Any new ideas start with thinking and talking about it. For one, it helps to set up thoughts in your own head, and two, by speaking to other people you can test possibilities. How could these things fit in or be adapted to your situation.

When thinking about new ideas, you need to remember sometimes people are entrenched in the old ones – That isn’t to say all of the old ones are all bad. Participatory economics, was around long before capitalism and would make more sense to our communities today than the present economic system.

“In its most basic form, common good has its origins in the early Middle Ages, when the ferm toun – a small settlement of inter connected families living in close proximity for mutual protection and support – took a collectivist approach to to certain aspects of the farming operation”
Common Good Law Andrew Ferguson

The best way to start thinking about Parecon is to test it against how the present economic situation serves you.

To those in the know:

It needs to be remembered – Parecon is still locked in academic circles. If it is to get out into the community it needs some practical basic ideas and connections that will encourage participation.

What most working folk see, is a “no give” situation; they are either tired from working all day, or depressed that they do not have the opportunity of working all day. One needs to be sympathetic to their needs, in order to accommodate their needs into expressing new ideas.

So here we hope to create awareness of Participatory Economics in a practical level – through doing things and testing it in the community.

 

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TINA (There is no alternative Thatcher)

Talking back to Chomsky It strikes me that it is not at all obvious what we should do, and that by implying that it is, we risk making people feel stupid, when in fact they are quite right to ask the question, “What should I do?”