an enduring paradox: Foti >>> calls for the most radical forms of conflict, and identifies with the more >>> radical cultural minorities, acknowledging their anticapitalist and >>> anarchist ethos, yet calls for mere reformism as a focus and outcome. This >>> is therefore not a book about transforming our societies to post-capitalist >>> logics, this is a book about a new reformism. This is a book against >>> neoliberalism, not against capitalism. At times, it is plain 'capitalist >>> realism', as Foti explicitly acknowledges he sees no dynamic value creation >>> outside of capitalism. For Foti, it is clear, if sufficient conflict and >>> precariat self-organisation can occur, then a new regulation of capitalism >>> can occur. He justifies this by a detailed analysis of the different >>> regulatory modes of capitalism (smith-ism, fordism, jobs-ism) and how they >>> relate to the kondratieff economic cycles, drawing on the insights of >>> Carlota Perez and others. Foti distinguishes crises of demand, where there >>> is too much accumulation of capital, and not enough distribution. These >>> crises he says, are essentially reformist crises, as people mobilize to >>> restore balance in the redistribution, but not against the system per se. >>> The crisis of the 30's and the crisis after 2008, are such crises, he in my >>> view convincingly shows. Other crises are caused by a failing supply, due >>> to over-regulation of capital and falling profit rates, such as the crisis >>> of the 70s, and these crises, which are inflationary, are revolutionary. >>> This distinction between crises of accumulation and crises of regulation, >>> is in my opinion very insightful, and true. This recognition may of course >>> be troubling, but if true, we have to take serious stock of it. We are >>> simply not in revolutionary times, right now, but rather in a struggle >>> between national populism and social populism. From this analysis, Foti >>> then argues that the first priority is for the precariat to re-regulate for >>> a distribution of wealth, much like the old working class achieved after >>> WWII. >>> >>> But even if we acknowledge this conjuncture, I would argue that Foti >>> insufficiently balances his outlook between reforming capitalism and >>> constructing post-capitalism, beween antagonistic conflict and positive >>> construction of the new. He argues that without income, there can be no >>> such construction. This is very likely true, so we need to rebalance >>> redistribution, in a way that income growth can lead to immaterial growth >>> that is compatible with the ecological limits of our planet, and use these >>> surpluses to transform societal structures. Foti calls for social (or 'eco' >>> populist movements and coalitions as the political means to that end, >>> pointing to Podemos and En Comu, and perhaps Sanders and Corbyn, as such >>> forces, supported by to be created Precariat Syndicates. He also puts >>> forward the thesis that the enemy is national populism, an alliance between >>> retrograde fossil fuel capitalism and the salariat, with on the other side >>> a possible alliance of green capitalism (a real effort not a marketing >>> ploy) with the precariat, with the former fighting for top-down coalition >>> and the second for bottom-up regulation. This division of the working class >>> is in my view way too stark, and perhaps even defeatist. I would very >>> strongly argue to seek alliances and develop policies that can give hope to >>> the salariat. The thrust of our work for the Commons Transition aims at >>> precisely that. (elsewhere in the book, Foti does call for an alliance with >>> progressive middle classes, but if these are not the workers with jobs, >>> where are these then ?) >>> >>> Now Foti correctly critiques in my view, people like Mason and Rifkin >>> for failing to problematize the post-capitalist transition, they make it >>> seem like an inexorable process if not affirming that we are already >>> post-capitalist, as some others do, but in my view then in his turn he >>> fails to pay proper attention to it. What if the re-regulation of >>> capitalism doesn't work for example ? Then at some point, say in about 30 >>> years, as Kondratieff cycles would indicate, we would still face a crisis >>> of over-regulation, and a more revolutionary moment. For Foti, we have to >>> take it on faith that green capitalism will be a successful new regulatory >>> mode of capitalism. What if it turns out to be a unworkable compromise and >>> that more drastic action is needed. But Foti has no faith in alternatives >>> to capitalism, which means that the only alternatives would then be >>> eco-fascism as a new feudalism with only consumption for the rich, lifeboat >>> eco-hacking, a situation akin to that of medieval communes, or dictatorial >>> eco-maoism, say Cuba on a global scale. >>> >>> Contra this 'capitalist realism', our contention at the P2P Foundation >>> is that post-capitalism is both necessary and possible, even if we >>> recognize that today is a possible reformist moment in that >>> evolution/transformation. In that context, the construction of seed forms, >>> the recognition of other forms of value creation (which can be monetized!), >>> of other forms of self-organization is absolutely a vital side of the coin >>> in the dialectic of construction and conflict. Foti seems to forget that >>> the traditional working class did not simply 'fight', but constructed >>> cooperatives (both consumer coosp and producer coops), unions, parties, >>> mutualities and many fraternal/sororal organizations. The very >>> generalization of the welfare system was an extension by means of the >>> state, of the solidarity mechanism of the working class, which had taken >>> decades to develop. Also vitally, the identity itself of the working class >>> was not just as a part of capitalism, but as a movement for another type of >>> society, whether that was expressed through socialism, social-democracy, >>> anarchism, and other variants. When that hope was lost terminally, that was >>> also the end of the strength and identify of working class movements. There >>> can be no offensive social strategy without a strong social imaginary, and >>> mere reformist designs won’t do. So commonalism is not just something that >>> we do when we come home from work, or tired from our conflictual organizing >>> against an enemy from whom we want mere redistribution. On the contrary, it >>> is vital part of the class formation and identity, this is why we stress >>> our identity not just as precariat, which is a negative formulation that >>> characterizes us as the weaker victims of the capitalist class, but as >>> commoners, the multitude of co-constructors of viable futures that >>> correspond to contemporary emancipatory desires. We cannot just trust green >>> capitalism, we vitally need to build thermodynamically sound and mutualized >>> provisioning systems as commons even if we have to compromise with >>> capitalism. Post-capitalism should not be essentialized as something >>> occuring 'after the revolution', but as an ongoing process, dynamically >>> inter-linked with political self-organizing and conflict. Foti in this >>> book, is only really good at conflict. Even if we look at conflict, I would >>> argue that the strength of the reformist compromise after WWII was very >>> much linked to the fear of the however flawed alternative that existed, and >>> that the forms of compromise were the result of decades of invention of new >>> forms. >>> >>> If we take that view, then I believe the contradiction in Foti's book >>> can be resolved. Indeed in that case we do not have to ask the radical >>> precariat to give up it's values for a reformist compromise, but to >>> productively combine radically transformative post-capitalist practice. >>> >>> There is another issue with Foti's book. He very much stresses the >>> superdiversity of the precariat, and the key role of gender and >>> race/migration unity in their struggles. He also mentions en passant the >>> need for a potential eurasian alignment between Europe and China , now that >>> the Atlantic unity has been broken by Trump. But , at the same time, this >>> is really a very eurocentric book, calling for a new compromise in Europe >>> and 'advanced western states'. Obviously, since in the Global South it is >>> the salariat and proletariat which is growing, there is a theoretical >>> difficulty here. But what if a thermo-dynamically sound economy would >>> require a cosmo-localization of our global economy, as we contend at the >>> P2P Foundation, combining global sharing of knowledge with substantial >>> relocalization of physical production (as even big bank reports now >>> recognize) ? Only if we recognize this, can we actually have a new global >>> view of solidarity, as both elements benefit workers, salaried and >>> precarious, in the whole world. >>> >>> So, in conclusion, I find Foti's book to be an excellent first half of a >>> book, which would have been much better and sound, if it had more >>> extensively struggled with the commons equation of the precariat. The >>> commons is not something we do 'afterwards' , after a successful New Green >>> Deal, it is is something that is as ongoing and vital. Theoretically, in a >>> few paragraphs at the end of the book, Foti seems to recognize it, but it >>> is not integrated in his strategic vision, or only marginally. >>> >>> Readers who miss this aspect, could look at the ten years of research >>> and analysis we have conducted on that other half of the equation, at the >>> P2P Foundation. We may have the other weakness though, and in fact we >>> purposely have focused not on the conflict part, which is the natural >>> inclination of the left and needs no help, but in pointing out how any >>> self-organization, and construction of the commons, which inevitable comes >>> with conflict, is just an essential part of the programmatic alternatives >>> of the precariat. Not just as proposals of electoral parties and >>> syndicates, but as expressions of actual practice. Our orientation is to >>> try to achieve a greater understanding by emancipatory forces, of both the >>> salariat, the precariat, and progressive entrepreneurial groups, of the >>> importance of integrating the commons as a programmatic element in their >>> struggles, and their proposals. We will probably stick to this bias towards >>> the constructive side of the equation, tempered by a full awareness that >>> this is by itself insuffient, and requires the kind of understanding of >>> struggle, and its attendant strategies, as provided by Foti. >>> >>> In conclusion, Foti's enduring quality is to have worked out >>> systematically, what the conflict part of the equation entails, and that is >>> a very important achievement. Bearing in mind what we think is missing in >>> this book, there is much to be learned, and I believe the different >>> perspectives and different weaknesses in the approaches of people like Foti >>> and the P2P Foundation (and other) commons-centric approaches, there is >>> room for a lot of convergence and mutual enrichment." >>> >>> >>> -- >>> >>> Check out the Commons Transition Plan here at: >>> http://commonstransition.org >>> >>> >>> P2P Foundation: http://p2pfoundation.net - >>> http://blog.p2pfoundation.net >>> >>> Updates: http://twitter.com/mbauwens; http://www.facebook.com/mbauwens >>> >>> #82 on the (En)Rich list: http://enrichlist.org/the-complete-list/ >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> -- >>> >>> Check out the Commons Transition Plan here at: >>> http://commonstransition.org >>> >>> >>> P2P Foundation: http://p2pfoundation.net - >>> http://blog.p2pfoundation.net >>> >>> Updates: http://twitter.com/mbauwens; http://www.facebook.com/mbauwens >>> >>> #82 on the (En)Rich list: http://enrichlist.org/the-complete-list/ >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> -- >>> >>> Check out the Commons Transition Plan here at: >>> http://commonstransition.org >>> >>> >>> P2P Foundation: http://p2pfoundation.net - >>> http://blog.p2pfoundation.net >>> >>> Updates: http://twitter.com/mbauwens; http://www.facebook.com/mbauwens >>> >>> #82 on the (En)Rich list: http://enrichlist.org/the-complete-list/ >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> -- >>> >>> Check out the Commons Transition Plan here at: >>> http://commonstransition.org >>> >>> >>> P2P Foundation: http://p2pfoundation.net - >>> http://blog.p2pfoundation.net >>> >>> Updates: http://twitter.com/mbauwens; http://www.facebook.com/mbauwens >>> >>> #82 on the (En)Rich list: http://enrichlist.org/the-complete-list/ >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> -- >>> >>> Check out the Commons Transition Plan here at: >>> http://commonstransition.org >>> >>> >>> P2P Foundation: http://p2pfoundation.net - >>> http://blog.p2pfoundation.net >>> >>> Updates: http://twitter.com/mbauwens; http://www.facebook.com/mbauwens >>> >>> #82 on the (En)Rich list: http://enrichlist.org/the-complete-list/ >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >> >> >> -- >> Advocacy coordinator P2P Foundation <http://p2pfoundation.net/>. Project >> lead commonstransition.org >> Co-founder guerrillatranslation.org >> >> >> > -- Check out the Commons Transition Plan here at: http://commonstransition.org P2P Foundation: http://p2pfoundation.net - http://blog.p2pfoundation.net <http://lists.ourproject.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/p2p-foundation>Updates: http://twitter.com/mbauwens; http://www.facebook.com/mbauwens #82 on the (En)Rich list: http://enrichlist.org/the-complete-list/

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Re: [P2P-F] Co-op Commons: How to we make small not just beautiful but powerful?
by Michel Bauwens 03 Feb '18

03 Feb '18

dear Paul, Stacco and AM of our operational and communication streams should be able to follow this up if you explain a bit what the expectations are, I'm aware that opencollective seems to work as crowdfunding and collective budgetting tool, Michel On Thu, Feb 1, 2018 at 10:08 PM, Paul B. Hartzog < PaulBHartzog(a)paulbhartzog.org> wrote: > Michel, et al > > I am putting together an OpenCollective called CommonsWealth Network > that will function in parallel to my CommonsWealth Institute, > and which should allow all of our affiliated groups to function as a > single complex system. > An OpenCollective is a group of groups and backers > that can co-manage a set of shared resources and co-budget those resources. > > For an example see: > https://opencollective.com/brusselstogether#parenting > > I would be delighted to know if anyone is interested in being a part of > this process. > I firmly believe that the way the old system keeps the new system from > coalescing > is to keep the new parts fighting over resources rather than sharing them > and > becoming more powerful. I've decided to take a hand at ending that > problem. ;-) > > much thx > -Paul > > > > ------------------------------------------------------------ > ------------------- > http://www.PaulBHartzog.org > PaulBHartzog(a)PaulBHartzog.org (o|o) > ------------------------------------------------------------ > ------------------- > If you bow deeply to the universe, it bows back. > ~ Ueshiba Morihei > > The Universe is made of stories, not of atoms. > ~ Muriel Rukeyser > > Storytelling reveals meaning without committing the error of defining it. > ~ Hannah Arendt > > Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does. > ~ William James > > We come out of the world, not into it. > ~ Alan Watts > > If the path before you is clear, you're probably on someone else's > ~ Joseph Campbell > > And if you have a subject, you're going to have objects too > ~ Richard Adler > > Perceive differently, then you will act differently. > ~ Paul B. Hartzog > ------------------------------------------------------------ > ------------------- > > On Thu, Feb 1, 2018 at 8:59 AM, Michel Bauwens <michel(a)p2pfoundation.net> > wrote: > >> I am going to take an initiative, with support of SMart, for a federation >> of commons-oriented think thank groups, to get the best proposals together >> at the European level, this will be for the end of this year ... >> >> Hopefully this will also advance our common desire for more >> commons-oriented policymaking! >> >> On Thu, Feb 1, 2018 at 2:43 PM, pat commonfutures < >> pat.commonfutures(a)phonecoop.coop> wrote: >> >>> I totally agree with you Michel. >>> >>> There is some interesting work going on by Commonweal in Scotland to >>> develop a governance structure for new public banks that is akin to the >>> Community Land Trust model in the USA which is explicitly >>> multi-stakeholder. They coincidentally suggest this without clear links to >>> the CLT ideas. >>> >>> Also some work happening in the UK on a co-op model for public banks >>> that the new 2014 Co-op law in the UK coincidentally enables. The Community >>> Savings Bank Association is being revived to foster this. Corbyn proposes >>> regional banks but has not yet a model firmly in mind as far as I am aware. >>> Hence this CSBA work is good and timely. >>> >>> So huge potential to unite the elements we want to see for economic >>> democracy ways forward that focus on common-ing. >>> >>> But you are right to underscore the danger of the sound ideas being >>> hijacked and taking everyone quickly in the wrong direction. >>> >>> Pat >>> >>> On 01 February 2018 at 13:27 Michel Bauwens <michel(a)p2pfoundation.net> >>> wrote: >>> >>> hi pat, >>> >>> I wasn't reacting to public banking at all, which I support though I >>> would prefer multi-stakeholders arrangements for their governance if not >>> ownership, sorry for the misunderstanding, >>> >>> just generally speaking, both the left and the social-populists are >>> still in nation-state centric vaguely neo-keynesian modalities, and it is >>> high time to inject more commons thinking and practice .. not to abandon >>> the nation-state, but to add both (trans)local and trans-national elements >>> to their strategies, centered around the creation of strong and shared >>> commons >>> >>> Michel >>> >>> On Thu, Feb 1, 2018 at 2:22 PM, pat commonfutures < >>> pat.commonfutures(a)phonecoop.coop> wrote: >>> >>> Touche. >>> >>> But we are talking at cross purposes Michel. You make valid points and >>> raise concerns that are vitally important but you misunderstand the case I >>> am making. >>> >>> Public banking need not necessarily be neo-Keynesian. Yes commonly and >>> almost always in social democratic traditions this has been the case. Post >>> Keynesian ideas are different and relevant to Post Capitalism and that it >>> is in this vein I am making this case. >>> >>> The Bank of Canada during its radical days before 1973 and from 1938 >>> financed infrastructure by creating interest free money and finance. This >>> was not in the restricted neo-Keynesian song book. >>> >>> This other short piece by Zoe Williams in the Guardian and again on the >>> Magic Money Tree and on People's QE (that Corbyn took up but then dropped >>> as a hot potato) shows up the wall of ignorance and on how peaceful social >>> investment is being totally blocked as this is a Taboo subject. >>> >>> https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/oct/04/printi >>> ng-money-jeremy-corbyn-quantitative-easing-peoples-qe >>> >>> Pat >>> >>> On 01 February 2018 at 12:13 Michel Bauwens < michel(a)p2pfoundation.net> >>> wrote: >>> >>> I know this is going to sound arrogant and self-serving, but seriously, >>> after ten years of research and engagement in two intense projects at >>> nation-state and city level, I think we have a pretty good handle of the >>> inter-relationship between commons, market and state; we pretty much know >>> the most important elements of this relationship ... it's more a question >>> now of making more things happen that exemplify it, >>> >>> as a reminder, in Ecuador we looked in-depth at how to create national >>> knowledge commons, with the instutiional, regulatory and material >>> conditions to make it happen, offering a specific methodology, and in >>> Ghent, an institutional framework for public-commons cooperation at the >>> city level, focusing on material provisioning systems, >>> >>> if you put the two together, and add John Restakis' developments on the >>> same theme , focusing on the social economy, we have the basics at hand, >>> >>> this is why I think it is now vital to bring these insights to >>> social-populist politicians, to give them a way forward beyond >>> neo-keynesianism, >>> >>> at the P2P Foundation, feeling confident about the basic logic of >>> commons-market-state cooperative institutions, we are now moving to the >>> underlying social and ecological conditions that underlie such an >>> institutional structure >>> >>> one is commonfare and the reform of social protection so that it can >>> protect autonomous workers (and the care economy); the other is >>> bioacapacity-based supply chains and accounting, >>> >>> it's gonna be at least a five year plan <g> >>> >>> On Thu, Feb 1, 2018 at 10:52 AM, pat commonfutures < >>> pat.commonfutures(a)phonecoop.coop> wrote: >>> >>> Thanks Mike, Michel, Dirk, Stacco and Margie for the supportive feedback. >>> >>> We need to fit together the commons, co-op and partner state jig-saw >>> pieces. But how and Now? >>> Let me widen the analysis and think how to turbocharge the superb >>> bootstrap grassroots work in Barcelona, Ghent, Bologna and Preston. Bear in >>> mind that Bruno Roelants is now head of the ICA and he supports the >>> solidarity economy and has a growing interest in commons and co-op commons >>> especially. >>> >>> From an utter state of dire poverty and crisis, Preston is making a >>> co-operative fight back. There are many post industrial towns in Northern >>> France and other parts of southern and Eastern Europe precisely in this >>> dire state today and without a commons co-op Plan supported by social >>> investment they will continue to be lured by the far Right. >>> >>> Councillor Matthew Brown in Preston has been inspired by the Evergreen >>> Co-ops in Cleveland, Ohio and the work of Ted Howard at the US Democracy >>> Collaborative. Ted has been to speak in Preston 2 or 3 times in recent >>> years. >>> >>> On the need for monetary and banking reform to complement the Preston >>> set of ideas , here in Wales we ran a very successful Build a Co-operative >>> Country conference last June and simply allowed the Community land trust >>> groups, the social co-op groups for care services, the renewable energy >>> co-ops, the housing co-ops, freelancer co-ops and others like this to tell >>> their stories in a big plenary. This worked wonderfully well because the >>> different co-op and commons innovators are so busy ploughing their own >>> separate fields, they were not well aware of what their other comrades in >>> arms were doing and succeeding with. If they were not aware, the wider >>> pubiic is even less aware of a practical What if vision? >>> >>> The politicians in attendance were very impressed with these commoner >>> stories. All these projects are lacking in strategic investment badly and >>> none has the scope to move from micro-level success to upping their game >>> big time. We do not have the democratic financing infrastructure in place >>> to do this. For example a recent report on renewable energy co-ops in Wales >>> showed that they cannot aggregate easily to attract low cost patient >>> capital from public sector pension funds that are looking to invest in >>> non-fossil fuel alternatives. This got us thinking about how to put in >>> place such a bridge. >>> >>> During the Great Depression public banks like the early Bank of Canada >>> created new money to invest in public services, housing, health services, >>> rural revival, electrification etc. It worked. >>> >>> Over the past 18 months we have been working on a public bank for Wales >>> that could create money out of thin air and invest in the commons and co-op >>> sectors big time. All the politicians of most parties say There is no magic >>> money tree for social investment. This short article from Zoe Willams in >>> the Guardian reveals the massive ignorance of MPs of all parties about how >>> money is created. A good one this for the Common Transition Plan. >>> >>> https://www.theguardian.com/global/shortcuts/2017/oct/29/how >>> -the-actual-magic-money-tree-works >>> >>> We held a public meeting on a public bank for Wales last October and got >>> to attend the Minister for Local Government and Finance and the chief >>> economist for Welsh government. The research we had stimulated came out >>> before this meeting and is getting on side our thinking. We are soon to >>> complete another report on the public bank and money creation that the >>> Minister has invited us to send him. >>> >>> Ellen Brown at the Public Banking Institute in the US has joined our >>> Public Banking action group and has been twice to Wales to talk. >>> >>> Public banks that really create new money are a key piece of the >>> jig-saw for commons. In our forthcoming report we are advancing the case >>> for the creation of £1 billion of new money by a Welsh public bank from >>> year 1 on a ratio of 5:1. That is five times new money created for patient >>> social investment to the core capital in the new bank that we are inviting >>> local governments in Wales to put up from say 5% of their annual capital >>> budgets. Leverage this and you can get take-off locally and thereafter >>> regional. >>> >>> We need to operationalise Magic Money Trees at local government area >>> levels across Europe. >>> >>> Pat >>> >>> On 31 January 2018 at 17:58 Michael Lewis < Lewiscccr(a)shaw.ca> wrote: >>> >>> This is a brilliant article Pat. Thanks for sharing. >>> >>> On Jan 31, 2018, at 6:21 AM, pat commonfutures < >>> pat.commonfutures(a)phonecoop.coop> wrote: >>> >>> In the UK it would be great if we had a supportive mayor somewhere like >>> in Barcelona or the work in Ghent. One local government though that is >>> going down this road is Preston. This article in the Guardian today tells >>> the story. >>> >>> https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/jan/31/presto >>> n-hit-rock-bottom-took-back-control >>> >>> Pat >>> >>> On 30 January 2018 at 20:01 Holemans Dirk < Dirk.Holemans(a)stad.gent> >>> wrote: >>> >>> Me too, I just bought a second-hand version of Henry’s book online >>> >>> Michel: we can share it! >>> >>> >>> *Van: *<michelsub2004(a)gmail.com> namens Michel Bauwens < >>> michel(a)p2pfoundation.net> >>> *Datum: *dinsdag 30 januari 2018 14:10 >>> *Aan: *pat commonfutures <pat.commonfutures(a)phonecoop.coop> >>> *CC: *Simona Levi Xnet <simona(a)xnet-x.net>, emanuele braga < >>> bragaberlino(a)gmail.com>, "visioning(a)p2pfoundation.net" < >>> visioning(a)p2pfoundation.net>, David Bollier <david(a)bollier.org>, George >>> Papanikolaou <georgepapani(a)gmail.com>, Daniel Chavez <chavez(a)tni.org>, >>> Stacco Troncoso <staccotroncoso(a)gmail.com>, Fiona Dove <fdove(a)tni.org>, >>> Hazel Henderson <hazel.henderson(a)ethicalmarkets.com>, John Restakis < >>> restakis(a)gmail.com>, Holemans Dirk <Dirk.Holemans(a)stad.gent>, Alex Foti >>> <alex.foti(a)gmail.com>, p2p-foundation <p2p-foundation(a)lists.ourproje >>> ct.org>, Geert Lovink <geert(a)xs4all.nl>, Margie Mendell < >>> mendell(a)alcor.concordia.ca>, Michael Lewis <Lewiscccr(a)shaw.ca> >>> *Onderwerp: *Re: My review (bauwens) of Alex Foti's General Theory of >>> the Precariat >>> >>> >>> looking forward to Henry's book! >>> >>> >>> On Tue, Jan 30, 2018 at 1:59 PM, pat commonfutures < >>> pat.commonfutures(a)phonecoop.coop> wrote: >>> >>> Michel >>> >>> Thanks for this link. Just to let you know that the communitarian >>> thinker and former UK civil servant Henry Tam is compiling a book on >>> Reinventing Government. I am contributing a chapter on ideas like those I >>> have shared and Anna Coote at New Economics Foundation is also doing a >>> chapter on social commons. She is drawing from your work and David >>> Bollier's. >>> >>> Henry's book will come out later this year. >>> >>> Pat >>> >>> >>> On 29 January 2018 at 13:27 Michel Bauwens <michel(a)p2pfoundation.net> >>> wrote: >>> >>> thanks a lot Pat, very useful! >>> >>> >>> keeping track of 232 current commonfare initiatives here for just that >>> reason: >>> >>> https://wiki.p2pfoundation.net/Category:P2P_Solidarity >>> >>> >>> On Mon, Jan 29, 2018 at 1:33 PM, pat commonfutures < >>> pat.commonfutures(a)phonecoop.coop> wrote: >>> >>> Hi Dirk. Alex and Michel >>> >>> We need to be aware that public services as we know them had their >>> origins in pioneering class struggles by commoners that developed the >>> fundamental social economic innovations. We forget this out of ignorance >>> and at our peril. >>> >>> A great book on the history you ask about Dirk is Eric Hopkins' >>> Working-class Self-Help in nineteenth century England. By 1900 there were >>> 27,000 friendly societies providing a wide range of mutual aid services for >>> funerals, for sick pay and also for small pensions. They date back in >>> formation to the 18th century and many early trade unions before they were >>> legalised after 1825 operated clandestinely as friendly societies. Also >>> early co-ops used friendly society laws to form legally. >>> >>> Alex you are right that social democracy emerged decades before 1945 and >>> those who studied closely over a century ago mutual aid, friendly >>> societies, co-ops and trade unions, like the Fabian socialists Beatrice and >>> Sidney Webb, advocated that the emerging Labour parties should seek to >>> collectivise the best practices of friendly societies and co-ops via >>> welfare state practices to provide sick pay, retirement pensions, >>> industrial injury payments and primary health care. The 1911 National >>> Insurance Act in the UK provided these services in collective ways via the >>> state in a three way contributory system into social insurance funds with >>> the workers paying in a third, employers a third and the government a >>> third. This was the deal with the state and from 1911 until 1948 - when the >>> National Health Service widen coverage and health services comprehensively >>> - the friendly societies were involved in the administration of the 1911 >>> Act. >>> >>> As Michel points out, trade unions in Belgium and in countries in >>> Scandinavia still to this day play a key social security delivery role. >>> >>> From 1948 as friendly society roles diminished as the state took all the >>> roles over, the numbers in the UK have reduced now to only about 200. >>> >>> Interesting to see that the Broodfonds or Bread Funds in the Netherlands >>> developed after 2006 as 21st century friendly societies when the Dutch >>> state ended access to sickness benefits for self-employed people. So where >>> markets fail and states leave gaps as is increasingly the case since 2010, >>> mutual aid re-emerges. >>> >>> You are right Dirk, the dialectical tension between waves of commons >>> movements and the state and how relationships are forged for better or for >>> worse is key for developing strategies for the new commons movement. >>> >>> Given that the public services required commons innovation and the >>> current commons innovations need to spread, what the deal is with the state >>> and especially municipalities is crucial for the emergence of a democratic, >>> social and ecological economy. >>> >>> Pat >>> >>> >>> On 29 January 2018 at 08:43 Michel Bauwens < michel(a)p2pfoundation.net> >>> wrote: >>> >>> by the way, I just want to mention that the p2p foundation maintains a >>> closed 'visioning' discussion list, in which high quality discussants are >>> very welcome, >>> >>> >>> Stacco can add you to the list, >>> >>> >>> Michel >>> >>> >>> On Sun, Jan 28, 2018 at 5:47 PM, Holemans Dirk < Dirk.Holemans(a)stad.gent> >>> wrote: >>> >>> Dear all, >>> >>> >>> Many thanks for this inspiring dialogue. As ecologist (director of green >>> foundation Oikos and city councillor in Ghent), I see I can learn a lot >>> from your contributions, and authors like GDH Cole and Clifford Douglas. >>> >>> >>> Being inspired by Polanyi, I am trying to connect his lines of thinking >>> with the historical research on the three waves of commons in Europe since >>> the Middle Ages. To reduce complex research to this simple line, one could >>> argue that the democratic second movement of Polanyi correspondents with >>> the second wave of the commons. By this I am very interested in what Pat >>> writes on the “23,000 mutual friendly societies set up over decades of >>> social movement struggles and almost all promoted and supported by diverse >>> trade unions for their members”. Are there specific articles or books that >>> documents these pre-war social movements in the UK? >>> >>> >>> Already many thanks >>> >>> Dirk >>> >>> >>> *Van: *pat commonfutures <pat.commonfutures(a)phonecoop.coop> >>> *Beantwoorden - Aan: *pat commonfutures <pat.commonfutures(a)phonecoop.c >>> oop> >>> *Datum: *zondag 28 januari 2018 13:31 >>> *Aan: *Alex Foti <alex.foti(a)gmail.com>, Michel Bauwens < >>> michel(a)p2pfoundation.net> >>> *CC: *Simona Levi Xnet <simona(a)xnet-x.net>, John Restakis < >>> restakis(a)gmail.com>, "david(a)bollier.org" <david(a)bollier.org>, Hazel >>> Henderson <hazel.henderson(a)ethicalmarkets.com>, Fiona Dove < >>> fdove(a)tni.org>, Holemans Dirk <Dirk.Holemans(a)stad.gent>, " >>> visioning(a)p2pfoundation.net" <visioning(a)p2pfoundation.net>, emanuele >>> braga <bragaberlino(a)gmail.com>, p2p-foundation < >>> p2p-foundation(a)lists.ourproject.org>, George Papanikolaou < >>> georgepapani(a)gmail.com>, Geert Lovink <geert(a)xs4all.nl>, Daniel Chavez < >>> chavez(a)tni.org>, Margie Mendell <mendell(a)alcor.concordia.ca>, Michael >>> Lewis <Lewiscccr(a)shaw.ca> >>> *Onderwerp: *Re: My review (bauwens) of Alex Foti's General Theory of >>> the Precariat >>> >>> >>> Hi Michel and Alex >>> >>> The commons work in Ghent is great to see. Also the Bologna regulations >>> work of Christian Iaione are needed to help commons and local government >>> partnerships and social contracts to be negotiated. >>> >>> Why GDH Cole and guild socialism ideas are relevant to the present is >>> that Cole proposed in 1919 in his book on Guild Socialism Restated that >>> guild congresses for economic democracy should complement local government >>> and regional and national governments and that social economic actors >>> involved in production and reproduction could be a co-operative economic >>> counterpart to parliamentary democracy. Therefore economic democracy would >>> become a separate form of democracy complementary to political democracy. A >>> system of checks and balances. >>> >>> Garden city ideas where all the land would be commonly owned and >>> economic rent captured for residents transparently was a foundational >>> concept for Cole for the guild assemblies locally. >>> >>> Remember Polanyi showed that the capitalist system is oppressive and >>> structured historically because people, money and land have been enclosed >>> and commodified. What was interesting about the guild socialist ideas in >>> the early 1920s that Bertrand Russell, RH Tawney and GDH Cole were working >>> on is that the garden city ideas and socialist planning would take land out >>> of the market for new housing, workspace, commons spaces etc, workplace >>> democracy advancing then and across Europe would end wage labour and the >>> further step would be pursued as Clfford Douglas argued by taking money out >>> of the market by issuing social credit as a national dividend that would be >>> locally managed by monetary authorities that could be part and parcel of >>> the guild economic congresses so that underconsumption would no longer be >>> addressed by more capitalist debt issuance by banks but by transparent >>> monetary reform to democratise money. >>> >>> Tawney and Cole did not push for what Douglas was arguing for which was >>> a pity. Polanyi only wrote about the tripartite need to take people, money >>> and land out of the market in his Great Transformation in 1944. But these >>> three reforms are the bedrock for a commons mode of production to pursue >>> structurally the paradigm shift to advance economic democracy and to secure >>> co-operative commonwealth. Sadly Massimo De Angelis only mentions Polanyi >>> in passing in his latest book and missed all this. Otherwise his book is >>> excellent I think. >>> >>> On your query about mutuals and co-op innovations and the doubt you have >>> Alex about the state replicating these. Keynes's gets his ideas of 'cheap >>> money' which is not the same as social credit from Clifford Douglas and >>> Silvio Gesell. See the last chapter of the General Theory by Keynes. >>> >>> In 1943 when the National Health Service was being designed, >>> co-operative and mutual health services in the UK were patchy but being >>> then provided by 23,000 mutual friendly societies set up over decades of >>> social movement struggles and almost all promoted and supported by diverse >>> trade unions for their members. There was an effort to incorporate these >>> mutuals into the NHS but authoritarian socialists refused to allow this to >>> happen. >>> >>> Also if you look at the reconstruction of housing and new towns after >>> 1948 in the UK, they used co-op Garden City ideas for guidance for public >>> land and public housing design but left out the ecological dimensions and >>> pursued post War reconstruction from the top down. >>> >>> Pat >>> >>> On 27 January 2018 at 19:40 Alex Foti <alex.foti(a)gmail.com> wrote: >>> >>> Dear Pat, >>> >>> >>> thanks for your observations on mutualism and the ecological and social >>> rights to the city. i'm a big gdh cole fan, btw. the weekend has >>> overwhelmed me with obligations. i ll try to come back to in more detail >>> tomorrow with more time. however the only thing i m doubtful the fact that >>> mutualism is replaced by the welfare state which was a way of neutralizing >>> and institutionalizing the commonist and separatist tendencies of the >>> working class. at least since 1919 it seems to me social democracy opted >>> for state intervention rather than self-reliant mutualism (or worse, >>> syndicalism). >>> >>> >>> best ciaos! >>> >>> >>> lx >>> >>> >>> On Fri, Jan 26, 2018 at 7:27 PM, pat commonfutures < >>> pat.commonfutures(a)phonecoop.coop> wrote: >>> >>> Hi Michel and Alex >>> >>> My two cents...... >>> >>> Enjoyed reading your review Michel and hearing loud and clear the >>> comments from Alex. Glad to see you recognise strategically the role for >>> economic democracy organisations to come together to develop commonwealth >>> solutions. Challenge is to animate and mobilise co-ops, trade unions, >>> mutual aid organisations and commons movements and other actors to cross >>> connect. >>> >>> Capital needs to be on tap not on top. Labour needs to hire capital. >>> Thus economic democracy is the operative mantra. But how.....? >>> >>> I think the analysis of Massimo De Angelis in Omnia sunt communia that >>> focuses on commons solutions for provisioning to address precarious >>> housing, precarious work, precarious social services, etc. is the way to >>> increasingly Walk the Talk. >>> >>> But so much of the infrastructure needs aligning to develop a generative >>> system to build the new to replace the toxic old. In the period from 1910 >>> to 1948 it was the working class self-organisations and partnerships with >>> municipalities that co-developed a turn key system for affordable housing, >>> mutual insurance services for access to health care, patient finance >>> instruments, etc. As you highlight Michel, without this proving of the >>> possible, the Post 1945 welfare states would not have been practical. >>> History has airbrushed out of memory all the working class achievements >>> leading up to social democracy's action to rebuild war torn Europe with >>> guidance from Keynes. Keynes himself took credit for what commoners had >>> innovated and brought into being over many decades. >>> >>> But we are back to the same situation again. >>> >>> To pursue pluralist commonwealth post capitalist futures, the facts are >>> similar at least as a pattern to 1945... >>> >>> Many good solutions that emerged out of commoner struggles since the >>> 1970s now exist as viable and proven models. Examples include Community >>> Land Trusts for housing and workspace, social co-operatives for care >>> services, community renewable energy, freelancer co-ops, etc but we lack >>> the general assembly of protagonists to plan and co-ordinate them all and >>> bring them together into a viable system. Neoliberalism continues to >>> repress and marginalise these Cinderella Liberties that if nurtured and >>> united could tackle the multiplying wants that make no sense among >>> economies of plenty perversely allocated. >>> >>> The Garden City movement pioneers developed socialist planning guidance >>> in 1906 which played a key role to unite the fragments. We need to revive >>> democratic planning again and make this participative to set in train >>> evolutionary urban and rural reconstruction and to help animate, activate >>> and co-ordinate economic democracy in action. Garden cities were on the >>> right road as they sought to unite urban and rural life in ecological >>> resilient ways. >>> >>> The guild socialist ideas of GDH Cole in the early 1920s are worth >>> revisiting. As Danny Dorling shows in his book on the 1%, between 1918 >>> and1978 social and economic inequality reduced across developing countries >>> and indeed as forms of socialism advanced stage by stage. >>> >>> Today socialism needs to be planned and re-implemented with deeper >>> democracy methods and on a co-operative and ecological economics >>> foundations to produce commonwealth via a commons mode of production. I >>> look forward to reading your book Alex. >>> >>> Thanks to you both for the joint inspiration. >>> >>> Pat >>> >>> On 26 January 2018 at 12:38 Michel Bauwens < michel(a)p2pfoundation.net> >>> wrote: >>> >>> hi alex, >>> >>> >>> very happy to engage, and I fully understand the legitimacy of your >>> strategic choices, though your vision of a successful new new deal is also >>> a sign of optimism in itself .... I agree we have to fight for it >>> >>> >>> this is a very good overiview of the other polarity, I think at the p2p >>> foundation, we are somewhere in between, even as we are very liberally >>> cited in this overview of commons-based relocalization: >>> https://wiki.p2pfoundation.net/Networked_Cities_as_Resilient >>> _Platforms_for_Post-Capitalist_Transition#Excerpt >>> >>> >>> On Fri, Jan 26, 2018 at 10:34 AM, Alex Foti < alex.foti(a)gmail.com> >>> wrote: >>> >>> Dear Michel, Dear Friends, >>> >>> a trillion thanks for this thoughtful and appreciative review. i look >>> forward to co-developing a veritable post-capitalist strategy by embodying >>> the commons-based approach and i find your criticism of an excessive >>> capitalist realism justified (lost a few nights' sleep about it, but i am >>> very fearful of cryptofascist reaction, and think we can force liberal >>> capitalism into a social compromise - which you're right would make funding >>> and reclaiming the commons a central feature of society - and also i guess >>> i wanted to avoid excessive utopianism given that current historical >>> reality is so dystopian). again thanks for taking the time to read and >>> engage with the book's arguments. >>> >>> best milanese ciaos, >>> >>> lx >>> >>> >>> On Fri, Jan 26, 2018 at 9:25 AM, Michel Bauwens < >>> michel(a)p2pfoundation.net> wrote: >>> >>> see also link here at https://wiki.p2pfoundation.net >>> /General_Theory_of_the_Precariat#Evaluation >>> >>> >>> "This book is essential reading for all commoners that want to think >>> through the right strategy for social change. It squarely places itself >>> from the point of few of the new social groups (or class in formation, as >>> Foti would have it) that have grown under the conditions of neoliberalism >>> and its decline, or in other words under the emergence of cognitive >>> capitalism or 'informationalism'. This key group are the various >>> constituent parts of the precariat, all the people who can no longer work >>> with dependable classic labor contracts and the steady income and >>> protection deriving from it. >>> >>> This book should be read through its end, i.e. chapter five, because its >>> first four chapters on the precariat are only set in a more complex >>> geopolitical context in that last chapter. To be honest, I was quite >>> reactive at times during the reading of the first four chapters, because >>> two very important structural elements were missing in his analysis. First >>> is the commons itself, the other side of the antagonistic struggles of the >>> precariat; and second is the ecological crisis, the very material >>> conditions under which this struggle must occur today. Foti indeed calls >>> for economic and monetary growth, and sounds like an unabashed >>> neo-Keynesian but only in the last chapter stresses that this growth should >>> be thermodynamically sound (i.e. he calls for monetary growth, but not >>> growth in material services). Foti also almost completely ignores the role >>> of the commons and 'commonalism' in the first four chapters, only >>> acknowledging in a few parts of chapter 5, that it is a vital constituent >>> part of the precarious condition. If you don't read chapter 5, you could be >>> mistaken for seeing Foti's analysis as an exercise in re-imagining the >>> class dynamics and compromises of the New Deal and post-WWII european >>> welfare states, and has simply replaced working class with precariat, >>> working class parties with social populism, and the New Deal with a social >>> compact for green capitalism. >>> >>> So, the fact that this is a remarkably thought out book about >>> contemporary strategy for social change, should be tempered by a few >>> paradoxes that the author has not completely resolved. >>> >>> Indeed at the heart of the book lies also an enduring paradox: Foti >>> calls for the most radical forms of conflict, and identifies with the more >>> radical cultural minorities, acknowledging their anticapitalist and >>> anarchist ethos, yet calls for mere reformism as a focus and outcome. This >>> is therefore not a book about transforming our societies to post-capitalist >>> logics, this is a book about a new reformism. This is a book against >>> neoliberalism, not against capitalism. At times, it is plain 'capitalist >>> realism', as Foti explicitly acknowledges he sees no dynamic value creation >>> outside of capitalism. For Foti, it is clear, if sufficient conflict and >>> precariat self-organisation can occur, then a new regulation of capitalism >>> can occur. He justifies this by a detailed analysis of the different >>> regulatory modes of capitalism (smith-ism, fordism, jobs-ism) and how they >>> relate to the kondratieff economic cycles, drawing on the insights of >>> Carlota Perez and others. Foti distinguishes crises of demand, where there >>> is too much accumulation of capital, and not enough distribution. These >>> crises he says, are essentially reformist crises, as people mobilize to >>> restore balance in the redistribution, but not against the system per se. >>> The crisis of the 30's and the crisis after 2008, are such crises, he in my >>> view convincingly shows. Other crises are caused by a failing supply, due >>> to over-regulation of capital and falling profit rates, such as the crisis >>> of the 70s, and these crises, which are inflationary, are revolutionary. >>> This distinction between crises of accumulation and crises of regulation, >>> is in my opinion very insightful, and true. This recognition may of course >>> be troubling, but if true, we have to take serious stock of it. We are >>> simply not in revolutionary times, right now, but rather in a struggle >>> between national populism and social populism. From this analysis, Foti >>> then argues that the first priority is for the precariat to re-regulate for >>> a distribution of wealth, much like the old working class achieved after >>> WWII. >>> >>> But even if we acknowledge this conjuncture, I would argue that Foti >>> insufficiently balances his outlook between reforming capitalism and >>> constructing post-capitalism, beween antagonistic conflict and positive >>> construction of the new. He argues that without income, there can be no >>> such construction. This is very likely true, so we need to rebalance >>> redistribution, in a way that income growth can lead to immaterial growth >>> that is compatible with the ecological limits of our planet, and use these >>> surpluses to transform societal structures. Foti calls for social (or 'eco' >>> populist movements and coalitions as the political means to that end, >>> pointing to Podemos and En Comu, and perhaps Sanders and Corbyn, as such >>> forces, supported by to be created Precariat Syndicates. He also puts >>> forward the thesis that the enemy is national populism, an alliance between >>> retrograde fossil fuel capitalism and the salariat, with on the other side >>> a possible alliance of green capitalism (a real effort not a marketing >>> ploy) with the precariat, with the former fighting for top-down coalition >>> and the second for bottom-up regulation. This division of the working class >>> is in my view way too stark, and perhaps even defeatist. I would very >>> strongly argue to seek alliances and develop policies that can give hope to >>> the salariat. The thrust of our work for the Commons Transition aims at >>> precisely that. (elsewhere in the book, Foti does call for an alliance with >>> progressive middle classes, but if these are not the workers with jobs, >>> where are these then ?) >>> >>> Now Foti correctly critiques in my view, people like Mason and Rifkin >>> for failing to problematize the post-capitalist transition, they make it >>> seem like an inexorable process if not affirming that we are already >>> post-capitalist, as some others do, but in my view then in his turn he >>> fails to pay proper attention to it. What if the re-regulation of >>> capitalism doesn't work for example ? Then at some point, say in about 30 >>> years, as Kondratieff cycles would indicate, we would still face a crisis >>> of over-regulation, and a more revolutionary moment. For Foti, we have to >>> take it on faith that green capitalism will be a successful new regulatory >>> mode of capitalism. What if it turns out to be a unworkable compromise and >>> that more drastic action is needed. But Foti has no faith in alternatives >>> to capitalism, which means that the only alternatives would then be >>> eco-fascism as a new feudalism with only consumption for the rich, lifeboat >>> eco-hacking, a situation akin to that of medieval communes, or dictatorial >>> eco-maoism, say Cuba on a global scale. >>> >>> Contra this 'capitalist realism', our contention at the P2P Foundation >>> is that post-capitalism is both necessary and possible, even if we >>> recognize that today is a possible reformist moment in that >>> evolution/transformation. In that context, the construction of seed forms, >>> the recognition of other forms of value creation (which can be monetized!), >>> of other forms of self-organization is absolutely a vital side of the coin >>> in the dialectic of construction and conflict. Foti seems to forget that >>> the traditional working class did not simply 'fight', but constructed >>> cooperatives (both consumer coosp and producer coops), unions, parties, >>> mutualities and many fraternal/sororal organizations. The very >>> generalization of the welfare system was an extension by means of the >>> state, of the solidarity mechanism of the working class, which had taken >>> decades to develop. Also vitally, the identity itself of the working class >>> was not just as a part of capitalism, but as a movement for another type of >>> society, whether that was expressed through socialism, social-democracy, >>> anarchism, and other variants. When that hope was lost terminally, that was >>> also the end of the strength and identify of working class movements. There >>> can be no offensive social strategy without a strong social imaginary, and >>> mere reformist designs won’t do. So commonalism is not just something that >>> we do when we come home from work, or tired from our conflictual organizing >>> against an enemy from whom we want mere redistribution. On the contrary, it >>> is vital part of the class formation and identity, this is why we stress >>> our identity not just as precariat, which is a negative formulation that >>> characterizes us as the weaker victims of the capitalist class, but as >>> commoners, the multitude of co-constructors of viable futures that >>> correspond to contemporary emancipatory desires. We cannot just trust green >>> capitalism, we vitally need to build thermodynamically sound and mutualized >>> provisioning systems as commons even if we have to compromise with >>> capitalism. Post-capitalism should not be essentialized as something >>> occuring 'after the revolution', but as an ongoing process, dynamically >>> inter-linked with political self-organizing and conflict. Foti in this >>> book, is only really good at conflict. Even if we look at conflict, I would >>> argue that the strength of the reformist compromise after WWII was very >>> much linked to the fear of the however flawed alternative that existed, and >>> that the forms of compromise were the result of decades of invention of new >>> forms. >>> >>> If we take that view, then I believe the contradiction in Foti's book >>> can be resolved. Indeed in that case we do not have to ask the radical >>> precariat to give up it's values for a reformist compromise, but to >>> productively combine radically transformative post-capitalist practice. >>> >>> There is another issue with Foti's book. He very much stresses the >>> superdiversity of the precariat, and the key role of gender and >>> race/migration unity in their struggles. He also mentions en passant the >>> need for a potential eurasian alignment between Europe and China , now that >>> the Atlantic unity has been broken by Trump. But , at the same time, this >>> is really a very eurocentric book, calling for a new compromise in Europe >>> and 'advanced western states'. Obviously, since in the Global South it is >>> the salariat and proletariat which is growing, there is a theoretical >>> difficulty here. But what if a thermo-dynamically sound economy would >>> require a cosmo-localization of our global economy, as we contend at the >>> P2P Foundation, combining global sharing of knowledge with substantial >>> relocalization of physical production (as even big bank reports now >>> recognize) ? Only if we recognize this, can we actually have a new global >>> view of solidarity, as both elements benefit workers, salaried and >>> precarious, in the whole world. >>> >>> So, in conclusion, I find Foti's book to be an excellent first half of a >>> book, which would have been much better and sound, if it had more >>> extensively struggled with the commons equation of the precariat. The >>> commons is not something we do 'afterwards' , after a successful New Green >>> Deal, it is is something that is as ongoing and vital. Theoretically, in a >>> few paragraphs at the end of the book, Foti seems to recognize it, but it >>> is not integrated in his strategic vision, or only marginally. >>> >>> Readers who miss this aspect, could look at the ten years of research >>> and analysis we have conducted on that other half of the equation, at the >>> P2P Foundation. We may have the other weakness though, and in fact we >>> purposely have focused not on the conflict part, which is the natural >>> inclination of the left and needs no help, but in pointing out how any >>> self-organization, and construction of the commons, which inevitable comes >>> with conflict, is just an essential part of the programmatic alternatives >>> of the precariat. Not just as proposals of electoral parties and >>> syndicates, but as expressions of actual practice. Our orientation is to >>> try to achieve a greater understanding by emancipatory forces, of both the >>> salariat, the precariat, and progressive entrepreneurial groups, of the >>> importance of integrating the commons as a programmatic element in their >>> struggles, and their proposals. We will probably stick to this bias towards >>> the constructive side of the equation, tempered by a full awareness that >>> this is by itself insuffient, and requires the kind of understanding of >>> struggle, and its attendant strategies, as provided by Foti. >>> >>> In conclusion, Foti's enduring quality is to have worked out >>> systematically, what the conflict part of the equation entails, and that is >>> a very important achievement. Bearing in mind what we think is missing in >>> this book, there is much to be learned, and I believe the different >>> perspectives and different weaknesses in the approaches of people like Foti >>> and the P2P Foundation (and other) commons-centric approaches, there is >>> room for a lot of convergence and mutual enrichment." >>> >>> >>> -- >>> >>> Check out the Commons Transition Plan here at: >>> http://commonstransition.org >>> >>> >>> P2P Foundation: http://p2pfoundation.net - >>> http://blog.p2pfoundation.net >>> >>> Updates: http://twitter.com/mbauwens; http://www.facebook.com/mbauwens >>> >>> #82 on the (En)Rich list: http://enrichlist.org/the-complete-list/ >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> -- >>> >>> Check out the Commons Transition Plan here at: >>> http://commonstransition.org >>> >>> >>> P2P Foundation: http://p2pfoundation.net - >>> http://blog.p2pfoundation.net >>> >>> Updates: http://twitter.com/mbauwens; http://www.facebook.com/mbauwens >>> >>> #82 on the (En)Rich list: http://enrichlist.org/the-complete-list/ >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> -- >>> >>> Check out the Commons Transition Plan here at: >>> http://commonstransition.org >>> >>> >>> P2P Foundation: http://p2pfoundation.net - >>> http://blog.p2pfoundation.net >>> >>> Updates: http://twitter.com/mbauwens; http://www.facebook.com/mbauwens >>> >>> #82 on the (En)Rich list: http://enrichlist.org/the-complete-list/ >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> -- >>> >>> Check out the Commons Transition Plan here at: >>> http://commonstransition.org >>> >>> >>> P2P Foundation: http://p2pfoundation.net - >>> http://blog.p2pfoundation.net >>> >>> Updates: http://twitter.com/mbauwens; http://www.facebook.com/mbauwens >>> >>> #82 on the (En)Rich list: http://enrichlist.org/the-complete-list/ >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> -- >>> >>> Check out the Commons Transition Plan here at: >>> http://commonstransition.org >>> >>> >>> P2P Foundation: http://p2pfoundation.net - >>> http://blog.p2pfoundation.net >>> >>> Updates: http://twitter.com/mbauwens; http://www.facebook.com/mbauwens >>> >>> #82 on the (En)Rich list: http://enrichlist.org/the-complete-list/ >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> -- >>> Check out the Commons Transition Plan here at: >>> http://commonstransition.org >>> >>> P2P Foundation: http://p2pfoundation.net - >>> http://blog.p2pfoundation.net >>> >>> Updates: http://twitter.com/mbauwens; http://www.facebook.com/mbauwens >>> >>> #82 on the (En)Rich list: http://enrichlist.org/the-complete-list/ >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> -- >>> Check out the Commons Transition Plan here at: >>> http://commonstransition.org >>> >>> P2P Foundation: http://p2pfoundation.net - >>> http://blog.p2pfoundation.net >>> >>> Updates: http://twitter.com/mbauwens; http://www.facebook.com/mbauwens >>> >>> #82 on the (En)Rich list: http://enrichlist.org/the-complete-list/ >>> >>> >> >> >> -- >> Check out the Commons Transition Plan here at: >> http://commonstransition.org >> >> P2P Foundation: http://p2pfoundation.net - http://blog.p2pfoundation.net >> >> <http://lists.ourproject.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/p2p-foundation>Updates: >> http://twitter.com/mbauwens; http://www.facebook.com/mbauwens >> >> #82 on the (En)Rich list: http://enrichlist.org/the-complete-list/ >> > > -- Check out the Commons Transition Plan here at: http://commonstransition.org P2P Foundation: http://p2pfoundation.net - http://blog.p2pfoundation.net <http://lists.ourproject.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/p2p-foundation>Updates: http://twitter.com/mbauwens; http://www.facebook.com/mbauwens #82 on the (En)Rich list: http://enrichlist.org/the-complete-list/

