Wednesday, July 30, 2014

Since Property is Theft, and Use for Selfishness is Exploitation: Then, if not capitalism, then what?

John Courtneidge

31st July 2014


The prelude to exploitation is theft - of Land, the Law, that which God already Knows (Knowledge) and Position.

Respectively, these attempted acts of theft lead to exploitation as Rent, Interest, Profit and Unequal (higher-than-average) pay for work (for which the TRIP-Up acronym serves well).

Two hundred years' ago we recognised that 'ownership' (Theft) of one economic resource, people, was wrong and thus out-lawed (human) slavery.

It's, now, time to re-cognise that 'ownership' (Theft) of *all* economic resources is wrong.

As a Quaker, I re-cognise that the theology that the Creator/God/the Divine is present *everywhere* within the Creation and, thus, that all ownership is an attempt at the Theft of God (our Friend John Bellers made that point succinctly to and for us).

Hence the plan that abolishes 'ownership' and exploitation and replaces those with co-operative careship - for the Common Good of all, in all, by all.

That plan is explored and, hopefully, explained in the papers at www.interestfreemoney.org.uk

I hope this helps.

For all, in all

john

***********

What's going on in the Ukraine

30th July 2014

These are the death throes of liberal capitalism (thanks be) but a death that is morphing the corpse into neo-conservative capitalism/neo-fascism.

Unless, that is, we can be propositional* for a better-for-all alternative . . .

In an Occupy posting** is the phrase, " In stark contrast, US officials have been reluctant to do the same. Is Washington willing to share any object data or evidence to the public."

**http://www.blacklistednews.com/MH17_Verdict%3A_Real_Evidence_Points_to_US-Kiev_Coverup_of_Failed_False_Flag/36871/0/38/38/Y/M.html

(nb False Flag: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/False_flag)

My experience, out and about, is that "the public" - a significant proportion at least - already knows that it is more accurately described as 'the prisoners'.

And that, as prisoners the only 'freedom' we have is to hold the keys to 'our' cells.

Hence, in my view, the significant level of support that Occupy received and still receives.

Thus, also, the waiting hope by "the public"/'the prisoners', that Occupy will offer a further lead their release from bondage.

I hope that we can respond, propositionaly*, to that hope.

john

* ps Google alerts me to the phrase 'the right to propose'.  I've only had one such alert: http://www.phnompenhpost.com/post-weekend/proposal-royal-seal-how-law-made makes for worth while reading (it's very short).

pps And, lest anyone thinks that my term neo-conservative capitalism/neo-fascism is hysterical rhetoric, look at events in Canada under neo-conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

The plan (where-ever it is in plain words - as the counter part to neoliberalism's plan, The Ridley Report (http://www.margaretthatcher.org/document/110795) is, quite clearly, to abolish democracy.

************************

Friday, July 18, 2014

Co-operative Socialism - preferable to Anarcho-syndicalism . . .


John Courtneidge 18 July 2014






California's worst drought in 400 years has forced residents to conserve their water use, but Nestle is extracting and bottling millions of gallons from a Native American reservation to export it out of state.

SHARE and LIKE our page US Uncut

http://bit.ly/1mcrxG5
Photo: California's worst drought in 400 years has forced residents to conserve their water use, but Nestle is extracting and bottling millions of gallons from a Native American reservation to export it out of state.  

SHARE and LIKE our page US Uncut

http://bit.ly/1mcrxG5


On 'my' Facebook time line https://www.facebook.com/john.courtneidge I posted:

Ah, capitalism . . .

Or Co-operative Socialism anyone?!


To which:

Kurtis McCartney replied:
Coop Socialism suffers from the same issues with corruption.

