https://znetwork.org/category/topic/vision-strategy/parecon/ Independent Left News, Analysis, Vision and Strategy Thu, 16 Oct 2025 10:35:21 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://znetwork.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/cropped-Z_logo_512-32x32.png https://znetwork.org/category/topic/vision-strategy/parecon/ 32 32 https://znetwork.org/zvideo/computer-simulations-of-participatory-planning/ https://znetwork.org/zvideo/computer-simulations-of-participatory-planning/#respond Thu, 16 Oct 2025 15:58:00 +0000 https://znetwork.org/?post_type=video&p=1290043 Mitchell Szczepanczyk’s talk on July 10, 2025, at the first INDEP conference, “Democratic Economic Planning for the Real World,” during SASE 2025. You can find the slides for this presentation here: https://docs.google.com/presentation/… We also have a post on our website that lists the entire conference program and includes links to all recordings and slides. You [...]]]> https://znetwork.org/zvideo/computer-simulations-of-participatory-planning/feed/ 0 https://znetwork.org/zvideo/anarchist-economic-vision-michael-albert-on-the-circled-a/ https://znetwork.org/zvideo/anarchist-economic-vision-michael-albert-on-the-circled-a/#respond Mon, 13 Oct 2025 17:26:00 +0000 https://znetwork.org/?post_type=video&p=1289860 American Anarchist author Michael Albert joins yodet to talk about the question of what economics looks like in an anarchist society. We also pay tribute to former Black Panther, Assata Shakur. Music by Lesblackwellmusic.]]> https://znetwork.org/zvideo/anarchist-economic-vision-michael-albert-on-the-circled-a/feed/ 0 https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/on-transitioning-to-a-participatory-economy/ https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/on-transitioning-to-a-participatory-economy/#respond Wed, 05 Mar 2025 18:30:00 +0000 I wrote a recent essay on how the model of a participatory economy (MPE) can help preserve the environment. I reposted that essay on Daily Kos, a website aligned with the Democratic Party in the United States. My goal was to widen awareness of MPE with an audience that I thought might be receptive, but I was [...]]]> https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/on-transitioning-to-a-participatory-economy/feed/ 0 https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/a-planned-economy-with-no-central-planning-authority/ https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/a-planned-economy-with-no-central-planning-authority/#respond Thu, 24 Oct 2024 15:59:00 +0000 In Democratic Economic Planning, Robin Hahnel says that his “most important contribution is” having “explained concretely how to reconcile comprehensive democratic planning” with worker autonomy and self-management. As Hahnel said in a Summer 2023 New Politics essay: “Early socialists, including Marx himself, were clear that instead of profit-hungry capitalists and the ‘anarchy’ of markets … the ‘associated producers’ [...]]]> https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/a-planned-economy-with-no-central-planning-authority/feed/ 0 https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/explaining-communal-income-and-why-it-is-essential-to-socialism/ https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/explaining-communal-income-and-why-it-is-essential-to-socialism/#respond Sun, 28 Jul 2024 15:59:30 +0000 Introduction A Participatory Economy1 is usually summarised by a list of five canonical features, namely: However, hidden within item 4 (“equitable remuneration for work”) is another feature of the Participatory Economy (PE) system which is so important that it should appear explicitly on that core list. I believe it is one of the most powerful aspects [...]]]> https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/explaining-communal-income-and-why-it-is-essential-to-socialism/feed/ 0 https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/launching-the-international-network-for-democratic-economic-planning-indep/ https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/launching-the-international-network-for-democratic-economic-planning-indep/#respond Thu, 25 Jul 2024 15:57:00 +0000 https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/launching-the-international-network-for-democratic-economic-planning-indep/feed/ 0 https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/media-in-a-participatory-economy/ https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/media-in-a-participatory-economy/#respond Sun, 23 Jun 2024 13:30:14 +0000 For more than a decade, I had focused most of my political activism on media — making media (television, radio, writings, internet work), challenging dominant media, and working on government policy related to media.  Then I spent a number of years away from activism, and then I returned to being politically active but I switched, [...]]]> https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/media-in-a-participatory-economy/feed/ 0 https://znetwork.org/zvideo/intro-to-participatory-economics/ https://znetwork.org/zvideo/intro-to-participatory-economics/#respond Sun, 15 Oct 2023 22:03:29 +0000 https://znetwork.org/?post_type=video&p=1256357 A cute cartoon giving a short introduction to Participatory Economics. The creator apologies for the spelling errors.]]