I tend to think of it in terms of evolutionary pressure; either complex societies begin to develop communism or pretty soon complex societies won't be possible anymore, given how we've been interacting with the natural world. If it is the former, it won't be pretty. History rarely develops nicely. And it won't be fast. It will take generations, as people figure out how to organize and balance industrial economy with our triaged ecology.
If it's the latter... well, I suppose the people that come after will have an easier time organizing themselves? That's not... a particularly comforting thought. I'm an industrialized, computerize ape. You can take me out of the complex society, but you can't take the complex society out of me. I'd like to see what our complex societies are capable of, when all that amazing engineering and knowledge and labor is unshackled from the profit-motive. There is so much potential in what we have, it seems a tragedy that we might not see what it can become.
My glib answer is to say look at China. They've managed to use capital to build their productive capacity without giving up the reigns of the overall economy. Yes, it's not perfect and yes it's still a state using the coercive methods that come with it. But it is, at least for now, moving and planning in a direction that capitalist countries just cant. I kinda think this is the make-or-break century for that project. As US empire continues to decay, we'll get to see if China really is laying the foundation for future socialism, like they claim.
I tend to think of it in terms of evolutionary pressure; either complex societies begin to develop communism or pretty soon complex societies won't be possible anymore, given how we've been interacting with the natural world. If it is the former, it won't be pretty. History rarely develops nicely. And it won't be fast. It will take generations, as people figure out how to organize and balance industrial economy with our triaged ecology.
If it's the latter... well, I suppose the people that come after will have an easier time organizing themselves? That's not... a particularly comforting thought. I'm an industrialized, computerize ape. You can take me out of the complex society, but you can't take the complex society out of me. I'd like to see what our complex societies are capable of, when all that amazing engineering and knowledge and labor is unshackled from the profit-motive. There is so much potential in what we have, it seems a tragedy that we might not see what it can become.
I feel the same way brother. I think we could have a complex society with a planned economy. I’m wondering how t that would develop and be maintained?
My glib answer is to say look at China. They've managed to use capital to build their productive capacity without giving up the reigns of the overall economy. Yes, it's not perfect and yes it's still a state using the coercive methods that come with it. But it is, at least for now, moving and planning in a direction that capitalist countries just cant. I kinda think this is the make-or-break century for that project. As US empire continues to decay, we'll get to see if China really is laying the foundation for future socialism, like they claim.