I think I have joined these two systems, or at least discovered one possible way of joining them. Capitalism means private ownership of capital, of the means of production. People can move or invest their capital, their savings, in whatever way they choose, with the assumption that they will invest in a way that will earn them profit, i.e., that they will invest in a way that will tend to produce things or services that people want and will pay money for.
Communism means public or community ownership of capital, of the means of production. The community decides what investments to make, i.e., how to allocate capital. Because the community conveys its preferences through the political process, communism has become associated with state control of the means of production, and of decisions about how to allocate resources. That was the model of communism represented by the failed Soviet state.
If we recognize that capital as one of the means of production of goods and services comes in two major catagories, then we can divide ownership of capital between these catagories. My capitalism-communism synthesis has private ownership of man-made capital combined with public ownership of natural capital.
I guess you know about the other means of production: labor and knowledge, (processes, know-how, technique.
I did not mention 'land'. That is one of the means of production usually lumped together with 'natural capital'. In my proposal, the concept of land ownership shifts from a de facto absolute right to decide what to do with a particular piece of land to a right to decide what to do with a piece of land, *provided that the larger community is compensated* when land-use decisions adversely affect the community or environment. (Those who decide to pave the earth, or limit biodiversity by planting monoculture, for example, would be made to pay a fee to compensate for the degradation of water quality or ecological diversity their actions cause.)
I am interested to hear what comments you might have after reading the articles.
Libertarian and green politics combine to form a capitalism / communism synthesis
Gaia Brain and the History of Life
My favorite question:
If you could ask anyone to be President, who would you choose?
See who I stole this question from (Can we take a hint?)
John Champagne
None.