> https://znetwork.org/zvideo/intro-to-participatory-economics/feed/ 0 https://znetwork.org/zvideo/a-green-post-capitalist-economy/ https://znetwork.org/zvideo/a-green-post-capitalist-economy/#respond Thu, 31 Aug 2023 15:59:00 +0000 https://znetwork.org/?post_type=video&p=1252884 In this public talk, economist and co-creator of the model, Robin Hahnel will introduce the key features of a Participatory Economy including an innovative decentralised democratic planning procedure, which empowers citizens to plan an economy themselves in an environmentally sustainable way. The event took place on the 24th June 2023 at St Anne’s Church in [...]]]> https://znetwork.org/zvideo/a-green-post-capitalist-economy/feed/ 0 https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/dissent-on-mars-gaming-and-a-participatory-economy/ https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/dissent-on-mars-gaming-and-a-participatory-economy/#respond Fri, 18 Aug 2023 16:47:08 +0000 Dissent on Mars is the latest game to be developed by Michael Hicks. It is a unique game in the simulation genre that allows players to design different styles of economies. What makes the game unique is that it has the option to develop a democratically planned economy, one which is heavily influenced by Participatory [...]]]> https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/dissent-on-mars-gaming-and-a-participatory-economy/feed/ 0 https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/parecon-without-jobs-balanced-for-empowerment/ https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/parecon-without-jobs-balanced-for-empowerment/#comments Wed, 28 Jun 2023 14:33:01 +0000 An advocate of participatory economics, Mark Evans, has proposed that to attain a self-managing, equitable, classless, participatory economy we don’t need to balance jobs for empowerment effects. He considers ”balanced job complexes” unnecessary. He feels that to dismiss them from our economic vision will provide an “easier strategic option for transitioning to a participatory economy.”  [...]]]> https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/parecon-without-jobs-balanced-for-empowerment/feed/ 7 https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/questioning-the-necessity-of-balanced-job-complexes/ https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/questioning-the-necessity-of-balanced-job-complexes/#comments Thu, 22 Jun 2023 16:01:00 +0000 Introduction  For those of us who are interested in organising for an economy that values self-management, cooperation and solidarity; a fair criteria for remuneration, that fosters diversity and efficiency; and of course is compatible with ecological sustainability, maximising our chances of transitioning to such a system without violating these values is of utmost importance. In [...]]]> https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/questioning-the-necessity-of-balanced-job-complexes/feed/ 32 https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/participatory-differences/ https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/participatory-differences/#respond Wed, 31 May 2023 16:04:48 +0000 [The following is an edited transcript of the podcast RevolutionZ’s 230th episode. It is from RevolutionZ’s unscripted Ruminations series, but it is also about something I’m very familiar with because in this episode I discussed not all differences among all allies, but just some differences among some advocates of participatory economics. Regular listeners to RevolutionZ [...]]]> https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/participatory-differences/feed/ 0 https://znetwork.org/zvideo/a-socialist-economy-without-numbers/ https://znetwork.org/zvideo/a-socialist-economy-without-numbers/#respond Wed, 05 Apr 2023 16:00:00 +0000 https://znetwork.org/?post_type=video&p=1242877 Can a post-Capitalist socialist Economy exist without numbers? There are those who think it can. In this episode Mitchell, Robin and Antti are joined by accountant Anders Sandström (Author of Anarchist accounting) to discuss the topic of numbers in a socialist economy.  Do we need numbers to measure the true social costs and opportunity costs [...]]]> https://znetwork.org/zvideo/a-socialist-economy-without-numbers/feed/ 0 https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/housing-in-a-participatory-economy/ https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/housing-in-a-participatory-economy/#respond Tue, 28 Mar 2023 16:30:00 +0000 Housing is a very special type of good. It is essential for society since everybody needs a place to live and it consists of buildings that will stand for a very long time, often hundreds of years. This means that from the perspective of society, housing is an important long-term asset that will affect and define [...]]]