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Critical Digital and Social Media Studies - Call for Book Proposals, deadline approaching
by Christian Fuchs 02 Feb '18

02 Feb '18

REMINDER - 2018 CALL FOR BOOK PROPOSAL SUBMISSIONS: CRITICAL DIGITAL AND SOCIAL MEDIA STUDIES Submission Deadline: Monday 12 February 2017 23:00 BST by e-mail to Andrew Lockett (University of Westminster Press Manager) at A.Lockett(a)westminster.ac.uk For fullest series details and proposal guidelines see https://uwestminsterpress.blog Critical Digital and Social Media Studies is an established book series edited by Christian Fuchs on behalf of the Westminster Institute for Advanced Studies and published by the University of Westminster Press (UWP). We invite submissions of book proposals that fall into the scope of the series. CALL DETAILS After the publication of five titles in the series we invite submission of book proposals (adhering to the guidelines set out below) as one document with one full chapter for books in the range of 35,000-80,000 words. The books in the series are published online in an open access format available online without payment using a Creative Commons licence (CC-BY-NC-ND) and simultaneously as affordable paperbacks. We are able to publish a number of books in the call without any book processing charges thanks to generous support by the University of Westminster that covers these fees. Potential authors are welcome to contact the series editor outside of the initial time frame of this call for book proposals but should note that priority for funding support for suitable projects will be given to those proposals meeting the deadline. There is a preference for the submission of proposals for books whose writing can be finished and that can be submitted to UWP within the next 6-15 months. In the event of a surplus of strong proposals preference will be given to single-authored book proposals over edited volumes. We welcome submissions of a book outline proposal with (exactly one) sample chapter submitted as one single Word or PDF document. We can only accept suggestions for books written in English. TOPICS Example topics that the book series is interested in include: the political economy of digital and social media; digital and informational capitalism; digital labour; ideology critique in the age of social media; new developments of critical theory in the age of digital and social media; critical studies of advertising and consumer culture online; critical social media research methods; critical digital and social media ethics; working class struggles in the age of social media; the relationship of class, gender and race in the context of digital and social media; the critical analysis of the implications of big data, cloud computing, digital positivism, the Internet of things, predictive online analytics, the sharing economy, location- based data and mobile media, etc.; the role of classical critical theories for studying digital and social media; alternative social media and Internet platforms; the public sphere in the age of digital media; the critical study of the Internet economy; critical perspectives on digital democracy; critical case studies of online prosumption; public service digital and social media; commons-based digital and social media; subjectivity, consciousness, affects, worldviews and moral values in the age of digital and social media; digital art and culture in the context of critical theory; environmental and ecological aspects of digital capitalism and digital consumer culture. PUBLISHED TITLES CRITICAL THEORY OF COMMUNICATION: LUKÁCS, ADORNO, MARCUSE, HONNETH AND HABERMAS IN THE AGE OF THE INTERNET AND SOCIAL MEDIA Christian Fuchs, Westminster Institute for Advanced Studies, University of Westminster https://doi.org/10.16997/book1 KNOWLEDGE IN THE AGE OF DIGITAL CAPITALISM: AN INTRODUCTION TO COGNITIVE MATERIALISM Mariano Zukerfeld (CONICET), Argentina. https://doi.org/10.16997/book3 POLITICIZING DIGITAL SPACE: THEORY, THE INTERNET, AND RENEWING DEMOCRACY Trevor Smith Carleton University Ottowa. https://doi.org/10.16997/book5 CAPITAL, STATE, EMPIRE: THE NEW AMERICAN WAY OF DIGITAL WARFARE Scott Timcke, University of the West Indies, at St Augustine, Trinidad & Tobago. https://doi.org/10.16997/book6 THE SPECTACLE 2.0: READING DEBORD IN THE CONTEXT OF DIGITAL CAPITALISM Edited by Marco Briziarelli, University of New Mexico and Emiliana Armano, the State University of Milan. https://doi.org/10.16997/book11

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Rebuilding the Internet
by Steve Ediger 01 Feb '18

01 Feb '18

ChiHackNight <http://chihacknight.org/> is one of the premier civic tech meetups in the USA. Subsequent to the recent FCC rulings that abolish net neutrality, a group of us are looking into what it would take to rebuild the Internet. We found the chapter from The Organic Internet: Building Communications Networks from the Grassroots by Panayotis Antoniadis We're looking at what prevents this (capitalistic oligarchies that lobby, set policy, lock smaller players out, etc.) as well as examples of alternatives that are working. I'm seeking examples of first/last mile, small ISP, municipal and cooperatives that have succeeded or failed. Please forward your contacts, sites and lists. Steve Ediger

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Re: [P2P-F] Co-op Commons: How to we make small not just beautiful but powerful?
by Michel Bauwens 01 Feb '18

