Co-operative Socialism - A Plan of Action
From : http://www.poptel.net/links/co-opnet/msg03166.html
Co-operative Socialism - A Plan of Action
- Convert competitive activities into worker co-operative partnerships and
remodel monopoly activities as stakeholder co-operatives,
(see points two and five for the funding mechanism for this);
- Redistribute 'added-value' from these co-operatives, through
nationally-collected corporate taxation, distributed into local,
democratically-controlled Community Banks, thus making money available for
wealth creation and community development,
(and the conversions referred to above);
- Maximise necessary service provision (health, education, libraries,
transport (?) etc) on a free-at-the-point-of-use basis, retaining
(initially?) money as a mechanism for access to discretionary purchases.
- Introduce guaranteed income maxima and minima for all, and, so, abolish
personal taxation;
- Abolish money-lending for profit, operating banking and financial
services as a Public Service, 'National Wealth Service'
(see point two above);
- Reintroduce international exchange controls as necessary;
- Make capital grants (not loans) to developing countries.
In brief, transforming money - from master to servant - provides the way of
converting planet-trashing capitalism into locally-controlled, sustainable,
ethical co-operatives, each operating according to the 'Seven Co-operative
Principles' of The International Co-operative Alliance, all working
inter-dependently to deliver sustainable, 'responsible stewardship' of the
earth - for the long-lived well-being of all.
Dr John Courtneidge 13 North Road Hertford SG14 1LN
01992 501854