[PEN-L:767] Socialist Planning Listserve (fwd)

[michael@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

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Delivered-To: michael@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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Date: Fri, 30 Oct 1998 10:27:09 -0800 (PST)
To: michael@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
From: eric@xxxxxxxxxxxx (Eric Sommer)
Subject: Socialist Planning Listserve

Hi there,

I am a long-time participant in PSN and a cofounder of the Stewards Movement
of poor people and a coordinator of the Chiapas ALert network.  Could you
please forward the following message to the Progressive economics listserve.
Thanks, Eric
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Please forward this message to all relevant listserves, organizations, and
individuals.
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Hi there,

With the arrival of the current world crisis (economic crisis, year200bug
crisis, ecological crisis), the issue of how to convert a capitalist economy
to a socialist economy or a social economy or a democratic economy or, as I
call it, a `Stewards economy', may again be on the historic agenda. I am
canvassing opinion on whether people are interested in participating in a
`socialist planning network (SPN)' which would initially consist of a
listserve, and accompanying shared electronic workspace. These
facilities would be devoted to dialogue, exploration, and possible joint
projects regarding historical and contemporary theory and practice related
to socialist planning on the basis of socially owned and managed property in
the means of production.

The essential thrust of this listserve, and of related facilities, would not
simply
be academic discussion but active preparation for the possibility of socialist
transition.

If you would like to participate in this process, which would initially involve
enrollment in a listserve, please let me know by email. if a minimum critical
mass of people, say 20 or so, show interest, I will initiate the listserve and
include you if you have sent me email to that effect.

Dialogue and exploration through the listserve might include but would not
necessarily be limited to such topics as:

* The sharing of pertinent bibliographic references on socialist planning.  To
wet your appetite, you might initially look at `Towards a New Socialism' by
W. Paul Cockshott and Allin Cottrell. The introduction to this book is on-line
and you can download the whole work in Adobe Postscript format from:
www.ecn.wfu.edu/~cottrell/socialism_book/  A shorter related work which
also contains many of their ideas can be read in on-line in its entirety at:
http://www.gn.apc.org/Reality/econ/mfs.htm

* Planning experiences in the former socialist block(s). We need to learn from
both the positive and negative lessons of this `vast historical experiment'.
The
economic successes of the first soviet five year plans; the positive aspects of
socialist block planning and management approaches; the relative absence of
democratic participation in the planning and management of the socialist
block economies; the role of `imperialist encirclement' and of participation in
the arms race in `distorting' socialist block economic development and
planning; the relative absence of ecological criteria from socialist block
planning and the consequent widespread ecological destruction; and the
general economic difficulties encountered in the socialist block economies in
recent decades, would all be on the agenda.

* The problems of appropriation and transition from capitalim to socialist
property and planning in an actual, `messy', `real-world' revolutionary or
quasi-revolutionary setting.  These problems are illustrated by the experience
of the soviet people in 1917-1921 in which, amidst war and civil war, huge
numbers of ordinary workers and peasants participated in the appropriation
and initial planning processes regarding the factories, mills, mines, and
fields
in the Soviet revolution.  Just one example of what can be learned here is the
little-known but essential role of `workers control' in safeguarding
production facilities such as factories, mines, and so forth from sabotage
by capitalists
and capitalist managers in the chaotic transition period immediately after the
revolution.

* The role of democracy in planning - i.e., What is the nature of democratic
planning?  How is this achieved on local, regional, and national scales?

* The new prospects for democratic planning opened by use of contemporary
technological means such as computer networks, automated electronic data
interchange (edi), databases, groupware such as Lotus Notes, and similar
facilities to facilitate `real-time socialist planning' and coordination
would also definitely have a place in these discussions.

* Discussions of the planning and related management procedures of
contemporary business practice, such as `Hoshin planning', as these may be
creatively applied in democratic socialist planning, would also be encouraged.

* Relatively smaller scale planning and management in cooperatives or
intentional community settings might well also be of interest.

* Rehashing the `socialist calculation debate' and similar material ala Hayek
would definitely be discouraged, as these subjects have been `done to death',
and are often the focus of anti-socialist ideologues and academics with little
knowledge or interest in the actual planning and management  of socialist
economies.

If you would like to participate, please let me know.

Cordially,
Eric Sommer




--
Michael Perelman
Economics Department
California State University
Chico, CA 95929

Tel. 530-898-5321
E-Mail michael@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx