From: au329@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Ronda Hauben)
Newsgroups: alt.activism
Subject: Re: DEMOCRACY FOR ECONOMICS
Date: 5 Oct 1992 08:44:49 GMT
Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH (USA)
Reply-To: au329@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Ronda Hauben)
NNTP-Posting-Host: hela.ins.cwru.edu


In a previous article, mcelwre@cnsvax.uwec.edu () says:

>          
>
>                           DEMOCRACY FOR ECONOMICS
>          
>               Much has been said and written about the virtues of 
>          democracy.  The United States CLAIMS to have it, and has been 
>          SELF-RIGHTEOUSLY trying to IMPOSE it on other countries such 
>          as Grenada, Nicaragua, Panama, even Kuwait and Iraq.  Other 
>          western countries also CLAIM to be democratic, and democratic 
>          reforms have been sweeping the communist world. 
>
>               But a TRUE democracy can NOT exist, in the United States 
>          nor anywhere else, unless and until the PRINCIPLES of demo-
>          cracy are FULLY applied TO ECONOMICS, where they COUNT the 
>          most. 
>
>               Economic democracy for the United States has three main 
>          requirements, which should also be established in ALL other 
>          countries. 
>
>               First, ALL corporation$ must be REPLACED with COOPERA-
>          TIVES.  Simply change the federal and state corporation laws, 
>          so there is one vote per share HOLDER, rather than per share 
>          of stock.  REPLACE the bank$ and $aving$ and loan a$$ocia-
>          tion$ with CREDIT UNIONS in the same way, so there is one 
>          vote per depositor and shareholder. 
>
No somehow the cooperatives haven't functioned - the regulated monopoly
has been more effective - but it needs workers unions which have
a voice for workers - the kind of unions there were in the 1940's not
the current kind.

>               Second, require the ELECTION, rather than appointment, 
>          of ALL financial, economic, and banking officials.  For 
>          example, the person occupying the position now held by Alan 
>          Greenspan should be periodically and directly ELECTED on a 
>          national level.  There could even be added a 4TH BRANCH of 

But in the U.S. the elections are dominated by a demo-republican 
party much like the communist party was in the Soviet Union - so
they aren't democratic elections

>               Third, establish a GUARANTEED MONTHLY INCOME, just 
>          enough for basic food, clothing, and shelter costs, given to 
>          each and EVERY person REGARDLESS of his or her wealth, wages, 
>          salary, or other earnings.  CREATE the money for this OUT OF 
>          "THIN AIR" by simply having computers OFFICIALLY print out 
>          and mail monthly allowance checks.  IF THERE'S A WILL, 
>          THERE'S A WAY. 
>
In Europe there have been paid medical care, child care, etc.

So its not a question of printing money but of realizing that
the population is part of the wealth of the nation needs to
have the necessaries and conveniences of life to produce the 
next generation of workers etc.

>               A fourth supplementary provision would be a 4-DAY (32-
>          HOUR) WORK-WEEK.  This would distribute the available useful 
>          work more evenly, fairly, and DEMOCRATICALLY among everyone 
>          who wants it, and give most employees an extra day each week 
>          for themselves and their families.  SIMPLY CHANGE THE FEDERAL 
>          AND STATE OVERTIME LAWS, FROM 40 TO 32.  Reduce this by one 
>          hour every year down to a 14-hour work week, as automation 
>          expands, and inefficient, worthless, or harmful jobs, such as 
>          in cigarette factories, and the military, are phased out and 
>          eliminated. 
>          
THIS IS THE IMPORTANT PROVISION THAT IS THE ESSENCE OF WHAT IS NEEDED
AS A BEGINNING TO ANY CHANGE. When workers have more time they can
better be involved in dealing with the problems of politics that
exist in their countries.

>               Such applications of DEMOCRACY to economics would 
>          eliminate or greatly reduce many of the problems now plaguing 
>          the People of the world--starvation, malnutrition, homeless-
>          ness, poverty, poverty-induced crime, unemployment, the need 
>          for the legalized- EXTORTION and ARMED ROBBERY of alimony and 
>          "child support", even taxation, etc., ETC.. 
>          
>               UN-altered REPRODUCTION and DISSEMINATION of these 
>          IMPORTANT ideas is ENCOURAGED. 

NO THE NEED IS FOR DEMOCRATIC DEBATE 


>
>
>                                         Robert E. McElwaine
>          
>
Ronda

-- 
Ronda Hauben  Amateur Computerist Newsletter
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