Reddit mentions of Parecon: Life After Capitalism

I'm not sure how to answer this one. My main problem is that most definitions of communism describe a state or framework, not a testable system.

I'm not convinced that there couldn't be a functional/effiecient system that matches some basic definition of a communist society (e.g. commonly owned means of production), but I haven't seen a satisfactory answer to the basic economic questions, i.e. how do we organize work and distribution of goods and resources.

'Central planning' and/or SoEs are usually the go-to response(s), but that's like a Hollywood plot about solving the great problem with a big-ass computer (with no discussion of its archtecture or OS). How would the central planners operate? What priorization scheme would be used to make the necessary trade-offs that the market solves by comparing ask/bid?

Once we get into calculation models, expected utility and the whole philosophy of what constitutes value in the first place, the issue becomes so huge and unwieldy that I'm not sure anybody can actually understand it, so people just insert their own assumptions to simplify the issue. I think that's borderline fallacious.

> Have you seen any other analysis, sources, or books that suggest viability may be dependent on levels of technology and productivity?

I wish. Parecon discusses allocation of work and resources, but backs down when it comes to calculation and conflict resolution. I think there's a lot of opportunity in alternative economics, just not much work being done beyond the x-th re-interpretation of Marx or Ricardo. (If anybody knows of anything interesting in this area, do let me know)

I'd also like to hear what he'd recommend but I'll go ahead and put one out there for you. Robin Hahnel advocates a form of Socialism based on Worker Councils (and Federations), that I find quite plausible. It's the type of system that I'm inclined to lean toward. Michael Albert also has some works on the same kind of thing.

I recommend a really good book on the broader subject called Life After Capitalism if you're really interested in the economics behind it, the author puts forth several implementation models.

Sure thing. Parecon (Participatory Economics) is a resource based economy, that ties into the idea of Techocracy. I would add more of my own, but it is rather late, and the linked information should be enough to get you started.

http://www.technocracy.org/technocracy-simplified/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technocracy

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Participatory_economics

http://www.amazon.com/Parecon-After-Capitalism-Michael-Albert/dp/185984698X

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vonsa3EO9rA