reclaim the common in communism

[bcbm]

The financial crisis (http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/oct/08/creditcrunch.marketturmoil) that exploded in autumn 2008 has rearranged the dominant views of capitalism and socialism. Until recently, any critique of neoliberal strategies of deregulation, privatisation and the reduction of welfare structures – let alone of capital itself – was cast in the dominant media as crazy talk. In early 2009, however, Newsweek proclaimed on its cover, with only partial irony, "We are all socialists now (http://www.newsweek.com/2009/02/06/we-are-all-socialists-now.html)". The rule of capital was suddenly open to question, from left and right, and, for a time at least, some form of socialist or Keynesian state regulation and management seems inevitable.


We need to look, however, outside this alternative. Too often it appears as though our only choices are capitalism or socialism, the rule of private property or that of public property, such that the only cure for the ills of state control is to privatise and for the ills of capital to publicise, that is, exert state regulation. We need to explore another possibility: neither the private property of capitalism nor the public property of socialism but the common in communism.


continued:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/feb/03/communism-capitalism-socialism-property

[Jalapeno Enema]

Meh. That Newsweek article was going on about nationalization of certain industries, not socialism per se; no more then a common reactionary misinterpretation.

If the choices are between capitalism and state capitalism and/or reformism, of course we should (indeed, I'd assume posters to this forum have) research other alternatives.

The Guardian article was a good and entertaining read, but the mainstream media (such as articles it referred to) does not support leftist ideals (the mainstream media is in the entertainment business, after all), and choses to interpret and define social, political, and economical ideas as is convenient for them, causing a detrimental misunderstanding to the populace in general.

I believe that the education (or rather lack thereof) is the predominant hurdle to overcome for any leftist movement. Even when the people are willing to consider viable economic alternatives, they're mislead and steered to favor the illusion of change rather then actually force change themselves.