[p2p-research] Why Post-Capitalism is Rubbish

[Ryan Lanham]

On Wed, Jun 10, 2009 at 10:29 PM, Michel Bauwens <michelsub2004 at gmail.com>wrote:

> Ryan, I'm continuously surprised by your faith in the powers that be, you
> always seem to assume that institutions are neutral, with our best interests
> at heart. In truth, they are ideological and serve a particular balance of
> power. This is not to say that are not good people in them, but they are
> sidelined and eventually leave.


What I do not assume is that institutions are inherently evil.

I see daily lots of good work from government organizations.  I do some of
that work.  I think we all have roles to play in society.  Some protest,
some organize, some institutionalize.  There is an ecology to our existence
and its develops and changes through many roles.  I trust in institutions
because without them I feel society is anarchic--in the worst sense of the
word.  Regardless of how I feel, institutions do still rule, and I am
interested in people living as decently as is reasonably possible.  I've
seen societies where institutions fail rapidly and it typically isn't
good.  Notice Zimbabwe didn't invent alternative currency in their moments
of crisis...the coped with hyperinflation.  People aren't stupid, they try
things, research things, hope for things.  It is politics and
institutions that determine what is and what is not possible.

I agree the IMF has made lots of mistakes in Africa.  But as someone who
works on the cutting edge of government, mistakes are easy to see in
hindsight and not so easy to avoid in reality.  Good people who believe in
their ideas just as much as any of us come into those jobs and try very hard
to make things work.  (Far too) often things don't work.  We try something
new...or we try harder...or we leave and breakdown.  I've seen all those
play out many times.

Camelots are hard to come by.  I think we need to look to places that work
as we think ideal and then carefully study their weaknesses, strengths and
possibilities.  We go from there.

My own joy comes from the trenches where real people are helped and real
issues are worked.  I understand the joy of dealing with ideas and
abstractions too.  Both are necessary and both should interact a great
deal.  We need all sorts of talent to address profound challenges including
existing institutions.  But there is always room for another civil society
entity, or a another P2P venue.  Until those become dominant, I am strongly
for having as good a society as we can with the institutions we have, but I
am also for crazy ideas and angry debates--just as they occur in
governments, NGOs, etc.  Solutions come born from a lot of trial and
error...and commitment to try things and to stay with things that work.

I share your frustrations with existing entities.  We should try new ones
and to fix the old ones.  But I for one have very few answers when the times
are tough.  And when one sees that it is real lives, real food not
delivered, real learning not offered, real lights not turned on, it gets
very personal.  I've seen theoretical economists say things as if their math
equations were some reality that, when played out, hurt many people.  I've
seen it too with political theorists and idealists of all stripes.  That's
one reason why I care so much about democracy.  In the end, people aren't
that stupid if their power over their own lives is protected.  It is hard to
protect that power.

I disagree with many.  I find the ideas of some to be crank ones.  I'm still
with them in spirit because those who try--no matter if they are on the
inside or the outside of the game, share at least the camaraderie of
interest in things being better.  Show me someone engaged...and I'll show
you a friend of mine...even if their ideas are categorically the opposite of
mine.  I have to trust that those I disagree with are sincere and
authentic.  I even have to believe those in the IMF, the World Bank, etc.
want things to be better even if I see their current approaches as
misguided.  If we lose that hope, the only alternative is violence, and that
is no alternative at all so far as I'm concerned.

Ryan
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