[p2p-research] Building Alliances (state and commons)

[Michel Bauwens]

I'd like to make two arguments.

First of all, the current state is a very mixed affair, functions as the
coercive force of the privileged layers, has a certain autonomy of its own,
and reflects the balance of forces and the negociated acceptance of
generalized public demands. The latter makes the state a force that can be
used to advance social progress.

I would argue, different from Kevin, that there is a common social good that
transcends mutualization, i.e. society exists beyond just individuals and
their relations, and that there can be institutions for that. But such
public instiutions could be very far removed from what we understand today
as the state, and may be much more acceptable to anti-state people like
Kevin, even if they are theoretically against it.

The problem however is as Ryan states, what could be a 'transition'.

I see two possibilities. One is the classic political struggle, which forces
the existing state to take into account new social demands; the other is
that we get better at replacing its current functions through different
means, and that some of it functions gradually 'die out'. I think that this
is what the p2p way is about, and how it differs from classical anarchism as
I understand it.

Michel

On Tue, Nov 10, 2009 at 2:02 AM, Ryan Lanham <rlanham1963 at gmail.com> wrote:

>
>
>  On Mon, Nov 9, 2009 at 1:55 PM, Kevin Carson <
> free.market.anticapitalist at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>>
>> This ignores the extent to which human societies can function in a
>> solidaristic manner through voluntary cooperation and mutual aid,
>> without acting through a state.
>>
>
> What I think tends to militate against this position, Kevin, is that most
> people could give lots of examples of co-ops and mutualist organizations
> de-mutualizing (insurance companies, e.g.) but very few where
> statist/corporate bodies go mutual.  Correct me here, but I can't think of
> any...
>
> I am always interested in A-->B in social studies.  It is always
> overlooked.  People visualize end states, but can't give a convincing
> account of the transition...and then seem to act is if that is an OK thing
> to ignore.
>
> Ryan
>
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