Hugo Chavez talking about building communes

[Qayin]

http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/news/4515

In a teacher-like tone, Chávez said that communes should be "the space in which we are going to give birth to socialism." He said organized local communities must take the initiative to form these communes with the goal of placing "the ownership of the means of production in the hands of the commune." "Where socialism should emerge is not from the Presidency of the Republic. This is not decreed... it must be created from the grassroots... it is a creation of the masses," Chávez said, citing a passage from a book published in 1966 about communes in the People's Republic of China under the leadership of Mao Tse-Tung.
The creation of communes has occupied a growing share of the public policy discourse in Venezuela since February, when Chávez created the Ministry of Communes following a national referendum in which voters approved a constitutional amendment that lifted term limits on public offices.
"Our communes have not been born," the president explained. "We talk about communities, socialism, and we say ‘fatherland, socialism, or death,' but what we are doing is shuffling, searching, creating, inventing. But we cannot say that in Venezuela today there exists one commune," said Chávez.
With Minister of Communes Erika Farías at his side, Chávez said that communes cannot exist in isolation, but must eventually be connected together in a national network. He also called on local community councils to step up and take a more assertive role in shaping public policy, calling them the "nuclei" of the future communes.

Oh damn this guys getting me horny

[Enragé]

'local community councils' - are these grassroots or simply city councils elected once every 4 years or so?

[JammyDodger]

http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/news/4515

Oh damn this guys getting me horny

Your above statement has me rather worried about your mental state

but I dont think im far behind you.

Atleast thats one country getting its act together, this will get scowls from certain quarters but they are a damn sight further along the line to sanity than we are.

I dont want to be a traitor to the struggle in these islands and I reckon id struggle with spanish but I cant help thinking of emigration when I read things like this.

[Black Sheep]

'local community councils' - are these grassroots or simply city councils elected once every 4 years or so?

I hope not, but this is certainly a positive outcome!

Venezuela rocks

[SocialismOrBarbarism]

Here's an interesting video on the councils:

+ YouTube Video

[JammyDodger]

you sod, those things take me ages to load up but ive got to watch it now

[h9socialist]

Communes are fine, but on a larger scale I think that socialism should stress the idea of "the commons" as a replacement for the capitalist market. Where as "the market" is simply a competitive clearinghouse for capitalist commodities (a fancy way of saying a big game that money always wins" -- the "commons" is the staging ground for universal access. So much of today's society depends on "connectedness" and "access" that we are approaching a fertile ground for the development of truly "socialist technology." The web is a great example of how universal access can grow. Of course, the capitalists hate the concept of "the commons", since it flies in the face commodity production and consumption. Nevertheless developing a "global economic commons" is an essential feature of socialism.

[JammyDodger]

Communes are fine, but on a larger scale I think that socialism should stress the idea of "the commons" as a replacement for the capitalist market. Where as "the market" is simply a competitive clearinghouse for capitalist commodities (a fancy way of saying a big game that money always wins" -- the "commons" is the staging ground for universal access. So much of today's society depends on "connectedness" and "access" that we are approaching a fertile ground for the development of truly "socialist technology." The web is a great example of how universal access can grow. Of course, the capitalists hate the concept of "the commons", since it flies in the face commodity production and consumption. Nevertheless developing a "global economic commons" is an essential feature of socialism.

I love the concept of it, is there anything on the web that goes into this in greater detail, theories as to the nuts and bolts of how it would work in the real world.

Both commons and communes are integral to getting needs met, I think socialists/communists need to give nuts and bolts details of how a proper planned economy would work on a wider scale.
Especially how it all ties in so perfectly to greater levels of democracy than we already have.
A under the capitalist system democracy extends to a four yearly vote between the dumb and dumber parties.

Theres a large association in the publics mind between socialism/communism and loss of democracy and rights.

The message that democracy and rights under capitalism are a lame joke and would improve by every measurable in a communist democracy is what needs to be spread.
As well as your very good points, it all has to find the ears of the masses.

Quite how that is achieved ive no idea.
Well a few but they are rather expensive.

[piet11111]

about time he started on this but clearly its a very important step towards actual workers control.

it all hangs on the details though like the ability to directly elect and recall the people that are placed in leadership positions.

[GPDP]

I'll believe this when I see it happening.

[Killfacer]

I'll believe this when I see it happening.

This is what i was going to say.

All nice rhetoric but until it happens i'm sceptical.

[Rusty Shackleford]

Arming workers? Pushing for Communes?
its certainly thrilling news but i will express a bit of caution as GPDP did.

i just hope it actually happens.

South America is kicking ass! maybe some revolutions and kick ass elections will crawl up the spine and right into the USA. (i know, sheer optimism)

[Uppercut]

Go el commandante!!!!