An Anarchist Perspective on Economics

* Voluntary work/mutual aid would continue
on a wide basis within society. Millions of
people are involved in current voluntary
sporting, social, community work within
contemporary society. Why should this not
continue?

* A national redistribution agency, receiving
voluntary taxation from the economically
active to fund essential services and also

capital' projects. This could be accountable
on a delegate basis to society as a whole. It
would also enable richer regions and
individuals to aid the economies of poorer
regions.

* Ownership' and property' rights of land,
houses, productive capacity to be based on
occupancy and use.

Within such an economy there could be a
wide variety of products, services, hours
worked. Perhaps also differences in

remuneration. After all, peoples wants,
desires and needs do vary.

There are many other possible variations of
Anarchist economic models. Human ingenuity
and energy can, given the opportunity,
overcome most problems.

SOLIDARITY CENTER
1119 MASSACHUSETS
LAWRENCE, KS 66044
785-865-1374 '

An

Anarchist

Perspective

on

Economics

Produced by East Midlands Anarchists
Box EMAB, 88 Abbey Street, Derby

Imagining Possibilities

While anarchists have generally opposed the
creation of blueprints', 1 believe we do not
use our imaginative powers enough to sketch
the possible ways our political, economic and
social ideas might develop in practice. The
syndicalist movement in 1930s Spain, and the
individualist anarchists in 1890s America,
were not so slow in coming forward with their
interpretation of anarchist ideas.

An approach to anarchist economics involves
the resolution of important questions.

Do we adopt central planning and
communism' as the basis for exchange and
distribution?

Should we retain the use of money for the
purposes of reward, exchange and
distribution?

What would an anarchist economy be like?

I do not propose to comment at length on the
first of these questions, since I believe that
despite the advent of computer networks',
silicon chips', automation", etc., the
exchanges and multitudinous transactions
involved in modern society and its economy
are far too complex for effective central
control and co-ordination. The USSR did
function for nearly seventy years with a
centrally planned economy, but they were not
happy years for its citizens. There was great
suffering, famine, shortages, horrendous
industrial accidents and extensive pollution
to the detriment of both population and
nature, all this in addition to the severe
political repression in that society.

Contemporary Anarchists are not exclusively
committed to Anarcho- communism' and the
abolition of money. John Griffin's pamphlet,
A Structured Anarchism (Published by
Freedom Press, London), makes a good case
for the retention of a currency in an
anarchist society as a. medium of exchange
and distribution. The use of currency pre-
dates both the state and capitalism, and is
widely used and understood. There are many
ways in which the use of money can be taken
back into local, community level control,
Local Exchange Trading Schemes, Credit
Unions, etc. On the question of money, we
should be seeking to redress its misuses, not
to challenge its existence as such.

An Anarchist Economy

In response to the third question, one
possible vision of an anarchist economy is a
mixed' economy. This might comprise^ the
following:

* Worker collectives / co-operatives, with the
members owning and operating these
enterprises. These might take over and
operate most large scale companies and
organisations in the current productive and
service sectors. The workforce would
continue to receive wages' as payment,
though wage -differentials' might be reduced
or absent.

* A significant self-employed sector, with
millions as today, working for themselves
providing a wide range of goods and services
in their local communities.

* The continued existence of a private sector.

If people wished to continue as wage labour
for private contractors, nobody has the right
to stop them.

* Community banks / credit unions to make
funds available to small private companies,
collectives, co-operatives, the self-employed
and community initiatives at low rates of
interest. These to be either family or
community owned, community controlled and
run.

* Community control of Pension Funds. This
would help redirect production into socially
useful products and services, and end the
blind pursuit of the highest available return'
mentality, which leads to investment in
armaments, Pergau Dams, and pursues short
term gain rather than rational long term
interests. Pension Funds, back in the hands
of the people who create them, could help
finance the creation of the alternative
economy.

* A national network of Local Exchange
Trading Schemes' to enable local and
community based activity to expand and
flourish.

* A general redistribution of agricultural
land to recreate small sized farming units. A
recreation of an independent peasantry, no
less.

* Land usage determined on the basis of
sustainability' with planning presumptions in
favour of low impact, sustainable living and
working projects.

* The greening of Cities, Towns and Villages
along the lines envisaged by the Permaculture
movement.