Cooperative Economics: Replacing a Capitalism in Collapse

[marmar]

Cooperative Economics: Replacing a Capitalism in Collapse

Sunday, 02 June 2013 09:40
By Carl Gibson, Occupy.com | Op-Ed


I live in a co-op house with 30 other people in Madison, Wisconsin. While we pay rent to the nonprofit organization that manages Madison’s co-op properties, our only landlords are each other. We have weekly meetings to discuss house business and make decisions in a democratic process, using a consensus model. We agree to not buy any food or products for the house that come from detestable companies like Monsanto, Koch Industries and Tyson, and get most of the ingredients for house meals from the farmer’s market and a local food co-op. We all actively take part in our own residence by making sure things are kept (relatively) clean, problems are solved quickly, and the house remains a thriving community.

As 30 people all living in one big house, sharing expenses, growing our own food in rooftop gardens and recycling/composting as much we can, our environmental footprints are much smaller as a whole. Also, I only pay $500 a month in rent, utilities, washer/dryer, internet, and even food. And this is in a house within walking distance of the downtown area, right on the lakefront.

This made me wonder - why did I ever allow myself to live alone with no community and pay a landlord who doesn't make decisions with tenants in a democratic process? And why did I do it considering that form of living cost twice as much as my current housing situation? It's just one example of cooperative economics replacing the outdated corporate capitalist model.

We’re witnessing capitalism’s death throes right now. The stock market surges to new highs on a regular basis, corporate profits soar every quarter, and taxes on corporations as a percentage of GDP are lower than they’ve ever been in decades. Despite all the success of corporations, they’re actually squeezing more productivity out of their workers by laying off their coworkers. .....................(more)

The complete piece is at: http://truth-out.org/opinion/item/16718-cooperative-economics-replacing-a-capitalism-in-collapse

[xchrom]

1. du rec.

[OneGrassRoot]

2. du rec. #2.

I love seeing marmar and xchrom each day in these threads.

[ananda]

3. I like the idea of cooperacy much better than corporatism.

..

[ReRe]

4. K&R

Thanks for this excellent article, marmar..

[zipplewrath]

5. Too much work

This will be an unattractive model to most people. Most people basically are lazy and won't want to do so much individual work to be in cooperatives. Anyone who has been involved in a cooperative knows that there are folks ready, willing, and able to cooperate. But there are those that will seek the benefits and avoid the responsibilities. Those people are toxic to cooperatives. In the end there will always be a "market" for people who don't want to be in cooperatives.

Even today, HOA's are a love/hate relationship with some people wanting them, some buyers avoiding them, and some in the "don't care that much one way or another" category.

The history of cooperatives isn't great. They pop up regularly, under a variety of names including "communes" and "Kibbutz". Right now you'll find Co-op grocery stores, and even REI borders on the Co-op model. They exist, and work for a minority. But I'm dubious they'l ever constitute a majority of most markets. Just as people pay to have their lawns mown, their pools cleaned, and their houses cleaned, many people will just find it easier to pay someone to do what they could otherwise do for themselves.

[hunter]

12. I never pay anyone to do what I can do myself. Most things I can do myself.

Frankly it's because I rarely have any "disposable" income because it all goes into a black hole called "health insurance" and medical expenses this "insurance" won't pay.

Really, I ought to learn how to make my own asthma and psych meds, right??? But I'm pretty sure I'd get busted if I did that, especially if I gave my meds away to other people. I couldn't even buy the basic ingredients without a license or risk of police breaking down my door while I sleep. Heck, if you are a little old lady whose spine is disintegrating you still get busted if you grow cannabis or opium for yourself to ease the pain.

There are so many ways we are forced to participate in the greater economy. It's not a voluntary economic system at all. It's all rigged up to crush the souls of anyone who wants something better. The punishment for dropping out of our economic system is homelessness, prison, or death.