01 Feb '18

I am going to take an initiative, with support of SMart, for a federation of commons-oriented think thank groups, to get the best proposals together at the European level, this will be for the end of this year ... Hopefully this will also advance our common desire for more commons-oriented policymaking! On Thu, Feb 1, 2018 at 2:43 PM, pat commonfutures < pat.commonfutures(a)phonecoop.coop> wrote: > I totally agree with you Michel. > > There is some interesting work going on by Commonweal in Scotland to > develop a governance structure for new public banks that is akin to the > Community Land Trust model in the USA which is explicitly > multi-stakeholder. They coincidentally suggest this without clear links to > the CLT ideas. > > Also some work happening in the UK on a co-op model for public banks that > the new 2014 Co-op law in the UK coincidentally enables. The Community > Savings Bank Association is being revived to foster this. Corbyn proposes > regional banks but has not yet a model firmly in mind as far as I am aware. > Hence this CSBA work is good and timely. > > So huge potential to unite the elements we want to see for economic > democracy ways forward that focus on common-ing. > > But you are right to underscore the danger of the sound ideas being > hijacked and taking everyone quickly in the wrong direction. > > Pat > > On 01 February 2018 at 13:27 Michel Bauwens <michel(a)p2pfoundation.net> > wrote: > > hi pat, > > I wasn't reacting to public banking at all, which I support though I would > prefer multi-stakeholders arrangements for their governance if not > ownership, sorry for the misunderstanding, > > just generally speaking, both the left and the social-populists are still > in nation-state centric vaguely neo-keynesian modalities, and it is high > time to inject more commons thinking and practice .. not to abandon the > nation-state, but to add both (trans)local and trans-national elements to > their strategies, centered around the creation of strong and shared commons > > Michel > > On Thu, Feb 1, 2018 at 2:22 PM, pat commonfutures < > pat.commonfutures(a)phonecoop.coop> wrote: > > Touche. > > But we are talking at cross purposes Michel. You make valid points and > raise concerns that are vitally important but you misunderstand the case I > am making. > > Public banking need not necessarily be neo-Keynesian. Yes commonly and > almost always in social democratic traditions this has been the case. Post > Keynesian ideas are different and relevant to Post Capitalism and that it > is in this vein I am making this case. > > The Bank of Canada during its radical days before 1973 and from 1938 > financed infrastructure by creating interest free money and finance. This > was not in the restricted neo-Keynesian song book. > > This other short piece by Zoe Williams in the Guardian and again on the > Magic Money Tree and on People's QE (that Corbyn took up but then dropped > as a hot potato) shows up the wall of ignorance and on how peaceful social > investment is being totally blocked as this is a Taboo subject. > > https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/oct/04/printi > ng-money-jeremy-corbyn-quantitative-easing-peoples-qe > > Pat > > On 01 February 2018 at 12:13 Michel Bauwens < michel(a)p2pfoundation.net> > wrote: > > I know this is going to sound arrogant and self-serving, but seriously, > after ten years of research and engagement in two intense projects at > nation-state and city level, I think we have a pretty good handle of the > inter-relationship between commons, market and state; we pretty much know > the most important elements of this relationship ... it's more a question > now of making more things happen that exemplify it, > > as a reminder, in Ecuador we looked in-depth at how to create national > knowledge commons, with the instutiional, regulatory and material > conditions to make it happen, offering a specific methodology, and in > Ghent, an institutional framework for public-commons cooperation at the > city level, focusing on material provisioning systems, > > if you put the two together, and add John Restakis' developments on the > same theme , focusing on the social economy, we have the basics at hand, > > this is why I think it is now vital to bring these insights to > social-populist politicians, to give them a way forward beyond > neo-keynesianism, > > at the P2P Foundation, feeling confident about the basic logic of > commons-market-state cooperative institutions, we are now moving to the > underlying social and ecological conditions that underlie such an > institutional structure > > one is commonfare and the reform of social protection so that it can > protect autonomous workers (and the care economy); the other is > bioacapacity-based supply chains and accounting, > > it's gonna be at least a five year plan <g> > > On Thu, Feb 1, 2018 at 10:52 AM, pat commonfutures < > pat.commonfutures(a)phonecoop.coop> wrote: > > Thanks Mike, Michel, Dirk, Stacco and Margie for the supportive feedback. > > We need to fit together the commons, co-op and partner state jig-saw > pieces. But how and Now? > Let me widen the analysis and think how to turbocharge the superb > bootstrap grassroots work in Barcelona, Ghent, Bologna and Preston. Bear in > mind that Bruno Roelants is now head of the ICA and he supports the > solidarity economy and has a growing interest in commons and co-op commons > especially. > > From an utter state of dire poverty and crisis, Preston is making a > co-operative fight back. There are many post industrial towns in Northern > France and other parts of southern and Eastern Europe precisely in this > dire state today and without a commons co-op Plan supported by social > investment they will continue to be lured by the far Right. > > Councillor Matthew Brown in Preston has been inspired by the Evergreen > Co-ops in Cleveland, Ohio and the work of Ted Howard at the US Democracy > Collaborative. Ted has been to speak in Preston 2 or 3 times in recent > years. > > On the need for monetary and banking reform to complement the Preston set > of ideas , here in Wales we ran a very successful Build a Co-operative > Country conference last June and simply allowed the Community land trust > groups, the social co-op groups for care services, the renewable energy > co-ops, the housing co-ops, freelancer co-ops and others like this to tell > their stories in a big plenary. This worked wonderfully well because the > different co-op and commons innovators are so busy ploughing their own > separate fields, they were not well aware of what their other comrades in > arms were doing and succeeding with. If they were not aware, the wider > pubiic is even less aware of a practical What if vision? > > The politicians in attendance were very impressed with these commoner > stories. All these projects are lacking in strategic investment badly and > none has the scope to move from micro-level success to upping their game > big time. We do not have the democratic financing infrastructure in place > to do this. For example a recent report on renewable energy co-ops in Wales > showed that they cannot aggregate easily to attract low cost patient > capital from public sector pension funds that are looking to invest in > non-fossil fuel alternatives. This got us thinking about how to put in > place such a bridge. > > During the Great Depression public banks like the early Bank of Canada > created new money to invest in public services, housing, health services, > rural revival, electrification etc. It worked. > > Over the past 18 months we have been working on a public bank for Wales > that could create money out of thin air and invest in the commons and co-op > sectors big time. All the politicians of most parties say There is no magic > money tree for social investment. This short article from Zoe Willams in > the Guardian reveals the massive ignorance of MPs of all parties about how > money is created. A good one this for the Common Transition Plan. > > https://www.theguardian.com/global/shortcuts/2017/oct/29/how > -the-actual-magic-money-tree-works > > We held a public meeting on a public bank for Wales last October and got > to attend the Minister for Local Government and Finance and the chief > economist for Welsh government. The research we had stimulated came out > before this meeting and is getting on side our thinking. We are soon to > complete another report on the public bank and money creation that the > Minister has invited us to send him. > > Ellen Brown at the Public Banking Institute in the US has joined our > Public Banking action group and has been twice to Wales to talk. > > Public banks that really create new money are a key piece of the jig-saw > for commons. In our forthcoming report we are advancing the case for the > creation of £1 billion of new money by a Welsh public bank from year 1 on a > ratio of 5:1. That is five times new money created for patient social > investment to the core capital in the new bank that we are inviting local > governments in Wales to put up from say 5% of their annual capital budgets. > Leverage this and you can get take-off locally and thereafter regional. > > We need to operationalise Magic Money Trees at local government area > levels across Europe. > > Pat > > On 31 January 2018 at 17:58 Michael Lewis < Lewiscccr(a)shaw.ca> wrote: > > This is a brilliant article Pat. Thanks for sharing. > > On Jan 31, 2018, at 6:21 AM, pat commonfutures < > pat.commonfutures(a)phonecoop.coop> wrote: > > In the UK it would be great if we had a supportive mayor somewhere like in > Barcelona or the work in Ghent. One local government though that is going > down this road is Preston. This article in the Guardian today tells the > story. > > https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/jan/31/presto > n-hit-rock-bottom-took-back-control > > Pat > > On 30 January 2018 at 20:01 Holemans Dirk < Dirk.Holemans(a)stad.gent> > wrote: > > Me too, I just bought a second-hand version of Henry’s book online > > Michel: we can share it! > > > *Van: *<michelsub2004(a)gmail.com> namens Michel Bauwens < > michel(a)p2pfoundation.net> > *Datum: *dinsdag 30 januari 2018 14:10 > *Aan: *pat commonfutures <pat.commonfutures(a)phonecoop.coop> > *CC: *Simona Levi Xnet <simona(a)xnet-x.net>, emanuele braga < > bragaberlino(a)gmail.com>, "visioning(a)p2pfoundation.net" < > visioning(a)p2pfoundation.net>, David Bollier <david(a)bollier.org>, George > Papanikolaou <georgepapani(a)gmail.com>, Daniel Chavez <chavez(a)tni.org>, > Stacco Troncoso <staccotroncoso(a)gmail.com>, Fiona Dove <fdove(a)tni.org>, > Hazel Henderson <hazel.henderson(a)ethicalmarkets.com>, John Restakis < > restakis(a)gmail.com>, Holemans Dirk <Dirk.Holemans(a)stad.gent>, Alex Foti < > alex.foti(a)gmail.com>, p2p-foundation <p2p-foundation(a)lists.ourproject.org>, > Geert Lovink <geert(a)xs4all.nl>, Margie Mendell <mendell(a)alcor.concordia.ca>, > Michael Lewis <Lewiscccr(a)shaw.ca> > *Onderwerp: *Re: My review (bauwens) of Alex Foti's General Theory of the > Precariat > > > looking forward to Henry's book! > > > On Tue, Jan 30, 2018 at 1:59 PM, pat commonfutures < > pat.commonfutures(a)phonecoop.coop> wrote: > > Michel > > Thanks for this link. Just to let you know that the communitarian thinker > and former UK civil servant Henry Tam is compiling a book on Reinventing > Government. I am contributing a chapter on ideas like those I have shared > and Anna Coote at New Economics Foundation is also doing a chapter on > social commons. She is drawing from your work and David Bollier's. > > Henry's book will come out later this year. > > Pat > > > On 29 January 2018 at 13:27 Michel Bauwens <michel(a)p2pfoundation.net> > wrote: > > thanks a lot Pat, very useful! > > > keeping track of 232 current commonfare initiatives here for just that > reason: > > https://wiki.p2pfoundation.net/Category:P2P_Solidarity > > > On Mon, Jan 29, 2018 at 1:33 PM, pat commonfutures < > pat.commonfutures(a)phonecoop.coop> wrote: > > Hi Dirk. Alex and Michel > > We need to be aware that public services as we know them had their origins > in pioneering class struggles by commoners that developed the fundamental > social economic innovations. We forget this out of ignorance and at our > peril. > > A great book on the history you ask about Dirk is Eric Hopkins' > Working-class Self-Help in nineteenth century England. By 1900 there were > 27,000 friendly societies providing a wide range of mutual aid services for > funerals, for sick pay and also for small pensions. They date back in > formation to the 18th century and many early trade unions before they were > legalised after 1825 operated clandestinely as friendly societies. Also > early co-ops used friendly society laws to form legally. > > Alex you are right that social democracy emerged decades before 1945 and > those who studied closely over a century ago mutual aid, friendly > societies, co-ops and trade unions, like the Fabian socialists Beatrice and > Sidney Webb, advocated that the emerging Labour parties should seek to > collectivise the best practices of friendly societies and co-ops via > welfare state practices to provide sick pay, retirement pensions, > industrial injury payments and primary health care. The 1911 National > Insurance Act in the UK provided these services in collective ways via the > state in a three way contributory system into social insurance funds with > the workers paying in a third, employers a third and the government a > third. This was the deal with the state and from 1911 until 1948 - when the > National Health Service widen coverage and health services comprehensively > - the friendly societies were involved in the administration of the 1911 > Act. > > As Michel points out, trade unions in Belgium and in countries in > Scandinavia still to this day play a key social security delivery role. > > From 1948 as friendly society roles diminished as the state took all the > roles over, the numbers in the UK have reduced now to only about 200. > > Interesting to see that the Broodfonds or Bread Funds in the Netherlands > developed after 2006 as 21st century friendly societies when the Dutch > state ended access to sickness benefits for self-employed people. So where > markets fail and states leave gaps as is increasingly the case since 2010, > mutual aid re-emerges. > > You are right Dirk, the dialectical tension between waves of commons > movements and the state and how relationships are forged for better or for > worse is key for developing strategies for the new commons movement. > > Given that the public services required commons innovation and the current > commons innovations need to spread, what the deal is with the state and > especially municipalities is crucial for the emergence of a democratic, > social and ecological economy. > > Pat > > > On 29 January 2018 at 08:43 Michel Bauwens < michel(a)p2pfoundation.net> > wrote: > > by the way, I just want to mention that the p2p foundation maintains a > closed 'visioning' discussion list, in which high quality discussants are > very welcome, > > > Stacco can add you to the list, > > > Michel > > > On Sun, Jan 28, 2018 at 5:47 PM, Holemans Dirk < Dirk.Holemans(a)stad.gent> > wrote: > > Dear all, > > > Many thanks for this inspiring dialogue. As ecologist (director of green > foundation Oikos and city councillor in Ghent), I see I can learn a lot > from your contributions, and authors like GDH Cole and Clifford Douglas. > > > Being inspired by Polanyi, I am trying to connect his lines of thinking > with the historical research on the three waves of commons in Europe since > the Middle Ages. To reduce complex research to this simple line, one could > argue that the democratic second movement of Polanyi correspondents with > the second wave of the commons. By this I am very interested in what Pat > writes on the “23,000 mutual friendly societies set up over decades of > social movement struggles and almost all promoted and supported by diverse > trade unions for their members”. Are there specific articles or books that > documents these pre-war social movements in the UK? > > > Already many thanks > > Dirk > > > *Van: *pat commonfutures <pat.commonfutures(a)phonecoop.coop> > *Beantwoorden - Aan: *pat commonfutures <pat.commonfutures(a)phonecoop.coop> > *Datum: *zondag 28 januari 2018 13:31 > *Aan: *Alex Foti <alex.foti(a)gmail.com>, Michel Bauwens < > michel(a)p2pfoundation.net> > *CC: *Simona Levi Xnet <simona(a)xnet-x.net>, John Restakis < > restakis(a)gmail.com>, "david(a)bollier.org" <david(a)bollier.org>, Hazel > Henderson <hazel.henderson(a)ethicalmarkets.com>, Fiona Dove <fdove(a)tni.org>, > Holemans Dirk <Dirk.Holemans(a)stad.gent>, "visioning(a)p2pfoundation.net" < > visioning(a)p2pfoundation.net>, emanuele braga <bragaberlino(a)gmail.com>, > p2p-foundation <p2p-foundation(a)lists.ourproject.org>, George Papanikolaou > <georgepapani(a)gmail.com>, Geert Lovink <geert(a)xs4all.nl>, Daniel Chavez < > chavez(a)tni.org>, Margie Mendell <mendell(a)alcor.concordia.ca>, Michael > Lewis <Lewiscccr(a)shaw.ca> > *Onderwerp: *Re: My review (bauwens) of Alex Foti's General Theory of the > Precariat > > > Hi Michel and Alex > > The commons work in Ghent is great to see. Also the Bologna regulations > work of Christian Iaione are needed to help commons and local government > partnerships and social contracts to be negotiated. > > Why GDH Cole and guild socialism ideas are relevant to the present is that > Cole proposed in 1919 in his book on Guild Socialism Restated that guild > congresses for economic democracy should complement local government and > regional and national governments and that social economic actors involved > in production and reproduction could be a co-operative economic counterpart > to parliamentary democracy. Therefore economic democracy would become a > separate form of democracy complementary to political democracy. A system > of checks and balances. > > Garden city ideas where all the land would be commonly owned and economic > rent captured for residents transparently was a foundational concept for > Cole for the guild assemblies locally. > > Remember Polanyi showed that the capitalist system is oppressive and > structured historically because people, money and land have been enclosed > and commodified. What was interesting about the guild socialist ideas in > the early 1920s that Bertrand Russell, RH Tawney and GDH Cole were working > on is that the garden city ideas and socialist planning would take land out > of the market for new housing, workspace, commons spaces etc, workplace > democracy advancing then and across Europe would end wage labour and the > further step would be pursued as Clfford Douglas argued by taking money out > of the market by issuing social credit as a national dividend that would be > locally managed by monetary authorities that could be part and parcel of > the guild economic congresses so that underconsumption would no longer be > addressed by more capitalist debt issuance by banks but by transparent > monetary reform to democratise money. > > Tawney and Cole did not push for what Douglas was arguing for which was a > pity. Polanyi only wrote about the tripartite need to take people, money > and land out of the market in his Great Transformation in 1944. But these > three reforms are the bedrock for a commons mode of production to pursue > structurally the paradigm shift to advance economic democracy and to secure > co-operative commonwealth. Sadly Massimo De Angelis only mentions Polanyi > in passing in his latest book and missed all this. Otherwise his book is > excellent I think. > > On your query about mutuals and co-op innovations and the doubt you have > Alex about the state replicating these. Keynes's gets his ideas of 'cheap > money' which is not the same as social credit from Clifford Douglas and > Silvio Gesell. See the last chapter of the General Theory by Keynes. > > In 1943 when the National Health Service was being designed, co-operative > and mutual health services in the UK were patchy but being then provided by > 23,000 mutual friendly societies set up over decades of social movement > struggles and almost all promoted and supported by diverse trade unions for > their members. There was an effort to incorporate these mutuals into the > NHS but authoritarian socialists refused to allow this to happen. > > Also if you look at the reconstruction of housing and new towns after 1948 > in the UK, they used co-op Garden City ideas for guidance for public land > and public housing design but left out the ecological dimensions and > pursued post War reconstruction from the top down. > > Pat > > On 27 January 2018 at 19:40 Alex Foti <alex.foti(a)gmail.com> wrote: > > Dear Pat, > > > thanks for your observations on mutualism and the ecological and social > rights to the city. i'm a big gdh cole fan, btw. the weekend has > overwhelmed me with obligations. i ll try to come back to in more detail > tomorrow with more time. however the only thing i m doubtful the fact that > mutualism is replaced by the welfare state which was a way of neutralizing > and institutionalizing the commonist and separatist tendencies