How about we live in the moment, clear out the excess and do it in a way that affords opportunity without all of the social justice warrior language.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anarcho-syndicalism

On Fiona McMurran's Time line is a thread, to which I've posted:

^Thx Kurtis for the above.

by coincidence we used that Wikipedia page for part of our Bromley Co-operative Party meeting last Monday - both the introductory explanation of what Anarcho-syndicalism is and its history; including the lovely quote from George Orwell's beautiful 'Homage to Catalonia' :

"

I had dropped more or less by chance into the only community of any size in Western Europe where political consciousness and disbelief in capitalism were more normal than their opposites. Up here in Aragón one was among tens of thousands of people, mainly though not entirely of working-class origin, all living at the same level and mingling on terms of equality. In theory it was perfect equality, and even in practice it was not far from it. There is a sense in which it would be true to say that one was experiencing a foretaste of Socialism, by which I mean that the prevailing mental atmosphere was that of Socialism. Many of the normal motives of civilised life– snobbishness, money-grubbing, fear of the boss, etc.– had simply ceased to exist. The ordinary class-division of society had disappeared to an extent that is almost unthinkable in the money-tainted air of England; there was no one there except the peasants and ourselves, and no one owned anyone else as his master.
—George Orwell, Homage to Catalonia, ch. VII
"

(Incidentally, it was reading that book which confirmed me in my democratic socialism at the age of about 14 - and lead to my reading of Hugh Thomas's History of the Spanish Civil War and Laurie Lee's equally-beautiful 'As I walked out one Midsummer's Day'.

If it turns out to be possible, I'll add a photograph of the organisational diagram in that article - which shows a vertical, hierarchical structure (the diagrammatic hierarchical nature being, doubtless, an unintended artifact of capitalist 'cultural' conditioning.

It does, however, highlight the false resistance that anarchists have to Co-operative (ie de-centralised, equalitarian) socialism. And that is the question of subsidiarity and the role of a geographical entity that we presently-call 'The State'.

Photo: On Fiona McMurran's Time line is a thread, to which I've posted:

^Thx Kurtis for the above.

by coincidence we used that Wikipedia page for part of our Bromley Co-operative Party meeting last Monday - both the introductory explanation of what Anarcho-syndicalism is and its history; including the lovely quote from George Orwell's beautiful 'Homage to Catalonia' :

"

    I had dropped more or less by chance into the only community of any size in Western Europe where political consciousness and disbelief in capitalism were more normal than their opposites. Up here in Aragón one was among tens of thousands of people, mainly though not entirely of working-class origin, all living at the same level and mingling on terms of equality. In theory it was perfect equality, and even in practice it was not far from it. There is a sense in which it would be true to say that one was experiencing a foretaste of Socialism, by which I mean that the prevailing mental atmosphere was that of Socialism. Many of the normal motives of civilised life– snobbishness, money-grubbing, fear of the boss, etc.– had simply ceased to exist. The ordinary class-division of society had disappeared to an extent that is almost unthinkable in the money-tainted air of England; there was no one there except the peasants and ourselves, and no one owned anyone else as his master.
    —George Orwell, Homage to Catalonia, ch. VII
"

(Incidentally, it was reading that book which confirmed me in my democratic socialism at the age of about 14 - and lead to my reading of Hugh Thomas's History of the Spanish Civil War and Laurie Lee's equally-beautiful 'As I walked out one Midsummer's Day'.

If it turns out to be possible, I'll add a photograph of the organisational diagram in that article - which shows a vertical, hierarchical structure (the diagrammatic hierarchical nature being, doubtless, an unintended artifact of capitalist 'cultural' conditioning.

It does, however, highlight the false resistance that anarchists have to Co-operative (ie de-centralised, equalitarian) socialism.  And that is the question of subsidiarity and the role of a geographical entity that we presently-call 'The State'.

The theory and practice of the co-operative movement is that 'Primary Co-operatives' operate at the most local level possible, then there are secondary and tertiary co-operatives, with co-operatives that (As Kurtis points out), as with these other 'levels' become corrupted into a (power) hierarchy - with the 'higher' levels being most esteemed (and captured by) megalomaniacs.

