Utopia Governance & the Commons by Tom Wallace - HTML preview

Chapter 11 considered that it is inappropriate for wealthier nations to be lending money to poorer ones, then allowing those nations to fall into debt trying to pay off such loans. More genuine means of helping poorer nations need to be strengthened, whilst existing debts could be cancelled.

In Chapter 11, we also looked at the free movement of people. If we were really serious

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about alleviating poverty then the world would have no borders. I recognise, of course, the chaos that would be unleashed for wealthy nations and indeed for poorer nations that might lose their younger, brighter citizens through economic migration. Nonetheless, free movement is part of a vision for a fairer world and an aim that could be implemented gradually. The developed world has massacred, raped and pillaged its way, as it ‘colonised’ poorer nations, and the big businesses of developed nations continue that pillaging today. In asking what should we share, co-operatives, free trade and free movement answers that we have a responsibility of giving every citizen of the world an equal opportunity for dignity, for education and for work. And Parapolity answers that we have a responsibility to share the resources of the natural commons and the benefits of our work equitably with everyone.

What Should We Make? How

Should We Trade?

A participatory economy, or Parecon, is very much a follow-on from the kind of Participatory Politics described earlier in this chapter. In the absence of a Parecon, we have, for the most part, a market economy. In Chapter 7, we noted that there is a certain overlap however, in terms of a country’s infrastructure. Infrastructure projects are very much political decisions and it is here that a Parecon starts to have an influence, and this, in turn, starts to influence business and markets. Defence spending, power grids, railways and roads come to mind especially. From here, it is only another

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small step towards, for instance, considering the type of heating and cooling that buildings might use, the types of vehicles that might be manufactured, where our food is sourced and how it is grown. The market economy can be transformed into a planned economy as much or as little as we are willing to allow, if we manage to install a governance system in which we can all participate and make decisions about our making and our spending. In answer to the question, what should we make, Parapolity and Parecon answer that we should make what people genuinely need and want and not what big business tries to sell us. In answer to the question, how should we trade, Parecon says, as freely as possible.

How Should We Live?