From: Paul Cockshott (wpc@DCS.GLA.AC.UK)
Date: Tue Dec 05 2006 - 09:16:49 EST
Jerry: I only have time for a brief reply so I apologize for the lack of comprehensiveness in the following. If you call for the abolishment of all debts, won't that be interpreted as a call to arms by many petty capitalists, small landlords, and those who are self-employed? Yes, I understand that many petty capitalists would gain if there was such a change. But, others would lose. And others who might gain could be expected to oppose it on principle since the mentality of petty capitalists is often that they see themselves becoming big capitalists. ----------------------- That is why I suggest that the issue of abolition of debts be put to a referendum. It is unclear whether the population would vote for the abolition, but should they do so, the fact that it was done by a clear majority vote would give it a moral authority that would make opposition much harder. Only by proposing the abolition of democracy could they confront the issue head on, and that would mobilize the population on our side. We used this tactic in the 90s to defeat water privatization. We called for a referendum, got 94% against privatization and then the Tories did not dare do it. ------------------------- > 2. Democratising the Economy > a) Major strategic institutions like banking, energy, water, land telecoms, > rail, airports and ports would be put under not for profit companies a majority > of whose boards would be drawn from the general population of citizens of > working age, and having a minority representation of employees of the > individual not for profit company. A reasonable split might be 70% citizen > representatives and 30% employee representatives. How did you come up with the 70-30 division? ------------------------ Of the top of my head, perhaps one should just say 2/3 public 1/3 worker????? ---------- btw, in your section on exploitation (putting aside for now the issue of whether banks exploit people through lending) I would suggest using another term than "usury". -------------- You may be right. It may be such an old word that most people will not understand it.
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