This is where both language, diagramming and - especially in view of the evidence in The Spirit Level - see www.equalitytrust.org.uk -  pay and perks are so important.

Put simply: social-decision-making at the geographical dimension of (say) the islands of Ireland or Britain would be best done by all the people of, in one case, Ireland and in the other Britain (England, Scotland, Wales and the associated islands as two 'National Co-operative Commonweals' which may voluntarily associate ('Federate') to a European Co-operative Commonweal an, ultimately a Global Co-operative Commonweal (I have an unpublished article for the magazine 'Chartist' on these lines).

Thus, I don't see Proudhon's Anarchist Confederation of Peasant Smallholdings as enough for sustainability, solidarity and sociability - whereas a global society operating according to the Co-operative Values and Principles in the Statement on The Co-operative Identity (As published after periodic review by co-operators world-wide) - see www .ica.coop and in thepapers at www.interestfreemoney.org.uk - 'The New Vision of Society' (to share Robert Owen's phrasing.

Finally, I'll log this inthe blog www.sustainabilitynotcapitalism.blogspot.com which (along with the IfM site) is an evolving archive.

Hope this helps!

Best - equally! - for all!

john

**********


The theory and practice of the co-operative movement is that 'Primary Co-operatives' operate at the most local level possible, then there are secondary and tertiary co-operatives, with co-operatives that (As Kurtis points out), as with these other 'levels' become corrupted into a (power) hierarchy - with the 'higher' levels being most esteemed (and captured by) megalomaniacs.

This is where both language, diagramming and - especially in view of the evidence in The Spirit Level - see www.equalitytrust.org.uk - pay and perks are so important.

Put simply: social-decision-making at the geographical dimension of (say) the islands of Ireland or Britain would be best done by all the people of, in one case, Ireland and in the other Britain (England, Scotland, Wales and the associated islands as two 'National Co-operative Commonweals' which may voluntarily associate ('Federate') to a European Co-operative Commonweal an, ultimately a Global Co-operative Commonweal (I have an unpublished article for the magazine 'Chartist' on these lines).

Thus, I don't see Proudhon's Anarchist Confederation of Peasant Smallholdings as enough for sustainability, solidarity and sociability - whereas a global society operating according to the Co-operative Values and Principles in the Statement on The Co-operative Identity (As published after periodic review by co-operators world-wide) - see www .ica.coop and in thepapers at www.interestfreemoney.org.uk - 'The New Vision of Society' (to share Robert Owen's phrasing.

Finally, I'll log this inthe blog www.sustainabilitynotcapitalism.blogspot.com which (along with the IfM site) is an evolving archive.

Hope this helps!

Best - equally! - for all!

john

**********

Wednesday, July 16, 2014

All interest charging, receiving and paying is, both wrong and unnecessary:

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wednesday, 6 July 2014

Dear London LSX Occupy EWG friends


I will not be present on Saturday (19th July 2014, Mayday Rooms, Fleet Street, London) for the specially-called meeting to consider interest-charging, paying and receiving.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My offerings are in the papers section at www.interestfreemoney.org.uk

 - please see the Essay, 'Solving the World's Problems', in particular.

In synopsis:

All interest charging, receiving and paying is, both,

  - wrong: they, both, exacerbate income inequality (ie power inequality) and constitute one of the four contributory drivers (rent, interest, profit-concentrated-as-'private' dividends, uneuql-pay-for-work: these being all time-related 'returns on capital employed') that exacerbate war and other forms of environmental non-sustainability,

and,

  - unnecessary: free-at-the-point-of-use lending systems - such as Public Lending Libraries work quite well as debt-but-not-interest-charging public goods.

I hope therefore that the EWG will issue a statement that interest-charging, -paying and -receiving should be made illegal.

