ParEcon??
Nov 16 2004 21:19
Hello, I've recently become very interested in the Participatory Economic model, as advocated by Albert and Hahnel. I was wondering what peoples' opinions were and if anyone could point me in the direction of a good critique as I've been unable to find much negative said about it.
RoXx
Nov 17 2004 11:54
#2
rohan
Quote:
if anyone could point me in the direction of a good critique as I've been unable to find much negative said about it
the last issue of Green Anarchy had a critique, if you are interested in a primitivist perpective 
. There's also a debate between Albert and Zerzan on ZNet, tho it was up to much last time i looked.
Nov 18 2004 22:59
#3
can't access the flag.blackened pdf thing -- doesnt load up properly. but thanks anyway. i read an interesting marxist critique of the model which, though not exactly what i was looking for, did shed some light onto the failings of the system. i got that through the wikipedia article on parecon
cheers
roxx
Oct 16 2009 19:59
#4
My two pee's worth:
http://anarchism.pageabode.com/anarcho/few-thoughts-on-parecon
There are links to a good critique by a market socialist in the blog -- the main problem is, of course, Parecon will never work...
Oct 16 2009 21:31
#5
Although some elements of Parecon are interesting and worthwhile, there are several things worth criticizing:
1. It advocates the preservation of wage labour and differentials for different type of work. Although some proponents argue that this may create opportunities for people performing less attractive work to be compensated, sceptics feel that there is much opportunity for this to be used to the advantage of the educated.
2. Parecon does not provide any way forward in terms of overcoming capitalism but is merely a mechanism for running collective businesses inside capitalism.
A good debate is here:
http://www.anarkismo.net/article/10140
Oct 16 2009 22:14
#6
Also from libcom's very own library:
http://libcom.org/library/participatory-society-or-libertarian-communism
Oct 16 2009 23:38
#7
There have been lots of discussion about Parecon here over the years. This is another one I reject Parecon but I think it's good subject for discussion because I think it illuminates what would make communism different from capitalism.
ajjohnstone from the thread wrote:
The reason that Parecon has to go to such lengths to construct such a complicated and complex and wasteful system of elaborate checks and balances is ultimately that its proponents are unwilling or unable to accept that if given the right economic framework humans can consciously co-operate, work and consume together
That seems like another good summary of why communists reject Parecon. I would be tempted to say we need to abolish "the economy", ie, the management system for scarcity and class power rather making the economy participatory.
Oct 17 2009 11:55
#8
Quote:
The reason that Parecon has to go to such lengths to construct such a complicated and complex and wasteful system of elaborate checks and balances is ultimately that its proponents are unwilling or unable to accept that if given the right economic framework humans can consciously co-operate, work and consume together
I think that's exactly right.
I think Wikipedia, and the open-source model, shows that you really don't need a very elaborate framework at all, just a couple of organizing principles. I know I'll come across as a bit of a spammer, but I've attempted to work out the implications, in Angel Economics, for a whole economy.
there is this for starters:
http://flag.blackened.net/af/org/org62.pdf
go to page 5.