RE: Democracy at work - dr. Richard Wolff
Richard Wolff is a hack. His explanations of capitalism and socialism change to fit the point he's trying to make. It sounds good, but it's a castle built on sand. Richard talks about the economic downturns created by capitalism... except they weren't caused by capitalism, they were caused by government interference. Let's look at the economic success of Marxist initiatives, like the Stalinist or Maoist distribution plans. Afraid to own those? Going to say that wasn't true Marxism, while saying that all the economic "downturns" are, without any doubt, the result of capitalism? Give me a break, this guy's career is built on misleading the ignorant.
There is nothing preventing the creation of worker-owned coops. However, you have to compete for the resources of the consumer. Consumers have their own agendae, rarely aligning with a political philosophy. Businesses built on political philosophies tend to fare poorly precisely because what they provide is rarely what the consumer prefers.
Worker coops are great... when they are competitive. It happens, has happened, and will continue to happen. Oh, and in a capitalist system, they are welcome to be part of the fabric of society, as well as being free to experiment with new ways of increasing efficiency and efficacy.
Thank you for your reply
The video of the not put up to be an endorsement of Marxism I don't really consider myself a Marxist.
I am pleased that you decided to comment on worker cooperatives and on that subject your comments make a lot of sense, cuz you said there's nothing preventing people from starting a worker cooperative that is true but there is a big disincentive. It is much harder to get startup capital for a workers cooperative, banks in general are reluctant to loan to them. Venture capitalist have little incentive too invest in them.
Creating a cryptocurrency how to trade online for startup workers cooperative
I think is the best solution the market will help weed out startups that won't work and you won't need government
Government grants.
I apologize if I came off mean-spirited, I just really hate that quack Richard Wolff. A worker's cooperative would have to be an investment by the workers. It's a risk, a venture. The challenge is finding workers willing to invest in each other. I imagine a lot of places have restrictions on how companies can be created, and that's a shame. If a group of workers are willing to pool their resources (i.e. risk their investment), they should be allowed to do so; they shouldn't be forced to receive grants from the government. I can see how a crypto-currency might help get around these restrictions. How would you propose the system work?
The worker always invests in the business.
In a capitalist business that investment goes to the shareholders.
You are right about needing to find the right workers.
Many workers are still brainwashed into this adversarial position;
That can be difficult to break out of.
Still, It can be done by most people.
In a workers' coop, the workers would be the shareholders (or simply owners, depending on the corporate structuring). So there's room for a coop in a capitalist society. In fact, I was curious, because a worker's coop is certainly attractive in its own way. If you are in North America, visit https://usworker.coop/member-directory/ and you can browse a number of workers' coops in the US.
That right there are some in the US. I want to see more It is much more difficult to get them funded where I feel cryptocurrency can help.