[PEN-L:1888] Re: Decentralism

[blairs@xxxxxxxxxxx (Blair Sandler)]

I too wish to weigh in on the side of the Gulick/Henwood/jwhull critique of
localism, small scale production, decentralization. It is easy to see how,
without a concept of class exploitation, "big corporations" get the blame
for what is basically a question of class processes (or modes of
production).

That said, I think there may be some benefit to small scale, local
production, if it is seen not as an end in itself, not as a "good" form of
business in a world dominated by "bad" big global business, but as a
condition of existence of class processes. In other words, if large scale
global production is a condition of existence of capitalist class
processes, then cultural, political and economic promotion of local small
scale production may be a way of squeezing capitalist exploitation in favor
of communal/communist class processes. Not, that is, as an alternative form
of capitalism, but as a means (one means among many) to replacing
capitalist forms of production with non-exploitive forms.

And note that promoting small scale local production for this reason is not
mutually exclusive with internationalist solidarity and does not
necessarily imply parochialism.

One final note (at least from me) on this matter: if I'm not mistaken (and
if I am I'd like to be corrected), the slogan, "Think Globally, Act
Locally," was originally an advertising tag line from McKinsey or some
other big consulting firm.

Blair Sandler