Read on Twitter
I’m super excited to announce some HUGE professional news:
I have joined the Biden/Harris administration as Director of the Radical Left Agenda and will be leading the transition to a Radical Left Economy.
Let’s get to work! 1/33
I have joined the Biden/Harris administration as Director of the Radical Left Agenda and will be leading the transition to a Radical Left Economy.
Let’s get to work! 1/33
I’m kidding, of course, because the Biden/Harris administration is not remotely radical left.
But since so many seem confused on what a Radical Left economic agenda might actually look like here’s exactly what I would do if I were to lead such an effort 2/33
But since so many seem confused on what a Radical Left economic agenda might actually look like here’s exactly what I would do if I were to lead such an effort 2/33
The first flaw of capitalism is that it is inherently anti-democratic.
Workplaces make decisions that affect workers, communities & even the entire planet. But capitalist workplaces are top-down enterprises where only a tiny handful have all the say. 3/33 https://twitter.com/arashkolahi/status/1217915779745628160
Workplaces make decisions that affect workers, communities & even the entire planet. But capitalist workplaces are top-down enterprises where only a tiny handful have all the say. 3/33 https://twitter.com/arashkolahi/status/1217915779745628160
Humans are most fulfilled when we engage & participate in the decisions that affect our lives.
But capitalism robs approximately 80% of workers, the working-class, of having any say in any decisions at work. 4/33 https://twitter.com/arashkolahi/status/1294322016086941699
But capitalism robs approximately 80% of workers, the working-class, of having any say in any decisions at work. 4/33 https://twitter.com/arashkolahi/status/1294322016086941699
Utilizing our consciousness, our abilities to abstract thoughts from our actions, to plan ahead & weigh options while engaging & participating in the matters that affect our lives is a source of fulfillment.
When capitalism robs this from us, we feel alienated. 5/33
When capitalism robs this from us, we feel alienated. 5/33
Everyone knows that most people dislike their jobs.
But it’s not because people dislike working or dislike their craft, or the feeling of pride from contributing - but rather because of the inherent alienation & oppression of capitalist workplaces. 6/33 https://twitter.com/arashkolahi/status/1212842818286211072
But it’s not because people dislike working or dislike their craft, or the feeling of pride from contributing - but rather because of the inherent alienation & oppression of capitalist workplaces. 6/33 https://twitter.com/arashkolahi/status/1212842818286211072
So, our first order of business in the transition to a Radical Left Economy will be the democratization of ALL workplaces.
But how exactly would that work? Would all workers participate in all decisions?
Not quite. 7/33
But how exactly would that work? Would all workers participate in all decisions?
Not quite. 7/33
By democracy, we mean people should have a say in the decisions that affect their lives in proportion to the degree the decision affects them. 8/33 https://twitter.com/arashkolahi/status/1125471207086649346
So, if a decision only affects you, then only you get to decide. If a decision affects your department, then your department gets to decide. If a decision affects everyone at your work location, then all workers at your work location decide. 9/33
And if a decision affects all workers, company-wide, then all workers in the company get to decide.
In other words, all workplaces would have participatory & engaging nested decision-making councils 10/33
In other words, all workplaces would have participatory & engaging nested decision-making councils 10/33
No longer will a tiny handful make sociopathic decisions, putting profits over people, communities & the planet.
Now workers decide what is best for themselves, their communities & their planet. 11/33
Now workers decide what is best for themselves, their communities & their planet. 11/33
No longer are workplaces authoritarian, degrading & alienating. No longer will the working-class be robbed of their fair say & their full potential.
Now workplaces will be participatory, engaging & fulfilling. 12/33
Now workplaces will be participatory, engaging & fulfilling. 12/33
No longer will workplaces be like the Corporate Media, where currently decisions are made with an inherent bias towards the interests of the ownership class who hold the final decision-making power. 13/33 https://twitter.com/arashkolahi/status/1348681093759737856
Now media & journalist workplaces (like all other workplaces) are liberated from ownership-class bias.
Editorial policies & decisions are now determined by the editors & writers themselves. 14/33
Editorial policies & decisions are now determined by the editors & writers themselves. 14/33
No more permanent class-war against workers. No more constant drive to make workers as disposable as possible in order to drive down their bargaining power.
Now workplaces are classless with EVERY worker holding the same decision-making power. 15/33
Now workplaces are classless with EVERY worker holding the same decision-making power. 15/33
Our second order of business will be replacing Market allocation.
The Market system is inherently & systematically anti-democratic, environmentally destructive & creates a ‘race to the bottom’ between workplaces. 16/33 https://twitter.com/arashkolahi/status/1222960371171872769
The Market system is inherently & systematically anti-democratic, environmentally destructive & creates a ‘race to the bottom’ between workplaces. 16/33 https://twitter.com/arashkolahi/status/1222960371171872769
Markets, by definition, exclude everyone affected by transactions other than the immediate buyer & seller from having any say in that decision.