of the > working class. at least since 1919 it seems to me social democracy opted > for state intervention rather than self-reliant mutualism (or worse, > syndicalism). > > > best ciaos! > > > lx > > > On Fri, Jan 26, 2018 at 7:27 PM, pat commonfutures < > pat.commonfutures(a)phonecoop.coop> wrote: > > Hi Michel and Alex > > My two cents...... > > Enjoyed reading your review Michel and hearing loud and clear the comments > from Alex. Glad to see you recognise strategically the role for economic > democracy organisations to come together to develop commonwealth solutions. > Challenge is to animate and mobilise co-ops, trade unions, mutual aid > organisations and commons movements and other actors to cross connect. > > Capital needs to be on tap not on top. Labour needs to hire capital. Thus > economic democracy is the operative mantra. But how.....? > > I think the analysis of Massimo De Angelis in Omnia sunt communia that > focuses on commons solutions for provisioning to address precarious > housing, precarious work, precarious social services, etc. is the way to > increasingly Walk the Talk. > > But so much of the infrastructure needs aligning to develop a generative > system to build the new to replace the toxic old. In the period from 1910 > to 1948 it was the working class self-organisations and partnerships with > municipalities that co-developed a turn key system for affordable housing, > mutual insurance services for access to health care, patient finance > instruments, etc. As you highlight Michel, without this proving of the > possible, the Post 1945 welfare states would not have been practical. > History has airbrushed out of memory all the working class achievements > leading up to social democracy's action to rebuild war torn Europe with > guidance from Keynes. Keynes himself took credit for what commoners had > innovated and brought into being over many decades. > > But we are back to the same situation again. > > To pursue pluralist commonwealth post capitalist futures, the facts are > similar at least as a pattern to 1945... > > Many good solutions that emerged out of commoner struggles since the 1970s > now exist as viable and proven models. Examples include Community Land > Trusts for housing and workspace, social co-operatives for care services, > community renewable energy, freelancer co-ops, etc but we lack the general > assembly of protagonists to plan and co-ordinate them all and bring them > together into a viable system. Neoliberalism continues to repress and > marginalise these Cinderella Liberties that if nurtured and united could > tackle the multiplying wants that make no sense among economies of plenty > perversely allocated. > > The Garden City movement pioneers developed socialist planning guidance in > 1906 which played a key role to unite the fragments. We need to revive > democratic planning again and make this participative to set in train > evolutionary urban and rural reconstruction and to help animate, activate > and co-ordinate economic democracy in action. Garden cities were on the > right road as they sought to unite urban and rural life in ecological > resilient ways. > > The guild socialist ideas of GDH Cole in the early 1920s are worth > revisiting. As Danny Dorling shows in his book on the 1%, between 1918 > and1978 social and economic inequality reduced across developing countries > and indeed as forms of socialism advanced stage by stage. > > Today socialism needs to be planned and re-implemented with deeper > democracy methods and on a co-operative and ecological economics > foundations to produce commonwealth via a commons mode of production. I > look forward to reading your book Alex. > > Thanks to you both for the joint inspiration. > > Pat > > On 26 January 2018 at 12:38 Michel Bauwens < michel(a)p2pfoundation.net> > wrote: > > hi alex, > > > very happy to engage, and I fully understand the legitimacy of your > strategic choices, though your vision of a successful new new deal is also > a sign of optimism in itself .... I agree we have to fight for it > > > this is a very good overiview of the other polarity, I think at the p2p > foundation, we are somewhere in between, even as we are very liberally > cited in this overview of commons-based relocalization: > https://wiki.p2pfoundation.net/Networked_Cities_as_Resilient > _Platforms_for_Post-Capitalist_Transition#Excerpt > > > On Fri, Jan 26, 2018 at 10:34 AM, Alex Foti < alex.foti(a)gmail.com> wrote: > > Dear Michel, Dear Friends, > > a trillion thanks for this thoughtful and appreciative review. i look > forward to co-developing a veritable post-capitalist strategy by embodying > the commons-based approach and i find your criticism of an excessive > capitalist realism justified (lost a few nights' sleep about it, but i am > very fearful of cryptofascist reaction, and think we can force liberal > capitalism into a social compromise - which you're right would make funding > and reclaiming the commons a central feature of society - and also i guess > i wanted to avoid excessive utopianism given that current historical > reality is so dystopian). again thanks for taking the time to read and > engage with the book's arguments. > > best milanese ciaos, > > lx > > > On Fri, Jan 26, 2018 at 9:25 AM, Michel Bauwens < michel(a)p2pfoundation.net> > wrote: > > see also link here at https://wiki.p2pfoundation.net > /General_Theory_of_the_Precariat#Evaluation > > > "This book is essential reading for all commoners that want to think > through the right strategy for social change. It squarely places itself > from the point of few of the new social groups (or class in formation, as > Foti would have it) that have grown under the conditions of neoliberalism > and its decline, or in other words under the emergence of cognitive > capitalism or 'informationalism'. This key group are the various > constituent parts of the precariat, all the people who can no longer work > with dependable classic labor contracts and the steady income and > protection deriving from it. > > This book should be read through its end, i.e. chapter five, because its > first four chapters on the precariat are only set in a more complex > geopolitical context in that last chapter. To be honest, I was quite > reactive at times during the reading of the first four chapters, because > two very important structural elements were missing in his analysis. First > is the commons itself, the other side of the antagonistic struggles of the > precariat; and second is the ecological crisis, the very material > conditions under which this struggle must occur today. Foti indeed calls > for economic and monetary growth, and sounds like an unabashed > neo-Keynesian but only in the last chapter stresses that this growth should > be thermodynamically sound (i.e. he calls for monetary growth, but not > growth in material services). Foti also almost completely ignores the role > of the commons and 'commonalism' in the first four chapters, only > acknowledging in a few parts of chapter 5, that it is a vital constituent > part of the precarious condition. If you don't read chapter 5, you could be > mistaken for seeing Foti's analysis as an exercise in re-imagining the > class dynamics and compromises of the New Deal and post-WWII european > welfare states, and has simply replaced working class with precariat, > working class parties with social populism, and the New Deal with a social > compact for green capitalism. > > So, the fact that this is a remarkably thought out book about contemporary > strategy for social change, should be tempered by a few paradoxes that the > author has not completely resolved. > > Indeed at the heart of the book lies also an enduring paradox: Foti calls > for the most radical forms of conflict, and identifies with the more > radical cultural minorities, acknowledging their anticapitalist and > anarchist ethos, yet calls for mere reformism as a focus and outcome. This > is therefore not a book about transforming our societies to post-capitalist > logics, this is a book about a new reformism. This is a book against > neoliberalism, not against capitalism. At times, it is plain 'capitalist > realism', as Foti explicitly acknowledges he sees no dynamic value creation > outside of capitalism. For Foti, it is clear, if sufficient conflict and > precariat self-organisation can occur, then a new regulation of capitalism > can occur. He justifies this by a detailed analysis of the different > regulatory modes of capitalism (smith-ism, fordism, jobs-ism) and how they > relate to the kondratieff economic cycles, drawing on the insights of > Carlota Perez and others. Foti distinguishes crises of demand, where there > is too much accumulation of capital, and not enough distribution. These > crises he says, are essentially reformist crises, as people mobilize to > restore balance in the redistribution, but not against the system per se. > The crisis of the 30's and the crisis after 2008, are such crises, he in my > view convincingly shows. Other crises are caused by a failing supply, due > to over-regulation of capital and falling profit rates, such as the crisis > of the 70s, and these crises, which are inflationary, are revolutionary. > This distinction between crises of accumulation and crises of regulation, > is in my opinion very insightful, and true. This recognition may of course > be troubling, but if true, we have to take serious stock of it. We are > simply not in revolutionary times, right now, but rather in a struggle > between national populism and social populism. From this analysis, Foti > then argues that the first priority is for the precariat to re-regulate for > a distribution of wealth, much like the old working class achieved after > WWII. > > But even if we acknowledge this conjuncture, I would argue that Foti > insufficiently balances his outlook between reforming capitalism and > constructing post-capitalism, beween antagonistic conflict and positive > construction of the new. He argues that without income, there can be no > such construction. This is very likely true, so we need to rebalance > redistribution, in a way that income growth can lead to immaterial growth > that is compatible with the ecological limits of our planet, and use these > surpluses to transform societal structures. Foti calls for social (or 'eco' > populist movements and coalitions as the political means to that end, > pointing to Podemos and En Comu, and perhaps Sanders and Corbyn, as such > forces, supported by to be created Precariat Syndicates. He also puts > forward the thesis that the enemy is national populism, an alliance between > retrograde fossil fuel capitalism and the salariat, with on the other side > a possible alliance of green capitalism (a real effort not a marketing > ploy) with the precariat, with the former fighting for top-down coalition > and the second for bottom-up regulation. This division of the working class > is in my view way too stark, and perhaps even defeatist. I would very > strongly argue to seek alliances and develop policies that can give hope to > the salariat. The thrust of our work for the Commons Transition aims at > precisely that. (elsewhere in the book, Foti does call for an alliance with > progressive middle classes, but if these are not the workers with jobs, > where are these then ?) > > Now Foti correctly critiques in my view, people like Mason and Rifkin for > failing to problematize the post-capitalist transition, they make it seem > like an inexorable process if not affirming that we are already > post-capitalist, as some others do, but in my view then in his turn he > fails to pay proper attention to it. What if the re-regulation of > capitalism doesn't work for example ? Then at some point, say in about 30 > years, as Kondratieff cycles would indicate, we would still face a crisis > of over-regulation, and a more revolutionary moment. For Foti, we have to > take it on faith that green capitalism will be a successful new regulatory > mode of capitalism. What if it turns out to be a unworkable compromise and > that more drastic action is needed. But Foti has no faith in alternatives > to capitalism, which means that the only alternatives would then be > eco-fascism as a new feudalism with only consumption for the rich, lifeboat > eco-hacking, a situation akin to that of medieval communes, or dictatorial > eco-maoism, say Cuba on a global scale. > > Contra this 'capitalist realism', our contention at the P2P Foundation is > that post-capitalism is both necessary and possible, even if we recognize > that today is a possible reformist moment in that evolution/transformation. > In that context, the construction of seed forms, the recognition of other > forms of value creation (which can be monetized!), of other forms of > self-organization is absolutely a vital side of the coin in the dialectic > of construction and conflict. Foti seems to forget that the traditional > working class did not simply 'fight', but constructed cooperatives (both > consumer coosp and producer coops), unions, parties, mutualities and many > fraternal/sororal organizations. The very generalization of the welfare > system was an extension by means of the state, of the solidarity mechanism > of the working class, which had taken decades to develop. Also vitally, the > identity itself of the working class was not just as a part of capitalism, > but as a movement for another type of society, whether that was expressed > through socialism, social-democracy, anarchism, and other variants. When > that hope was lost terminally, that was also the end of the strength and > identify of working class movements. There can be no offensive social > strategy without a strong social imaginary, and mere reformist designs > won’t do. So commonalism is not just something that we do when we come home > from work, or tired from our conflictual organizing against an enemy from > whom we want mere redistribution. On the contrary, it is vital part of the > class formation and identity, this is why we stress our identity not just > as precariat, which is a negative formulation that characterizes us as the > weaker victims of the capitalist class, but as commoners, the multitude of > co-constructors of viable futures that correspond to contemporary > emancipatory desires. We cannot just trust green capitalism, we vitally > need to build thermodynamically sound and mutualized provisioning systems > as commons even if we have to compromise with capitalism. Post-capitalism > should not be essentialized as something occuring 'after the revolution', > but as an ongoing process, dynamically inter-linked with political > self-organizing and conflict. Foti in this book, is only really good at > conflict. Even if we look at conflict, I would argue that the strength of > the reformist compromise after WWII was very much linked to the fear of the > however flawed alternative that existed, and that the forms of compromise > were the result of decades of invention of new forms. > > If we take that view, then I believe the contradiction in Foti's book can > be resolved. Indeed in that case we do not have to ask the radical > precariat to give up it's values for a reformist compromise, but to > productively combine radically transformative post-capitalist practice. > > There is another issue with Foti's book. He very much stresses the > superdiversity of the precariat, and the key role of gender and > race/migration unity in their struggles. He also mentions en passant the > need for a potential eurasian alignment between Europe and China , now that > the Atlantic unity has been broken by Trump. But , at the same time, this > is really a very eurocentric book, calling for a new compromise in Europe > and 'advanced western states'. Obviously, since in the Global South it is > the salariat and proletariat which is growing, there is a theoretical > difficulty here. But what if a thermo-dynamically sound economy would > require a cosmo-localization of our global economy, as we contend at the > P2P Foundation, combining global sharing of knowledge with substantial > relocalization of physical production (as even big bank reports now > recognize) ? Only if we recognize this, can we actually have a new global > view of solidarity, as both elements benefit workers, salaried and > precarious, in the whole world. > > So, in conclusion, I find Foti's book to be an excellent first half of a > book, which would have been much better and sound, if it had more > extensively struggled with the commons equation of the precariat. The > commons is not something we do 'afterwards' , after a successful New Green > Deal, it is is something that is as ongoing and vital. Theoretically, in a > few paragraphs at the end of the book, Foti seems to recognize it, but it > is not integrated in his strategic vision, or only marginally. > > Readers who miss this aspect, could look at the ten years of research and > analysis we have conducted on that other half of the equation, at the P2P > Foundation. We may have the other weakness though, and in fact we purposely > have focused not on the conflict part, which is the natural inclination of > the left and needs no help, but in pointing out how any self-organization, > and construction of the commons, which inevitable comes with conflict, is > just an essential part of the programmatic alternatives of the precariat. > Not just as proposals of electoral parties and syndicates, but as > expressions of actual practice. Our orientation is to try to achieve a > greater understanding by emancipatory forces, of both the salariat, the > precariat, and progressive entrepreneurial groups, of the importance of > integrating the commons as a programmatic element in their struggles, and > their proposals. We will probably stick to this bias towards the > constructive side of the equation, tempered by a full awareness that this > is by itself insuffient, and requires the kind of understanding of > struggle, and its attendant strategies, as provided by Foti. > > In conclusion, Foti's enduring quality is to have worked out > systematically, what the conflict part of the equation entails, and that is > a very important achievement. Bearing in mind what we think is missing in > this book, there is much to be learned, and I believe the different > perspectives and different weaknesses in the approaches of people like Foti > and the P2P Foundation (and other) commons-centric approaches, there is > room for a lot of convergence and mutual enrichment." > > > -- > > Check out the Commons Transition Plan here at: > http://commonstransition.org > > > P2P Foundation: http://p2pfoundation.net - http://blog.p2pfoundation.net > > Updates: http://twitter.com/mbauwens; http://www.facebook.com/mbauwens > > #82 on the (En)Rich list: http://enrichlist.org/the-complete-list/ > > > > > > > > -- > > Check out the Commons Transition Plan here at: > http://commonstransition.org > > > P2P Foundation: http://p2pfoundation.net - http://blog.p2pfoundation.net > > Updates: http://twitter.com/mbauwens; http://www.facebook.com/mbauwens > > #82 on the (En)Rich list: http://enrichlist.org/the-complete-list/ > > > > > > > > -- > > Check out the Commons Transition Plan here at: > http://commonstransition.org > > > P2P Foundation: http://p2pfoundation.net - http://blog.p2pfoundation.net > > Updates: http://twitter.com/mbauwens; http://www.facebook.com/mbauwens > > #82 on the (En)Rich list: http://enrichlist.org/the-complete-list/ > > > > > > -- > > Check out the Commons Transition Plan here at: > http://commonstransition.org > > > P2P Foundation: http://p2pfoundation.net - http://blog.p2pfoundation.net > > Updates: http://twitter.com/mbauwens; http://www.facebook.com/mbauwens > > #82 on the (En)Rich list: http://enrichlist.org/the-complete-list/ > > > > > > -- > > Check out the Commons Transition Plan here at: > http://commonstransition.org > > > P2P Foundation: http://p2pfoundation.net - http://blog.p2pfoundation.net > > Updates: http://twitter.com/mbauwens; http://www.facebook.com/mbauwens > > #82 on the (En)Rich list: http://enrichlist.org/the-complete-list/ > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > Check out the Commons Transition Plan here at: > http://commonstransition.org > > P2P Foundation: http://p2pfoundation.net - http://blog.p2pfoundation.net > > Updates: http://twitter.com/mbauwens; http://www.facebook.com/mbauwens > > #82 on the (En)Rich list: http://enrichlist.org/the-complete-list/ > > > > > -- > Check out the Commons Transition Plan here at: > http://commonstransition.org > > P2P Foundation: http://p2pfoundation.net - http://blog.p2pfoundation.net > > Updates: http://twitter.com/mbauwens; http://www.facebook.com/mbauwens > > #82 on the (En)Rich list: http://enrichlist.org/the-complete-list/ > > -- Check out the Commons Transition Plan here at: http://commonstransition.org P2P Foundation: http://p2pfoundation.net - http://blog.p2pfoundation.net <http://lists.ourproject.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/p2p-foundation>Updates: http://twitter.com/mbauwens; http://www.facebook.com/mbauwens #82 on the (En)Rich list: http://enrichlist.org/the-complete-list/