> https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/housing-in-a-participatory-economy/feed/ 0 https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/bringing-together-economic-visions/ https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/bringing-together-economic-visions/#respond Tue, 14 Feb 2023 17:31:00 +0000 https://znetwork.org/?post_type=znetarticle&p=1239398 We can all list many perspectives that propose different post capitalist economic aims. Must we see each perspective as a contender against the rest? What if they have compatible aims? Could we try to combine their primary virtues into a new encompassing perspective? Would an encompassing perspective be able to fulfill all our main desires? [...]]]> https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/bringing-together-economic-visions/feed/ 0 https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/coordinatorism-vs-managerialism/ https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/coordinatorism-vs-managerialism/#comments Sat, 11 Feb 2023 14:48:29 +0000 https://znetwork.org/?post_type=znetarticle&p=1239196 Introduction  This paper begins with a brief presentation of participatory economics. The presentation focuses on the class aspect of the model. It outlines the thinking behind Albert and Hahnel’s three class analysis. It takes a critical look at their thinking behind the corporate division of labour and the coordinator class. It suggests alternative ways of [...]]]> https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/coordinatorism-vs-managerialism/feed/ 8 https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/a-radical-president-pandemonium/ https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/a-radical-president-pandemonium/#comments Tue, 07 Feb 2023 18:02:30 +0000 Consider the potential of certain progressives winning high office in the U.S. Beyond their being much better than who they defeat, would they turn out to be allies of corporate continuity? Would they turn out to be agents of change? We know the government is structured to serve power and wealth. We know the deck [...]]]> https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/a-radical-president-pandemonium/feed/ 1 https://znetwork.org/zvideo/the-economic-choice-beyond-capitalism-and-communism/ https://znetwork.org/zvideo/the-economic-choice-beyond-capitalism-and-communism/#respond Wed, 01 Feb 2023 15:51:33 +0000 https://znetwork.org/?post_type=video&p=1238465 Originally published on 19 Jan 2013. Robin Hahnel is interviewed by PopulistDialogues. He talks about his new book, Of the People, By the People, The Case for a Participatory Economy. Excerpt: ‘Political economist Robin Hahnel returns as the guest this week talking about his new book, Of the People, By the People, The Case for [...]]]> https://znetwork.org/zvideo/the-economic-choice-beyond-capitalism-and-communism/feed/ 0 https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/thats-another-fine-mess-you-got-us-into-we-cannot-leave-energy-to-the-mercy-of-the-market/ https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/thats-another-fine-mess-you-got-us-into-we-cannot-leave-energy-to-the-mercy-of-the-market/#respond Tue, 27 Dec 2022 17:01:00 +0000 https://znetwork.org/?post_type=znetarticle&p=1235567 Without a hairs’ breadth in between, the world lurched from a global pandemic into a cost of living crisis and the worst energy crisis since the 1970s. But let us be precise. We are not in an energy crisis or indeed a cost of living crisis. We are in yet another crisis in capitalism. For [...]]]> https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/thats-another-fine-mess-you-got-us-into-we-cannot-leave-energy-to-the-mercy-of-the-market/feed/ 0 https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/a-post-capitalism-worth-winning/ https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/a-post-capitalism-worth-winning/#respond Tue, 27 Dec 2022 17:00:00 +0000 https://znetwork.org/?post_type=znetarticle&p=1235571 Michael Albert is interviewed by Matic Primc (first posted by Dialogi) As crises around the world threaten ultimate calamity, what can we do? Where can we hope to arrive? Is there a post capitalism that holds immense promise, or does any such venture promise only a belated return to from where it arose?  The world seems to [...]]]> https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/a-post-capitalism-worth-winning/feed/ 0 https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/pareconish-intellectual-agendas/ https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/pareconish-intellectual-agendas/#respond Sat, 17 Dec 2022 13:40:24 +0000 https://znetwork.org/?post_type=znetarticle&p=1234766 The underlying theme of this essay is that new ideas have intellectual value largely in proportion to their impact on further new ideas. Does a new idea open new doors that matter, or does it lead nowhere that matters? Does a new idea propel additional insights? Or does a new idea flash and shine a [...]]]