Forum Post: A brief lesson from History on capitalism, socialism, communism, and anarcho-syndachism
Posted 12 years ago on Feb. 15, 2012, 10:26 a.m. EST by debndan
(1145)
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I'm sorry, but capitalism has been around for a lot longer than the past couple hundred years, and same with the other main systems of economics.
In fact, I'd say that capitalism has been around for as long as there has been a medium of exchange between free peoples, just as socialism has been around for as long as there has been any elite group that controls the means of production in the name of watching over an enslaved people.
When the first settlers in sumer decided to trade grain for goods (forms of capital) capitalism was born.
When the first god-kings convinced their peoples in sumer to give up their freedom in exchange for security, communism was born.
And when the first Pharaohs convinced free men to exchange taxes for basic security in times of scarcity, then socialism was born.
These 3 systems all employed varying levels of slavery to sustain them, sometimes freedom came with the price of insecurity, sometimes freedom was taken in the name of the greater good, and sometimes freedom was willingly given up in the name of security.
This was the case from the neolithic to the late bronze age, then something changed..... and the ultimate system was born that maximizes freedom and security, while providing stability in a dangerous world of the late bronze age/ early Iron age.
Drovers in the Levant co-operated to dig mutual wells and maintain oasis, while herding chattel and trading between the power players of 3 continents.
They had no personal government, other than ruling their own passions, and engaged in capitalistic exchange. When a dispute arose, the community at large decided the matter and their system could best be described as anarcho-syndachism.
These co-ops were for the mutual benefit of all it's individual syndicate/ members. In other words each individual grouping, usually by family affiliation, benefited from their own hard work and not on others hard work.
In this environment the first alphabet was born along with notions that individual freedom were inherent blessings from heaven, and not the whimsy of a god-king.
This didn't last, as the ensuing prosperity was too much to be ignored by the 3 major powers (egypt, Hatutia, and babylon)
But this model was repeated later by the ancient hebrews, with the same results, and world powers again crushed it, for true freedom was a danger to the slaver, though not the slave.
And this model would again arise in Athens and resulted in a golden age and the birth of democracy. But the world powers were again challenged, and it took the slavers of sparta, and nearly 2/3 of the greek world, and even then, it took the help of persia to defeat athens.
For the slavers don't like it when slaves have hope or when non slavers do better than them without enslaving their fellow man.
But that's history
Isnt the difference, though, that capital trade was a tool of people, but under capitalism as a form of governance people become the tools?
capitalism becomes a failure when the capital becomes the goal at the expense of people.
If you read the whole post it's not pure capitalism that works, but rather capitalism based upon democratic principles, where the laborer has an equal say in the use in what is produced. And that the product is for the mutual benefit of the producer and his customer. Not some shareholder or bureaucrat.
A system where the worker is the co-owner, and the sole-owner of his labors. This doesn't mean taxes can't be exacted for the benefit of the community, or to provide the infrastructure that said syndicate benefits from.
It's democratic principle in all things at all times, vote with your ballots, but also your dollars, and labor.
I see what you are saying, but let me restate my point to clarify...
I see capitalism has become our government system. Political office is gained by having and raising money to spend on advertising intended to influence votes through the use of psychological manipulation. Even voting districts are established through psychological assessment of buying habits and behaviors linked to beliefs. Being able to raise money to run means being able to sell ones self and ideas to people in return for "donations", and of course political favors. Votes by our congress are sold as favors to the highest bidder. The public is now a tool to be manipulated...what we collectively want does not matter.... Look at scott walker as an example: to hell with what the people have overwhelmingly said they want, he will go forward with his anti worker agenda that benefits the people who really funded him. And now he is out selling himself for more money to continue to fight the recall that the voters in his state have made clear they want. Jeb bush did this in florida. He created student testing rules that directly benefitted his cronies while ignoring a voter referendum to reduce classroom size. There was a reason he did not run for re election in florida: his actions were too well known here and his brother further damaged the bush name. He could not sell himself, so he is waiting until memory fades and I guarantee he will show up as a presidential candidate at some point down the line.
Yes, I understand what you are saying, we had this very same problem in Ohio, and we repealed anti-labor law that was passed against the will of the people.
And now the GOP is scared of what is to come in november.
But, just for arguments sake, let's assume that this type of anti-labor, pro crony capitalist system continues, then what happens?
The whole system becomes untenable and breaks down amid ever growing crisis management.
Therefore people can take refuge in what has worked throughout history, which is to form syndicates and patron other syndicates in the form of credit unions, par insurers, farmers markets, etc.
If the GOP or DEMS lead us to hell in a hand-basket made in china, the anarcho-syndacate model can be a refuge.
Well said...thanks for sharing your ideas. I do see the government stepping in to stop barter type trades because it completely sidesteps the collection of taxes and regulations that are lobbied for by those in power... For example, the existing contractors had a new regulations put in place that make it time consuming and expensive to get a contractors license even if the person is only doing limited or decorative work like that concrete stamping that does not affect structure or even the integrity of the concrete. Plus it requires years of working under a licensed contractor which means they are guaranteed a labor force and have reduced the competition.
Ancient Sumer had an agricultural economy.
athens had slaves
actually, they freed all slaves, and when people resold themselves later, or their children, it could not be for but a limited time, so, no, there were no lifetime slaves during the golden age of Athens.
In fact that is what led to the pelopenisean wars, that fact that slaves were revolting across the attic peninsula encouraged by Athens to gain their freedom like the Athenians had, and Athens encouragement of direct democracy.
Something about direct democracy seems to provoke a violent response.... hmmmm...
Anarcho-syndachism has produced some of the best ideas of history.
The Alphabet, monotheism,democracy,republicanism, constitutionalism, all were born during brief stints of anarcho-syndacism
Along with mercantilism, and futures contracts born out of medieval participant/ costumer syndicates amongst the flemmish and flanders the brief impacts had lasting implications
And today we have libraries, participant insurers, credit unions, farmers and electric co-ops that are the institutional models of anarcho-syndachism based upon democratic principles that work when ever tried
Some call it socialism, some call it capitalism on steroids, and others equate it to communism. But it's not, as those others have been, and will be miserable failures with brief periods of half-assed success.
It's the Idea that a group of like minded individuals should be free to choose how their labor is spent, and that their products should be for their and their customers mutual benefit.
Sesame Street - ABC-DEF-GHI (1969)
LOL, loved the link
I do realize that anarco-syndachism is a bit wordy, but if it works, it works
Oh, and I left out the various trades guilds that were built on democratic principles that allowed dark age poor people to enjoy the good life while the rest of the world went to hell.
And this let to the modern labor movements.
Anarcho-syndachism is an island in times of crisis, and a behemoth of good during times of prosperity that they bring about.
Unless you think someone else built the renaissance?