Re: [OPE] Class Analysis of the Greek Bailout

From: Paul Cockshott <wpc@dcs.gla.ac.uk>
Date: Fri May 21 2010 - 09:06:59 EDT

The KKE proposal is one possible strategy, but it runs the danger of being based on national autarchy, which may be a perilous long term strategy for a relatively small country. But I can see faute de mieux they might propose it.

-----Original Message-----
From: ope-bounces@lists.csuchico.edu [mailto:ope-bounces@lists.csuchico.edu] On Behalf Of Dave Zachariah
Sent: 20 May 2010 22:18
To: Outline on Political Economy mailing list
Subject: Re: [OPE] Class Analysis of the Greek Bailout

On 2010-05-14 16:39, Paul Cockshott wrote:
> The problem is the extra high rate of exploitation in Gemany which generates underconsumption there, and a symbolic surplus in the hands of the German capitalist class which has accumulated as claims against other states. There is no solution outside of

> a) a higher level of real wages and consumption in the surplus nations
> b) an EU wide system of redistributive taxation
>
Here is what KKE proposes:

    "KKE's PROPOSAL
    The Anti-imperialist, Anti-monopoly, Democratic Front - People's
    power and economy

    The Greek people have to choose between two paths of development for
    Greek society, the path which is being followed and that which must
    be fought for by the people.

    We maintain with facts and with proof that Greece, despite the
    serious and destructive damage that it has experienced in certain
    sectors due to the dominance of capital and of monopoly competition,
    has the pre-requisites to create and develop a self-reliant people's
    economy.

    The negative developments of the last 20 years in certain branches
    of industrial production, in the agricultural economy, can be dealt
    with under different political-economic and social conditions. It's
    not too late.

    Greek has a satisfactory level of the concentration of production,
    the means of production, a trade network, and a specific level of
    development in modern technology. It has a large, experienced labour
    force, with an improved educational level and specialization in
    comparison to the past, a large labour force in science.

    It has valuable natural wealth-producing resources, important
    reserves of mineral wealth, which are an advantage in industrial
    production and the production of consumer goods.

    It has the great advantage that it can ensure sufficient food
    supplies for people's needs as well as for external trade. It has
    capabilities in the production of modern products, machinery, tools
    and appliances.

    In order for a people's economy to exist for all, we must find a
    solution to the problem of ownership for the satisfaction of
    people's needs and not the needs of profit.

    The choice is one: a change in the historically outdated social
    relations of ownership that determine the political system as well
    and concern the basic and concentrated means of production in the
    following areas: energy, telecommunications, mineral wealth, mining,
    industry, water supply, transportation.

    Socialization of the banking system, the system of extraction,
    conveyance and management of natural resources; external trade, a
    centralized network of internal trade; housing for the people,
    research and the democratic provision of information to the people.

    An exclusively public, universal and free system of education,
    healthcare, welfare and social security.

    We estimate that there may be areas that will not be included in
    complete, nationwide, universal socialization. Complementing the
    socialized sector, a sector for the productive cooperatives in
    small-level agriculture may be formed, of small businesses in
    branches where concentration is low. Their participation in
    cooperatives will be understood as a beneficial choice, based on
    experience that exists from the monopoly ring.

    The socialized as well as the cooperative sectors, production and
    distribution as a whole must be included in a centralized, national
    economic mechanism of planning and administration so that all of the
    means of production and the labour force can be mobilized, so that
    every possible form of international economic cooperation can be
    utilized based on mutual benefit. Domestic production will be
    protected and the interests of the workers will be protected from
    any possible consequences that arise from the needs of external trade.

    Central planning is necessary in order to formulate strategic goals
    and choices, in order to prioritize branches and sectors, to
    determine where greater forces and means will be concentrated. The
    materialization of programming demands distribution by branch and
    area, and first of all, workers' control of administration in every
    production unit and service, in every administrative organ.

    The government as an organ of people's power will be obliged to
    ensure the participation of the people in this completely new,
    totally unknown task, to support the people's movement, to support
    and to be monitored by that within new institutions of workers' and
    social control.

    The centrally planned development of society is a need that stems
    from today's demands, first of all the demands of mankind which is
    the primary productive force. The need to satisfy the wide-ranging
    modern needs of the working people, the need for the means of
    production to develop, for science and technology to develop for the
    benefit of the people, make central planning a vital necessity.

    People's power promotes intrastate commercial agreements and
    exchanges, agreements for the utilization of techno-knowledge based
    on mutual interest.

    The public debt will be re-examined under people's power with the
    main criteria being the interests of the people.

    At the very beginning, people's power will have to confront an
    organized internal and international reaction. The EU and NATO, the
    agreements with the USA, do not leave much room for maneuvering by
    EU member countries.

    The solution to this problem by withdrawal from the EU is inevitable
    with the aim a self-reliant, popular development and cooperation
    that is in the interest of the people.

    It is necessary to step up our activity on the basis of the struggle
    against the problems.

    We struggle ceaselessly for immediate gains for the working people
    and we will continue so that measures can be imposed by the power of
    the movement reducing the acute problems, and relieving the people.

    We have developed positions and demands for every single problem and
    issue that has come up. However, that is not enough today; an
    alternative proposal for progress is needed so that the struggle has
    an aim, a goal, meaning, and ultimately can apply pressure in every
    phase."

//Dave Z
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Received on Fri May 21 09:08:45 2010

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