Crossbow sketch
by Leonardo DaVinci

“Baile En Tehauntepac”
by Diego Rivera

Introducing Capitalist
Regarding Innovations

In a capitalist economy, the drive to innovate is in turn driven by desire for profits and market share, as well as by geopolitical military domination — in cases of large economies. Much innovation therefore occurs. We get steadily more refined advertising and packaging to cajole otherwise unnecessary consumption. We get better means of dumping pollution without people realizing it has occurred until it is too late for them or their children. We get new workplace technologies to extract more labor while imposing greater subordination and fragmentation. We get more effective weapons with which to blow up people and cities, that we can then innovatively rebuild.

Capitalist innovation occurs via investment which is paid for by large corporations and financial institutions. The decision to undertake study and experiment to discover new innovations and then implement them occurs, therefore, when the highest levels of capitalists deem proposals worth pursuing. Thus, we typically get the kind of results noted above.

Introducing ParEcon
Regarding Innovations

In a parecon, innovation is undertaken by workers whose job is to explore options and discover new ways of operating, producing, arranging, etc. They propose projects which the participatory planning system (instead of venture capitalists and banks) accept or reject as part of the economy’s annually operations. The guiding criteria of innovations are, as in general, to meet needs and develop potentials consistent with enlarging solidarity, diversity, equity, and self management. The amount of attention given to innovating is determined, like everything else, by popular choice and individual inclination. Innovation is conceived and carried out by workers organized in balanced job complexes as is all production.

So in a parecon there is more or less innovation in accord with more or less desire to innovate and more or less success in proposing worthy innovations. Predictably there will be a steady stream of innovations to improve society’s average job complex, which benefits everyone, and to increase output per outlay of human energy, which also benefits everyone, as well as to expand knowledge and culture, to meet needs, develop potentials, etc.

Evaluating Capitalist Regarding Innovations

In a parecon, innovation is undertaken by workers whose job is to explore options and discover new ways of operating, producing, arranging, etc. They propose projects which the participatory planning system (instead of venture capitalists and banks) accept or reject as part of the economy’s annually operations. The guiding criteria of innovations are, as in general, to meet needs and develop potentials consistent with enlarging solidarity, diversity, equity, and self management. The amount of attention given to innovating is determined, like everything else, by popular choice and individual inclination. Innovation is conceived and carried out by workers organized in balanced job complexes as is all production.

So in a parecon there is more or less innovation in accord with more or less desire to innovate and more or less success in proposing worthy innovations. Predictably there will be a steady stream of innovations to improve society’s average job complex, which benefits everyone, and to increase output per outlay of human energy, which also benefits everyone, as well as to expand knowledge and culture, to meet needs, develop potentials, etc.

Evaluating ParEcon Regarding Innovations

If one wants innovations that are oriented in the first place to meet human needs and develop human potentials, and if one wants them carried out in a manner consistent with justice and equity, and if one wants them to implement the will of populations with each member having appropriate input — then parecon innovation is quite impressive for its focus and scale.

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