Private-dictatorship capitalism and government-dictatorship communism are not the only choices we have for socioeconomic systems. Cooperative ownership by workers and managers in the framework of economic democracy is a third alternative. The following article provides an in-depth analysis of the moral virtues, conceptual sophistication, and practical superiority of cooperatives and economy democracy over either authoritarian counterpart.
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"Human beings have still not been able to form a human society, and have still not learned to move with the spirit of a pilgrim. Although many small groups, motivated by self-interest, work together in particular situations, not even a small fraction of their work is done with a broader social motive. By strict definition, shall we have to declare that each small family unit is a society in itself? If going ahead in mutual adjustment only out of narrow self-interest or momentary self-seeking is called society, then in such a society, no provision can be made for the disabled, the diseased or the helpless, because in most cases nobody can benefit from them in any way... in that case there always remains the possibility of some people getting isolated from the collective. All human beings must attach themselves to others by the common bond of love and march forward hand in hand; then only will I proclaim it a society." |