Best - for all! - equally!

john

**********

Friday, July 11, 2014

The conundrum of the moment

Why Occupy is making no progress at present


Re - from my friends:

> Thanks Frank
>
> Great clarification: "rentier capitalism" sums it up. Not just making
> money from money itself but from land, resources and the commons (human
> created and natural), the value of which should be shared communally.
>
> Regards
>
> Clive

But "rentier capitalism" = capitalism

In fact, all [adjective of choice] capitalism[s] = capitalism

Just as red apples = green apples = red-and-green apples = apples.

So:

If you check your dictionary definition for 'capitalism', the short-form can be expanded through observation:

Thus::

capitalism =

  selfish ('private') ownership (Theft) of economic resources (land, law, knowledge, position of power)

+

  use of same for selfishness ('private gain'): to give, respectively  Rent, Interest, Profit, Unequal, higher-than-avergage/median/mean Pay-for work: usually paid from taxes levied on workers

Hence, the Capitalism = TRIP-Up acronym:

         Capitalism = Theft, Rent, Interest, Profit and Unequal-pay for work

ps Each of the capitalists (the land/building owners, law-/bank-owners, knowledge-/business-/workplace-owners, position-owners/often-taxation-paid parasites/P-artists) hate the others): a house divided, not a class in solidarity.

   . . . Until they, as exploiters, are faced by the exploitees (the people as workers, consumers, tax-payers).

   . . . At which point, the capitalists unite together quicker than one individual in the exploited group who says:

          - "But, I! disagree, I! like my (part of the) TRIP-Up income*."

*Be that a small rental income, or a bit of savings-interest, or a little share-income, or other pay-off perk.

At which point Occupy is blocked and co-opted - into another, unreported,  rally, march, sit-in, protest stunt, what-ever.

For each solution to each part of the TRIP-Up set, there is, at present, one Occupy LSX EWG member who is blocking progress: and why the Occupy movement (in London and elsewhere?) is not a movement but, for now, a grumy squatters' sit-down.

That's our present conundrum.

Best - for all! - equally!

john

*************

Tuesday, July 8, 2014



If not Capitalist Corporations - then What?


From a thread at Occupy Economics (6th July) on the non-legality of the (capitalist) for-profit corporation in the US - including a description of its replacement

https://www.facebook.com/groups/372946956055502/918697174813808/?notif_t=group_comment_reply

--------------------

This is all helpful, Robert (Robert Burns),  and thank-you for it. 

Part of the plan for Co-operative Socialism (see in the papers' section at www.interestfreemoney.org.uk) is the proposal that all corporate entities be converted into appropriate co-operatives: worker co-operatives in the creative/competitive-to-be-of-best-service/market sector and community co-operatives in the non-market sector.

(Noting that all these co-operatives have to annually, explicitly demonstrate their co-operative identities by showing themselves to be in compliance with the Co-operative values and Principle in the Statement on the Co-operative Identity from the International Co-operative Alliance - as updated by the Co-operative Movement form time-to-time: the Statement, being a living document - note the 'on' not 'of -' is effectively a democratic Wiki )

(Second note: It is my understanding that, in the Canadian Province of Quebec, these constitute l'economie social and l'economie solidaire sectors, respectively, of the sector that may be termed, l'economie cooperative: Quebec is this parasitised by a capitalist sector, but l'economie cooperative acts as a powerful equalising influence.

This last is the key objective of the plan for Co-operative Socialism - the creation of an economy that is peaceful and ecological - because it is generative of (greater) income equality: since the evidence (completely enunciated in the key book, The Spirit Level, and at explained at The Equality Trust web-site,  www.equalitytrust.org.uk) is that (greater) income equality is generative of all goods - public and private - such as peace and sustainability.

The corporate transformation within the plan for Co-operative Socialism, thus, requires the application of the repeal of the social-acceptance/social-permission of the for-profit (capitalist, etc) corporate form - just as Robert Burns is saying should already be the ase in a fully-Constitutionally-compliant USA . . .