If not capitalism, then what? Something's not working, but there's a dearth of material on what could be right - and more important how to change things. Laying out strategy & vision for his "participatory economics," Albert argues that we must change the way we view work & wages and restructure our workplaces so that everyone can become involved in controlling their working lives. The third in his "Forward" books is written in clear language and will be of interest to those just beginning to question capitalist logic & to experienced activists. Using real-world examples, Albert offers today's political discontents a valuable tool.
Michael Albert is a co-founder of both South End Press and Z magazine and lives in Woods Hole.
Great social movements need long-term goals for inspiration and guidance, and need a short-term programme for the immediate agenda. This was true for the movements to end slavery and for women's suffrage, and for the labour, peace, civil rights and student movements throughout the 20th century. It will be no less true for a 21st century movement to replace greedy competition with equitable co-operation. Michael Albert's hope for this book is to help a new economic movement settle on needed goals and programmes by highlighting four areas of visionary and strategic concern: how people should be remunerated; how decisions should be made; how workplaces should be organised and how the economy should settle on what is produced and consumed. The result should be to reduce economic hierarchies of wealth, income and influence to a minimum, or none at all.