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Re: [P2P-F] Co-op Commons: How to we make small not just beautiful but powerful?
by Michel Bauwens 01 Feb '18

01 Feb '18

hi pat, I wasn't reacting to public banking at all, which I support though I would prefer multi-stakeholders arrangements for their governance if not ownership, sorry for the misunderstanding, just generally speaking, both the left and the social-populists are still in nation-state centric vaguely neo-keynesian modalities, and it is high time to inject more commons thinking and practice .. not to abandon the nation-state, but to add both (trans)local and trans-national elements to their strategies, centered around the creation of strong and shared commons Michel On Thu, Feb 1, 2018 at 2:22 PM, pat commonfutures < pat.commonfutures(a)phonecoop.coop> wrote: > Touche. > > But we are talking at cross purposes Michel. You make valid points and > raise concerns that are vitally important but you misunderstand the case I > am making. > > Public banking need not necessarily be neo-Keynesian. Yes commonly and > almost always in social democratic traditions this has been the case. Post > Keynesian ideas are different and relevant to Post Capitalism and that it > is in this vein I am making this case. > > The Bank of Canada during its radical days before 1973 and from 1938 > financed infrastructure by creating interest free money and finance. This > was not in the restricted neo-Keynesian song book. > > This other short piece by Zoe Williams in the Guardian and again on the > Magic Money Tree and on People's QE (that Corbyn took up but then dropped > as a hot potato) shows up the wall of ignorance and on how peaceful social > investment is being totally blocked as this is a Taboo subject. > > https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/oct/04/ > printing-money-jeremy-corbyn-quantitative-easing-peoples-qe > > Pat > > On 01 February 2018 at 12:13 Michel Bauwens <michel(a)p2pfoundation.net> > wrote: > > I know this is going to sound arrogant and self-serving, but seriously, > after ten years of research and engagement in two intense projects at > nation-state and city level, I think we have a pretty good handle of the > inter-relationship between commons, market and state; we pretty much know > the most important elements of this relationship ... it's more a question > now of making more things happen that exemplify it, > > as a reminder, in Ecuador we looked in-depth at how to create national > knowledge commons, with the instutiional, regulatory and material > conditions to make it happen, offering a specific methodology, and in > Ghent, an institutional framework for public-commons cooperation at the > city level, focusing on material provisioning systems, > > if you put the two together, and add John Restakis' developments on the > same theme , focusing on the social economy, we have the basics at hand, > > this is why I think it is now vital to bring these insights to > social-populist politicians, to give them a way forward beyond > neo-keynesianism, > > at the P2P Foundation, feeling confident about the basic logic of > commons-market-state cooperative institutions, we are now moving to the > underlying social and ecological conditions that underlie such an > institutional structure > > one is commonfare and the reform of social protection so that it can > protect autonomous workers (and the care economy); the other is > bioacapacity-based supply chains and accounting, > > it's gonna be at least a five year plan <g> > > On Thu, Feb 1, 2018 at 10:52 AM, pat commonfutures < > pat.commonfutures(a)phonecoop.coop> wrote: > > Thanks Mike, Michel, Dirk, Stacco and Margie for the supportive feedback. > > We need to fit together the commons, co-op and partner state jig-saw > pieces. But how and Now? > Let me widen the analysis and think how to turbocharge the superb > bootstrap grassroots work in Barcelona, Ghent, Bologna and Preston. Bear in > mind that Bruno Roelants is now head of the ICA and he supports the > solidarity economy and has a growing interest in commons and co-op commons > especially. > > From an utter state of dire poverty and crisis, Preston is making a > co-operative fight back. There are many post industrial towns in Northern > France and other parts of southern and Eastern Europe precisely in this > dire state today and without a commons co-op Plan supported by social > investment they will continue to be lured by the far Right. > > Councillor Matthew Brown in Preston has been inspired by the Evergreen > Co-ops in Cleveland, Ohio and the work of Ted Howard at the US Democracy > Collaborative. Ted has been to speak in Preston 2 or 3 times in recent > years. > > On the need for monetary and banking reform to complement the Preston set > of ideas , here in Wales we ran a very successful Build a Co-operative > Country conference last June and simply allowed the Community land trust > groups, the social co-op groups for care services, the renewable energy > co-ops, the housing co-ops, freelancer co-ops and others like this to tell > their stories in a big plenary. This worked wonderfully well because the > different co-op and commons innovators are so busy ploughing their own > separate fields, they were not well aware of what their other comrades in > arms were doing and succeeding with. If they were not aware, the wider > pubiic is even less aware of a practical What if vision? > > The politicians in attendance were very impressed with these commoner > stories. All these projects are lacking in strategic investment badly and > none has the scope to move from micro-level success to upping their game > big time. We do not have the democratic financing infrastructure in place > to do this. For example a recent report on renewable energy co-ops in Wales > showed that they cannot aggregate easily to attract low cost patient > capital from public sector pension funds that are looking to invest in > non-fossil fuel alternatives. This got us thinking about how to put in > place such a bridge. > > During the Great Depression public banks like the early Bank of Canada > created new money to invest in public services, housing, health services, > rural revival, electrification etc. It worked. > > Over the past 18 months we have been working on a public bank for Wales > that could create money out of thin air and invest in the commons and co-op > sectors big time. All the politicians of most parties say There is no magic > money tree for social investment. This short article from Zoe Willams in > the Guardian reveals the massive ignorance of MPs of all parties about how > money is created. A good one this for the Common Transition Plan. > > https://www.theguardian.com/global/shortcuts/2017/oct/29/how > -the-actual-magic-money-tree-works > > We held a public meeting on a public bank for Wales last October and got > to attend the Minister for Local Government and Finance and the chief > economist for Welsh government. The research we had stimulated came out > before this meeting and is getting on side our thinking. We are soon to > complete another report on the public bank and money creation that the > Minister has invited us to send him. > > Ellen Brown at the Public Banking Institute in the US has joined our > Public Banking action group and has been twice to Wales to talk. > > Public banks that really create new money are a key piece of the jig-saw > for commons. In our forthcoming report we are advancing the case for the > creation of £1 billion of new money by a Welsh public bank from year 1 on a > ratio of 5:1. That is five times new money created for patient social > investment to the core capital in the new bank that we are inviting local > governments in Wales to put up from say 5% of their annual capital budgets. > Leverage this and you can get take-off locally and thereafter regional. > > We need to operationalise Magic Money Trees at local government area > levels across Europe. > > Pat > > On 31 January 2018 at 17:58 Michael Lewis < Lewiscccr(a)shaw.ca> wrote: > > This is a brilliant article Pat. Thanks for sharing. > > On Jan 31, 2018, at 6:21 AM, pat commonfutures < > pat.commonfutures(a)phonecoop.coop> wrote: > > In the UK it would be great if we had a supportive mayor somewhere like in > Barcelona or the work in Ghent. One local government though that is going > down this road is Preston. This article in the Guardian today tells the > story. > > https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/jan/31/presto > n-hit-rock-bottom-took-back-control > > Pat > > On 30 January 2018 at 20:01 Holemans Dirk < Dirk.Holemans(a)stad.gent> > wrote: > > Me too, I just bought a second-hand version of Henry’s book online > > Michel: we can share it! > > > *Van: *<michelsub2004(a)gmail.com> namens Michel Bauwens < > michel(a)p2pfoundation.net> > *Datum: *dinsdag 30 januari 2018 14:10 > *Aan: *pat commonfutures <pat.commonfutures(a)phonecoop.coop> > *CC: *Simona Levi Xnet <simona(a)xnet-x.net>, emanuele braga < > bragaberlino(a)gmail.com>, "visioning(a)p2pfoundation.net" < > visioning(a)p2pfoundation.net>, David Bollier <david(a)bollier.org>, George > Papanikolaou <georgepapani(a)gmail.com>, Daniel Chavez <chavez(a)tni.org>, > Stacco Troncoso <staccotroncoso(a)gmail.com>, Fiona Dove <fdove(a)tni.org>, > Hazel Henderson <hazel.henderson(a)ethicalmarkets.com>, John Restakis < > restakis(a)gmail.com>, Holemans Dirk <Dirk.Holemans(a)stad.gent>, Alex Foti < > alex.foti(a)gmail.com>, p2p-foundation <p2p-foundation(a)lists.ourproject.org>, > Geert Lovink <geert(a)xs4all.nl>, Margie Mendell <mendell(a)alcor.concordia.ca>, > Michael Lewis <Lewiscccr(a)shaw.ca> > *Onderwerp: *Re: My review (bauwens) of Alex Foti's General Theory of the > Precariat > > > looking forward to Henry's book! > > > On Tue, Jan 30, 2018 at 1:59 PM, pat commonfutures < > pat.commonfutures(a)phonecoop.coop> wrote: > > Michel > > Thanks for this link. Just to let you know that the communitarian thinker > and former UK civil servant Henry Tam is compiling a book on Reinventing > Government. I am contributing a chapter on ideas like those I have shared > and Anna Coote at New Economics Foundation is also doing a chapter on > social commons. She is drawing from your work and David Bollier's. > > Henry's book will come out later this year. > > Pat > > > On 29 January 2018 at 13:27 Michel Bauwens <michel(a)p2pfoundation.net> > wrote: > > thanks a lot Pat, very useful! > > > keeping track of 232 current commonfare initiatives here for just that > reason: > > https://wiki.p2pfoundation.net/Category:P2P_Solidarity > > > On Mon, Jan 29, 2018 at 1:33 PM, pat commonfutures < > pat.commonfutures(a)phonecoop.coop> wrote: > > Hi Dirk. Alex and Michel > > We need to be aware that public services as we know them had their origins > in pioneering class struggles by commoners that developed the fundamental > social economic innovations. We forget this out of ignorance and at our > peril. > > A great book on the history you ask about Dirk is Eric Hopkins' > Working-class Self-Help in nineteenth century England. By 1900 there were > 27,000 friendly societies providing a wide range of mutual aid services for > funerals, for sick pay and also for small pensions. They date back in > formation to the 18th century and many early trade unions before they were > legalised after 1825 operated clandestinely as friendly societies. Also > early co-ops used friendly society laws to form legally. > > Alex you are right that social democracy emerged decades before 1945 and > those who studied closely over a century ago mutual aid, friendly > societies, co-ops and trade unions, like the Fabian socialists Beatrice and > Sidney Webb, advocated that the emerging Labour parties should seek to > collectivise the best practices of friendly societies and co-ops via > welfare state practices to provide sick pay, retirement pensions, > industrial injury payments and primary health care. The 1911 National > Insurance Act in the UK provided these services in collective ways via the > state in a three way contributory system into social insurance funds with > the workers paying in a third, employers a third and the government a > third. This was the deal with the state and from 1911 until 1948 - when the > National Health Service widen coverage and health services comprehensively > - the friendly societies were involved in the administration of the 1911 > Act. > > As Michel points out, trade unions in Belgium and in countries in > Scandinavia still to this day play a key social security delivery role. > > From 1948 as friendly society roles diminished as the state took all the > roles over, the numbers in the UK have reduced now to only about 200. > > Interesting to see that the Broodfonds or Bread Funds in the Netherlands > developed after 2006 as 21st century friendly societies when the Dutch > state ended access to sickness benefits for self-employed people. So where > markets fail and states leave gaps as is increasingly the case since 2010, > mutual aid re-emerges. > > You are right Dirk, the dialectical tension between waves of commons > movements and the state and how relationships are forged for better or for > worse is key for developing strategies for the new commons movement. > > Given that the public services required commons innovation and the current > commons innovations need to spread, what the deal is with the state and > especially municipalities is crucial for the emergence of a democratic, > social and ecological economy. > > Pat > > > On 29 January 2018 at 08:43 Michel Bauwens < michel(a)p2pfoundation.net> > wrote: > > by the way, I just want to mention that the p2p foundation maintains a > closed 'visioning' discussion list, in which high quality discussants are > very welcome, > > > Stacco can add you to the list, > > > Michel > > > On Sun, Jan 28, 2018 at 5:47 PM, Holemans Dirk < Dirk.Holemans(a)stad.gent> > wrote: > > Dear all, > > > Many thanks for this inspiring dialogue. As ecologist (director of green > foundation Oikos and city councillor in Ghent), I see I can learn a lot > from your contributions, and authors like GDH Cole and Clifford Douglas. > > > Being inspired by Polanyi, I am trying to connect his lines of thinking > with the historical research on the three waves of commons in Europe since > the Middle Ages. To reduce complex research to this simple line, one could > argue that the democratic second movement of Polanyi correspondents with > the second wave of the commons. By this I am very interested in what Pat > writes on the “23,000 mutual friendly societies set up over decades of > social movement struggles and almost all promoted and supported by diverse > trade unions for their members”. Are there specific articles or books that > documents these pre-war social movements in the UK? > > > Already many thanks > > Dirk > > > *Van: *pat commonfutures <pat.commonfutures(a)phonecoop.coop> > *Beantwoorden - Aan: *pat commonfutures <pat.commonfutures(a)phonecoop.coop> > *Datum: *zondag 28 januari 2018 13:31 > *Aan: *Alex Foti <alex.foti(a)gmail.com>, Michel Bauwens < > michel(a)p2pfoundation.net> > *CC: *Simona Levi Xnet <simona(a)xnet-x.net>, John Restakis < > restakis(a)gmail.com>, "david(a)bollier.org" <david(a)bollier.org>, Hazel > Henderson <hazel.henderson(a)ethicalmarkets.com>, Fiona Dove <fdove(a)tni.org>, > Holemans Dirk <Dirk.Holemans(a)stad.gent>, "visioning(a)p2pfoundation.net" < > visioning(a)p2pfoundation.net>, emanuele braga <bragaberlino(a)gmail.com>, > p2p-foundation <p2p-foundation(a)lists.ourproject.org>, George Papanikolaou > <georgepapani(a)gmail.com>, Geert Lovink <geert(a)xs4all.nl>, Daniel Chavez < > chavez(a)tni.org>, Margie Mendell <mendell(a)alcor.concordia.ca>, Michael > Lewis <Lewiscccr(a)shaw.ca> > *Onderwerp: *Re: My review (bauwens) of Alex Foti's General Theory of the > Precariat > > > Hi Michel and Alex > > The commons work in Ghent is great to see. Also the Bologna regulations > work of Christian Iaione are needed to help commons and local government > partnerships and social contracts to be negotiated. > > Why GDH Cole and guild socialism ideas are relevant to the present is that > Cole proposed in 1919 in his book on Guild Socialism Restated that guild > congresses for economic democracy should complement local government and > regional and national governments and that social economic actors involved > in production and reproduction could be a co-operative economic counterpart > to parliamentary democracy. Therefore economic democracy would become a > separate form of democracy complementary to political democracy. A system > of checks and balances. > > Garden city ideas where all the land would be commonly owned and economic > rent captured for residents transparently was a foundational concept for > Cole for the guild assemblies locally. > > Remember Polanyi showed that the capitalist system is oppressive and > structured historically because people, money and land have been enclosed > and commodified. What was interesting about the guild socialist ideas in > the early 1920s that Bertrand Russell, RH Tawney and GDH Cole were working > on is that the garden city ideas and socialist planning would take land out > of the market for new housing, workspace, commons spaces etc, workplace > democracy advancing then and across Europe would end wage labour and the > further step would be pursued as Clfford Douglas argued by taking money out > of the market by issuing social credit as a national dividend that would be > locally managed by monetary authorities that could be part and parcel of > the guild economic congresses so that underconsumption would no longer be > addressed by more capitalist debt issuance by banks but by transparent > monetary reform to democratise money. > > Tawney and Cole did not push for what Douglas was arguing for which was a > pity. Polanyi only wrote about the tripartite need to take people, money > and land out of the market in his Great Transformation in 1944. But these > three reforms are the bedrock for a commons mode of production to pursue > structurally the paradigm shift to advance economic democracy and to secure > co-operative commonwealth. Sadly Massimo De Angelis only mentions Polanyi > in passing in his latest book and missed all this. Otherwise his book is > excellent I think. > > On your query about mutuals and co-op innovations and the doubt you have > Alex about the state replicating these. Keynes's gets his ideas of 'cheap > money' which is not the same as social credit from Clifford Douglas and > Silvio Gesell. See the last chapter of the General Theory by Keynes. > > In 1943 when the National Health Service was being designed, co-operative > and mutual health services in the UK were patchy but being then provided by > 23,000 mutual friendly societies set up over decades of social movement > struggles and almost all promoted and supported by diverse trade unions for > their members. There was an effort to incorporate these mutuals into the > NHS but authoritarian socialists refused to allow this to happen. > > Also if you look at the reconstruction of housing and new towns after 1948 > in the UK, they used co-op Garden City ideas for guidance for public land > and public housing design but left out the ecological dimensions and > pursued post War reconstruction from the top down. > > Pat > > On 27 January 2018 at 19:40 Alex Foti <alex.foti(a)gmail.com> wrote: > > Dear Pat, > > > thanks for your observations on mutualism and the ecological and social > rights to the city. i'm a big gdh cole fan, btw. the weekend has > overwhelmed me with obligations. i ll try to come back to in more detail > tomorrow with more time. however the only thing i m doubtful the fact that > mutualism is replaced by the welfare state which was a way of neutralizing > and institutionalizing the commonist and separatist tendencies of the > working class. at least since 1919 it seems to me social democracy opted > for state intervention rather than self-reliant mutualism (or worse, > syndicalism). > > > best ciaos! > > > lx > > > On Fri, Jan 26, 2018 at 7:27 PM, pat commonfutures < > pat.commonfutures(a)phonecoop.coop> wrote: > > Hi Michel and Alex > > My two cents...... > > Enjoyed reading your review Michel and hearing loud and clear the comments > from Alex. Glad to see you recognise strategically the role for economic > democracy organisations