[p2p-research] Life after capitalism

[Christian Siefkes]

Hi Alex, all,

Alex Rollin wrote:
> As an example, I just came up with a little business plan.
> 
>     * We start a little coop to make bicycles. 
>     * We narrow the market to goods that have a naturally regular
>       ownership transition cycle, where the goods would normally be trashed.
>     * Specifically, we sell the use of childrens bicycles as a service.
>     * The shop and the bikes are owned by the consumers and producers
>       together.
>     * We 'lease-rent' the bikes for as long as needed, and then reclaim
>       and remanufacture them.
>     * Over time, the coop's larger mission of stewarding the raw
>       materials for bike manufacture are integrated.  We buy land for
>       making rubber, remanufacture tires, steel, whatever.
>     * We also teach people to be a part of this themselves.
> 
> This is a pretty simple idea to increase the value of the 'bike
> mobility' commons, a new 're-enclosed' and relatively open commons
> (especially if redistributive economics enable those without to be those
> with).

thanks for sharing your insights into production models based on a common
pool, which I found very inspiring! I would agree with Michel's observation
that profit maximization can easily come into conflict with the goals of
providing use value and contributing to a common pool. Hence I think such a
cooperative organization as you propose might operate better on a non-profit
basis.

Otherwise I think that such common-pool models can indeed be an important
step on a way to a commons-based society such as I describe. I've talked a
bit about how such a transformation might occur in my Oekonux talk
<http://peerconomy.org/talks/ox4/>, and I plan to expand to that topic in
the future--in that context, I'll definitively get back to your ideas!

Best regards
	Christian

-- 
|-------- Dr. Christian Siefkes --------- christian at siefkes.net ---------
|   Homepage: http://www.siefkes.net/   |   Blog: http://www.keimform.de/
|   Better Bayesian Analysis:           |   Peer Production Everywhere:
|   http://bart-project.com/            |   http://peerconomy.org/wiki/
|------------------------------------------ OpenPGP Key ID: 0x346452D8 --
Politics is for people who have a passion for changing life but lack a
passion for living it.
        -- Tom Robbins, Even Cowgirls Get the Blues

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