So, while transactions might affect workers, neighborhoods, or even the global community none of them get any say, with markets. 17/33
So, while transactions might affect workers, neighborhoods, or even the global community none of them get any say, with markets. 17/33
We will replace anti-democratic & environmentally destructive markets with a decentralized & participatory-democratic allocation system called Participatory Planning. 18/33
https://www.participatoryeconomics.info/institutions/participatory-planning/
https://www.participatoryeconomics.info/institutions/participatory-planning/
No more market’s mispricing & misallocating EVERYTHING because of its inability to account for positive & negative externalities.
Now goods & services will be properly prices because they account for all those affected. 19/33
Now goods & services will be properly prices because they account for all those affected. 19/33
No more market’s race-to-the-bottom: incentivizing the destruction of the environment and exploitation of workers at the altar of profits.
Now allocation is consciously & democratically determined through decentralized Participatory Planning. 20/33
Now allocation is consciously & democratically determined through decentralized Participatory Planning. 20/33
Our third order of business will be fair & equitable wages.
With capitalism, wages reflect the relative bargaining power between employers & employees. 21/33 https://twitter.com/arashkolahi/status/1210332075787608065
With capitalism, wages reflect the relative bargaining power between employers & employees. 21/33 https://twitter.com/arashkolahi/status/1210332075787608065
This is inherently unfair & inequitable because bargaining power is largely beyond our immediate control.
Instead, wages will now be based on what we actually have control over: how long we work & how hard we work. 22/33
Instead, wages will now be based on what we actually have control over: how long we work & how hard we work. 22/33
BuT wHo dEteRmInEs hOw LoNg oR HoW hArd We WoRk?
Now that we’ve democratized workplaces it’s easy: We do! We along with our coworkers determine fair & equitable wage criteria for our own workplaces. 23/33
Now that we’ve democratized workplaces it’s easy: We do! We along with our coworkers determine fair & equitable wage criteria for our own workplaces. 23/33
As we show in the below thread, if wages were equitable, the average worker, working the average duration at an average effort, should receive the average income of roughly $130,000 per year.
*2018 US Gross Domestic Income / # employed at the time 24/33 https://twitter.com/arashkolahi/status/1230953222375763969
*2018 US Gross Domestic Income / # employed at the time 24/33 https://twitter.com/arashkolahi/status/1230953222375763969
So, while some may earn a bit more or a bit less than the average wage to account for equitable pay for differences in duration or effort, there will no longer be massive disparities of income where some earn 100 times or 1,000 times more than others, like in capitalism. 25/33
No longer will we allow capitalism’s profit motive to incentivize & reward the constant drive to make workers as dispensable, desperate & disposable as possible in order to drive down their bargaining power, and thus their wages. 26/33
Now wages will be inherently fair & equitable. We reward things we have control over, our time, effort & sacrifice towards societally valued work determined democratically in our participatory-democratic workplaces. 27/33
Now that everyone is paid equitably, no longer will patents be needed. No longer will we need to hoard knowledge, skills, technologies, etc. in order to increase our bargaining power.
Capitalism inherently stifles innovation. We will liberate it. 28/33 https://twitter.com/ArashKolahi/status/1225940422855290880
Capitalism inherently stifles innovation. We will liberate it. 28/33 https://twitter.com/ArashKolahi/status/1225940422855290880
For those able to work, we will have equitable wages.
For any person unable to work due to disability or childcare etc. they will receive a dignified median wage. 29/33
For any person unable to work due to disability or childcare etc. they will receive a dignified median wage. 29/33
No more of capitalism's inherent need to keep a large part of the population desperate, food & housing insecure in order to keep labor’s bargaining power low & profits high.
No more stress & anxiety of a system that goes against our very nature. 30/33 https://twitter.com/ArashKolahi/status/1223375405295386624
No more stress & anxiety of a system that goes against our very nature. 30/33 https://twitter.com/ArashKolahi/status/1223375405295386624
So, in a nutshell, we will replace authoritarian & alienating workplaces with engaging & fulfilling participatory-democratic workplaces.
We will replace anti-democratic & environmentally destructive market allocation with decentralized & democratic Participatory Planning. 31/33
We will replace anti-democratic & environmentally destructive market allocation with decentralized & democratic Participatory Planning. 31/33
We will replace grossly inequitable wages inherent to capitalism, with fair & equitable wages.
And anyone unable to work will receive a median wage. 32/33
And anyone unable to work will receive a median wage. 32/33
No longer will we endure capitalism’s inherent incentive for profit maximization: profits over people, over the environment, over quality products, over literally everything.
We will now have an economy with the inherent incentive for fulfillment & potential maximization 33/33
We will now have an economy with the inherent incentive for fulfillment & potential maximization 33/33
The Radical Left Agenda for the economy is a socialist economy that is inherently democratic, fair, equitable & environmentally sustainable - which perhaps shouldn’t be all that radical after all.
https://www.participatoryeconomics.info/
https://www.participatoryeconomics.info/