to come together to develop commonwealth solutions. > Challenge is to animate and mobilise co-ops, trade unions, mutual aid > organisations and commons movements and other actors to cross connect. > > Capital needs to be on tap not on top. Labour needs to hire capital. Thus > economic democracy is the operative mantra. But how.....? > > I think the analysis of Massimo De Angelis in Omnia sunt communia that > focuses on commons solutions for provisioning to address precarious > housing, precarious work, precarious social services, etc. is the way to > increasingly Walk the Talk. > > But so much of the infrastructure needs aligning to develop a generative > system to build the new to replace the toxic old. In the period from 1910 > to 1948 it was the working class self-organisations and partnerships with > municipalities that co-developed a turn key system for affordable housing, > mutual insurance services for access to health care, patient finance > instruments, etc. As you highlight Michel, without this proving of the > possible, the Post 1945 welfare states would not have been practical. > History has airbrushed out of memory all the working class achievements > leading up to social democracy's action to rebuild war torn Europe with > guidance from Keynes. Keynes himself took credit for what commoners had > innovated and brought into being over many decades. > > But we are back to the same situation again. > > To pursue pluralist commonwealth post capitalist futures, the facts are > similar at least as a pattern to 1945... > > Many good solutions that emerged out of commoner struggles since the 1970s > now exist as viable and proven models. Examples include Community Land > Trusts for housing and workspace, social co-operatives for care services, > community renewable energy, freelancer co-ops, etc but we lack the general > assembly of protagonists to plan and co-ordinate them all and bring them > together into a viable system. Neoliberalism continues to repress and > marginalise these Cinderella Liberties that if nurtured and united could > tackle the multiplying wants that make no sense among economies of plenty > perversely allocated. > > The Garden City movement pioneers developed socialist planning guidance in > 1906 which played a key role to unite the fragments. We need to revive > democratic planning again and make this participative to set in train > evolutionary urban and rural reconstruction and to help animate, activate > and co-ordinate economic democracy in action. Garden cities were on the > right road as they sought to unite urban and rural life in ecological > resilient ways. > > The guild socialist ideas of GDH Cole in the early 1920s are worth > revisiting. As Danny Dorling shows in his book on the 1%, between 1918 > and1978 social and economic inequality reduced across developing countries > and indeed as forms of socialism advanced stage by stage. > > Today socialism needs to be planned and re-implemented with deeper > democracy methods and on a co-operative and ecological economics > foundations to produce commonwealth via a commons mode of production. I > look forward to reading your book Alex. > > Thanks to you both for the joint inspiration. > > Pat > > On 26 January 2018 at 12:38 Michel Bauwens < michel(a)p2pfoundation.net> > wrote: > > hi alex, > > > very happy to engage, and I fully understand the legitimacy of your > strategic choices, though your vision of a successful new new deal is also > a sign of optimism in itself .... I agree we have to fight for it > > > this is a very good overiview of the other polarity, I think at the p2p > foundation, we are somewhere in between, even as we are very liberally > cited in this overview of commons-based relocalization: > https://wiki.p2pfoundation.net/Networked_Cities_as_Resilient > _Platforms_for_Post-Capitalist_Transition#Excerpt > > > On Fri, Jan 26, 2018 at 10:34 AM, Alex Foti < alex.foti(a)gmail.com> wrote: > > Dear Michel, Dear Friends, > > a trillion thanks for this thoughtful and appreciative review. i look > forward to co-developing a veritable post-capitalist strategy by embodying > the commons-based approach and i find your criticism of an excessive > capitalist realism justified (lost a few nights' sleep about it, but i am > very fearful of cryptofascist reaction, and think we can force liberal > capitalism into a social compromise - which you're right would make funding > and reclaiming the commons a central feature of society - and also i guess > i wanted to avoid excessive utopianism given that current historical > reality is so dystopian). again thanks for taking the time to read and > engage with the book's arguments. > > best milanese ciaos, > > lx > > > On Fri, Jan 26, 2018 at 9:25 AM, Michel Bauwens < michel(a)p2pfoundation.net> > wrote: > > see also link here at https://wiki.p2pfoundation.net > /General_Theory_of_the_Precariat#Evaluation > > > "This book is essential reading for all commoners that want to think > through the right strategy for social change. It squarely places itself > from the point of few of the new social groups (or class in formation, as > Foti would have it) that have grown under the conditions of neoliberalism > and its decline, or in other words under the emergence of cognitive > capitalism or 'informationalism'. This key group are the various > constituent parts of the precariat, all the people who can no longer work > with dependable classic labor contracts and the steady income and > protection deriving from it. > > This book should be read through its end, i.e. chapter five, because its > first four chapters on the precariat are only set in a more complex > geopolitical context in that last chapter. To be honest, I was quite > reactive at times during the reading of the first four chapters, because > two very important structural elements were missing in his analysis. First > is the commons itself, the other side of the antagonistic struggles of the > precariat; and second is the ecological crisis, the very material > conditions under which this struggle must occur today. Foti indeed calls > for economic and monetary growth, and sounds like an unabashed > neo-Keynesian but only in the last chapter stresses that this growth should > be thermodynamically sound (i.e. he calls for monetary growth, but not > growth in material services). Foti also almost completely ignores the role > of the commons and 'commonalism' in the first four chapters, only > acknowledging in a few parts of chapter 5, that it is a vital constituent > part of the precarious condition. If you don't read chapter 5, you could be > mistaken for seeing Foti's analysis as an exercise in re-imagining the > class dynamics and compromises of the New Deal and post-WWII european > welfare states, and has simply replaced working class with precariat, > working class parties with social populism, and the New Deal with a social > compact for green capitalism. > > So, the fact that this is a remarkably thought out book about contemporary > strategy for social change, should be tempered by a few paradoxes that the > author has not completely resolved. > > Indeed at the heart of the book lies also an enduring paradox: Foti calls > for the most radical forms of conflict, and identifies with the more > radical cultural minorities, acknowledging their anticapitalist and > anarchist ethos, yet calls for mere reformism as a focus and outcome. This > is therefore not a book about transforming our societies to post-capitalist > logics, this is a book about a new reformism. This is a book against > neoliberalism, not against capitalism. At times, it is plain 'capitalist > realism', as Foti explicitly acknowledges he sees no dynamic value creation > outside of capitalism. For Foti, it is clear, if sufficient conflict and > precariat self-organisation can occur, then a new regulation of capitalism > can occur. He justifies this by a detailed analysis of the different > regulatory modes of capitalism (smith-ism, fordism, jobs-ism) and how they > relate to the kondratieff economic cycles, drawing on the insights of > Carlota Perez and others. Foti distinguishes crises of demand, where there > is too much accumulation of capital, and not enough distribution. These > crises he says, are essentially reformist crises, as people mobilize to > restore balance in the redistribution, but not against the system per se. > The crisis of the 30's and the crisis after 2008, are such crises, he in my > view convincingly shows. Other crises are caused by a failing supply, due > to over-regulation of capital and falling profit rates, such as the crisis > of the 70s, and these crises, which are inflationary, are revolutionary. > This distinction between crises of accumulation and crises of regulation, > is in my opinion very insightful, and true. This recognition may of course > be troubling, but if true, we have to take serious stock of it. We are > simply not in revolutionary times, right now, but rather in a struggle > between national populism and social populism. From this analysis, Foti > then argues that the first priority is for the precariat to re-regulate for > a distribution of wealth, much like the old working class achieved after > WWII. > > But even if we acknowledge this conjuncture, I would argue that Foti > insufficiently balances his outlook between reforming capitalism and > constructing post-capitalism, beween antagonistic conflict and positive > construction of the new. He argues that without income, there can be no > such construction. This is very likely true, so we need to rebalance > redistribution, in a way that income growth can lead to immaterial growth > that is compatible with the ecological limits of our planet, and use these > surpluses to transform societal structures. Foti calls for social (or 'eco' > populist movements and coalitions as the political means to that end, > pointing to Podemos and En Comu, and perhaps Sanders and Corbyn, as such > forces, supported by to be created Precariat Syndicates. He also puts > forward the thesis that the enemy is national populism, an alliance between > retrograde fossil fuel capitalism and the salariat, with on the other side > a possible alliance of green capitalism (a real effort not a marketing > ploy) with the precariat, with the former fighting for top-down coalition > and the second for bottom-up regulation. This division of the working class > is in my view way too stark, and perhaps even defeatist. I would very > strongly argue to seek alliances and develop policies that can give hope to > the salariat. The thrust of our work for the Commons Transition aims at > precisely that. (elsewhere in the book, Foti does call for an alliance with > progressive middle classes, but if these are not the workers with jobs, > where are these then ?) > > Now Foti correctly critiques in my view, people like Mason and Rifkin for > failing to problematize the post-capitalist transition, they make it seem > like an inexorable process if not affirming that we are already > post-capitalist, as some others do, but in my view then in his turn he > fails to pay proper attention to it. What if the re-regulation of > capitalism doesn't work for example ? Then at some point, say in about 30 > years, as Kondratieff cycles would indicate, we would still face a crisis > of over-regulation, and a more revolutionary moment. For Foti, we have to > take it on faith that green capitalism will be a successful new regulatory > mode of capitalism. What if it turns out to be a unworkable compromise and > that more drastic action is needed. But Foti has no faith in alternatives > to capitalism, which means that the only alternatives would then be > eco-fascism as a new feudalism with only consumption for the rich, lifeboat > eco-hacking, a situation akin to that of medieval communes, or dictatorial > eco-maoism, say Cuba on a global scale. > > Contra this 'capitalist realism', our contention at the P2P Foundation is > that post-capitalism is both necessary and possible, even if we recognize > that today is a possible reformist moment in that evolution/transformation. > In that context, the construction of seed forms, the recognition of other > forms of value creation (which can be monetized!), of other forms of > self-organization is absolutely a vital side of the coin in the dialectic > of construction and conflict. Foti seems to forget that the traditional > working class did not simply 'fight', but constructed cooperatives (both > consumer coosp and producer coops), unions, parties, mutualities and many > fraternal/sororal organizations. The very generalization of the welfare > system was an extension by means of the state, of the solidarity mechanism > of the working class, which had taken decades to develop. Also vitally, the > identity itself of the working class was not just as a part of capitalism, > but as a movement for another type of society, whether that was expressed > through socialism, social-democracy, anarchism, and other variants. When > that hope was lost terminally, that was also the end of the strength and > identify of working class movements. There can be no offensive social > strategy without a strong social imaginary, and mere reformist designs > won’t do. So commonalism is not just something that we do when we come home > from work, or tired from our conflictual organizing against an enemy from > whom we want mere redistribution. On the contrary, it is vital part of the > class formation and identity, this is why we stress our identity not just > as precariat, which is a negative formulation that characterizes us as the > weaker victims of the capitalist class, but as commoners, the multitude of > co-constructors of viable futures that correspond to contemporary > emancipatory desires. We cannot just trust green capitalism, we vitally > need to build thermodynamically sound and mutualized provisioning systems > as commons even if we have to compromise with capitalism. Post-capitalism > should not be essentialized as something occuring 'after the revolution', > but as an ongoing process, dynamically inter-linked with political > self-organizing and conflict. Foti in this book, is only really good at > conflict. Even if we look at conflict, I would argue that the strength of > the reformist compromise after WWII was very much linked to the fear of the > however flawed alternative that existed, and that the forms of compromise > were the result of decades of invention of new forms. > > If we take that view, then I believe the contradiction in Foti's book can > be resolved. Indeed in that case we do not have to ask the radical > precariat to give up it's values for a reformist compromise, but to > productively combine radically transformative post-capitalist practice. > > There is another issue with Foti's book. He very much stresses the > superdiversity of the precariat, and the key role of gender and > race/migration unity in their struggles. He also mentions en passant the > need for a potential eurasian alignment between Europe and China , now that > the Atlantic unity has been broken by Trump. But , at the same time, this > is really a very eurocentric book, calling for a new compromise in Europe > and 'advanced western states'. Obviously, since in the Global South it is > the salariat and proletariat which is growing, there is a theoretical > difficulty here. But what if a thermo-dynamically sound economy would > require a cosmo-localization of our global economy, as we contend at the > P2P Foundation, combining global sharing of knowledge with substantial > relocalization of physical production (as even big bank reports now > recognize) ? Only if we recognize this, can we actually have a new global > view of solidarity, as both elements benefit workers, salaried and > precarious, in the whole world. > > So, in conclusion, I find Foti's book to be an excellent first half of a > book, which would have been much better and sound, if it had more > extensively struggled with the commons equation of the precariat. The > commons is not something we do 'afterwards' , after a successful New Green > Deal, it is is something that is as ongoing and vital. Theoretically, in a > few paragraphs at the end of the book, Foti seems to recognize it, but it > is not integrated in his strategic vision, or only marginally. > > Readers who miss this aspect, could look at the ten years of research and > analysis we have conducted on that other half of the equation, at the P2P > Foundation. We may have the other weakness though, and in fact we purposely > have focused not on the conflict part, which is the natural inclination of > the left and needs no help, but in pointing out how any self-organization, > and construction of the commons, which inevitable comes with conflict, is > just an essential part of the programmatic alternatives of the precariat. > Not just as proposals of electoral parties and syndicates, but as > expressions of actual practice. Our orientation is to try to achieve a > greater understanding by emancipatory forces, of both the salariat, the > precariat, and progressive entrepreneurial groups, of the importance of > integrating the commons as a programmatic element in their struggles, and > their proposals. We will probably stick to this bias towards the > constructive side of the equation, tempered by a full awareness that this > is by itself insuffient, and requires the kind of understanding of > struggle, and its attendant strategies, as provided by Foti. > > In conclusion, Foti's enduring quality is to have worked out > systematically, what the conflict part of the equation entails, and that is > a very important achievement. Bearing in mind what we think is missing in > this book, there is much to be learned, and I believe the different > perspectives and different weaknesses in the approaches of people like Foti > and the P2P Foundation (and other) commons-centric approaches, there is > room for a lot of convergence and mutual enrichment." > > > -- > > Check out the Commons Transition Plan here at: > http://commonstransition.org > > > P2P Foundation: http://p2pfoundation.net - http://blog.p2pfoundation.net > > Updates: http://twitter.com/mbauwens; http://www.facebook.com/mbauwens > > #82 on the (En)Rich list: http://enrichlist.org/the-complete-list/ > > > > > > > > -- > > Check out the Commons Transition Plan here at: > http://commonstransition.org > > > P2P Foundation: http://p2pfoundation.net - http://blog.p2pfoundation.net > > Updates: http://twitter.com/mbauwens; http://www.facebook.com/mbauwens > > #82 on the (En)Rich list: http://enrichlist.org/the-complete-list/ > > > > > > > > -- > > Check out the Commons Transition Plan here at: > http://commonstransition.org > > > P2P Foundation: http://p2pfoundation.net - http://blog.p2pfoundation.net > > Updates: http://twitter.com/mbauwens; http://www.facebook.com/mbauwens > > #82 on the (En)Rich list: http://enrichlist.org/the-complete-list/ > > > > > > -- > > Check out the Commons Transition Plan here at: > http://commonstransition.org > > > P2P Foundation: http://p2pfoundation.net - http://blog.p2pfoundation.net > > Updates: http://twitter.com/mbauwens; http://www.facebook.com/mbauwens > > #82 on the (En)Rich list: http://enrichlist.org/the-complete-list/ > > > > > > -- > > Check out the Commons Transition Plan here at: > http://commonstransition.org > > > P2P Foundation: http://p2pfoundation.net - http://blog.p2pfoundation.net > > Updates: http://twitter.com/mbauwens; http://www.facebook.com/mbauwens > > #82 on the (En)Rich list: http://enrichlist.org/the-complete-list/ > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > Check out the Commons Transition Plan here at: > http://commonstransition.org > > P2P Foundation: http://p2pfoundation.net - http://blog.p2pfoundation.net > > Updates: http://twitter.com/mbauwens; http://www.facebook.com/mbauwens > > #82 on the (En)Rich list: http://enrichlist.org/the-complete-list/ > > -- Check out the Commons Transition Plan here at: http://commonstransition.org P2P Foundation: http://p2pfoundation.net - http://blog.p2pfoundation.net <http://lists.ourproject.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/p2p-foundation>Updates: http://twitter.com/mbauwens; http://www.facebook.com/mbauwens #82 on the (En)Rich list: http://enrichlist.org/the-complete-list/

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