[zipplewrath]

13. You could probably get away with it

As you suggest, the primary problem the government tends to have with self medication is that they don't get taxes, and they manufacturers don't get sales. One person growing some pot for their pain doesn't constitute enough taxes or profits to get them bothered. Start giving it to others and watch out. You might get away with asthma and psych meds, right up until there was some problem with quality and you ended up in a hospital or something. Then watch out.

People brew their own beer, in excess quantities, make their own whiskey, and grow their own herbs without government oversight. You'll do fine right up until you try to sell it. You can make cookies in your own kitchen, and even sell them for the church bake sale. Just don't write "Girls Scouts" on them. Cause if you do, you'll have industry on your can in no time. And they'll come with badges on.

[hunter]

15. I brew beers and fizzy ciders occasionally.

Two liter soda bottles are excellent for that purpose. (No exploding glass...)

[el_bryanto]

6. There have been a few of these the last few days (well two at least)

I can certainly see the appeal, but I'm not sure how it works in a macro economic level. Is this community self sustaining? Or how would it actually work without capitalism to provide things like clothing, food, and the like?

Also how does this society handle people who are different or who don't fit the norms of society? I mean I do OK socially but i'm not the best at it; my dollars probably buy me a certain amount of tolerance. In this society how would a individualistic jerk like me (or worse than me) do?

Bryant

[Nay]

7. I always liked this idea in theory, but after having lived in one sort of co-op house and also

having had regular roommates, I do have to say that lots of people are unsuited to such living arrangements. I was floored by roommates who: trashed the commons area; borrowed stuff and 'forgot' to give it back; made noise while people were studying or sleeping; etc.

The co-op house I briefly lived in had one guy whose personality was so overwhelming that he actually ran the place. The other boarders theoretically had a say in things, but there was a lot of 'playing favorites' going on, and if you raised certain points, the cliques that had formed could shut you down no matter how sensible your point was. I got out right away, seeing that as pretty unlivable.

In my case, even if a co-op house stayed very democratic and rational (as the one in the OP has), I would reconsider it if I truly needed to have people around for some reason. But, as a serious introvert, I find constant human contact (even of the nice or benign variety) very tiring and irritating. I'm sure that if I were in such a house I would be in an 'out' of the clique situation most of the time, even if I scrupulously did all my required duties. And frankly, I'm too old to put up with that shit anymore, and I had to do enough of that social gameplaying at work all those years for me to want to do it in my own house, too, for the rest of my life.

But I can see some of my gregarious friends truly enjoying the friendships and finding it fun and fulfilling as a way of life. Personally, I get tired just thinking about it.

[oldhippie]

8. It wouldn't work for me ...

Wifey and I live in a community of single family homes with a minimum of one acre lot size. That puts the houses about 200 feet apart on average. Many times I wish they were further away. We go to "town" maybe twice a week, and to "the City" (Austin, about 70 miles one way) once a month or so.

We really just don't need or want that much human contact. Neither, evidently, do our neighbors.

[galileoreloaded]

9. you are free to live however you like.

i prefer my lifestyle.

that's the best part of this country (for a little while longer i suppose)

our economic problems are a result of technology*automation= less people needed on the planet

simple enough.

[bemildred]

10. Takes me back to the 60s.

But it sounds like you guys are doing it better now.

[donco]

11. Ten four

whatta drag...what i remember of it.

[hunter]

14. The much simpler and traditional version of this is extended families.

That's the way it's panning out in our community, but I think this is a consequence of the culture, which is mostly Mexican and always has been. There are good and bad things about this (one being the stereotypical matriarch who can't believe her good boy is a gangster...) but it's also an excellent survival mechanism when the economy is rotten. The kids and grandkids wouldn't be coming back home if there were good, high paying jobs elsewhere. They'd simply be pursuing their careers and helping out other family members who were not so fortunate.

There are quite a few three generation households in our neighborhood, with kids sharing rooms with their cousins. Most of the adults in the house will be working jobs that ought to pay more.