> https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/pareconish-intellectual-agendas/feed/ 0 https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/economic-vision-for-everyone/ https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/economic-vision-for-everyone/#comments Mon, 12 Dec 2022 16:00:00 +0000 https://znetwork.org/?post_type=znetarticle&p=1234311 An economy is a system of production and consumption activities connected via allocation mechanisms. Simply, it is how people produce items and services that other people later consume. Economies are also inextricably entwined with the wider spheres of life bearing on political, communal, kinship, and ecological relations. For those who dislike or even detest capitalism [...]]]> https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/economic-vision-for-everyone/feed/ 1 https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/pmc-or-coordinator-class-between-labor-and-capital/ https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/pmc-or-coordinator-class-between-labor-and-capital/#respond Fri, 09 Dec 2022 15:30:00 +0000 https://znetwork.org/?post_type=znetarticle&p=1234118 I remember an interview I once did, back about five years, for a British outlet and its first, opening question, went like this: “Since Occupy, said the interviewer, it has become fashionable for progressives to talk about the 1% vs the 99%. This two class analysis, however, has a much longer history. For example, Marxists [...]]]> https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/pmc-or-coordinator-class-between-labor-and-capital/feed/ 0 https://znetwork.org/zvideo/a-participatory-economy/ https://znetwork.org/zvideo/a-participatory-economy/#respond Tue, 29 Nov 2022 15:11:07 +0000 https://znetwork.org/?post_type=video&p=1233248 A Participatory Economy is written for people who desire an equitable, ecological economy, but want to know what an alternative to capitalism could look like. It presents a fascinating, new alternative to capitalism. It proposes and defends concrete answers to how all society’s economic decisions can be made without resort to unaccountable and inhumane markets [...]]]> https://znetwork.org/zvideo/a-participatory-economy/feed/ 0 https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/when-markets-cease-to-control-human-economic-life/ https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/when-markets-cease-to-control-human-economic-life/#respond Thu, 27 Oct 2022 14:24:00 +0000 https://znetwork.org/?post_type=znetarticle&p=1223655 Our most important contribution is to have demonstrated concretely how to reconcile democratic planning with worker and consumer autonomy. We believe this was the Achilles’ heel of socialism during the twentieth century, which must be resolved if there is to be a future for socialism in the twenty-first century. — Robin Hahnel speaking to the [...]]]> https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/when-markets-cease-to-control-human-economic-life/feed/ 0 https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/briefly-summarizing-post-capitalist-vision/ https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/briefly-summarizing-post-capitalist-vision/#respond Sun, 23 Oct 2022 13:55:08 +0000 https://znetwork.org/?post_type=znetarticle&p=1223402 For growing numbers of people who already reject capitalist economics for themselves and for others, the question arises, okay, what next? The essence of participatory economics, one proposed answer to that question, is five features we consider essential to attain a classless, self-managed, equitable, diverse, solidaritous, sustainable, and even aesthetic economy. a productive commons of [...]]]> https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/briefly-summarizing-post-capitalist-vision/feed/ 0 https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/from-russia-with-vision-my-journey-to-parecon/ https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/from-russia-with-vision-my-journey-to-parecon/#respond Sat, 10 Sep 2022 10:30:58 +0000 https://znetwork.org/?post_type=znetarticle&p=1219457 My luck would have me born in Russia in what they call ‘roaring 90s’ (a period of time defined by high criminality and capital accumulation and, consequently, criminal dispossession) in quite poor circumstances, yet to people who did their best to shield me from the worst effects of poverty. My parents managed to fuel my [...]]]> https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/from-russia-with-vision-my-journey-to-parecon/feed/ 0 https://znetwork.org/zvideo/no-bosses-by-michael-albert-radical-reviewer/ https://znetwork.org/zvideo/no-bosses-by-michael-albert-radical-reviewer/#respond Mon, 22 Aug 2022 15:42:51 +0000 https://znetwork.org/?post_type=video&p=1200408 Chapters: Intro – 0:00 Ch 1 Values for a Better World – 1:58 Ch 2 Who Owns What? – 8:40 Ch 3 Who Decides What? – 10:06 Ch 4 Who Does What? – 11:52 Ch 5 Who Earns What? – 15:36 Ch 6 Who Likes Markets and Central Planning? – 18:50 Ch 7 Who Allocates [...]]]> https://znetwork.org/zvideo/no-bosses-by-michael-albert-radical-reviewer/feed/ 0 https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/no-bosses-a-new-economy-for-a-better-world-2/ https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/no-bosses-a-new-economy-for-a-better-world-2/#respond Thu, 11 Aug 2022 13:53:00 +0000 https://znetwork.org/?post_type=znetarticle&p=1198825 Long-time activist and author Michael Albert outlines his vision for a post-capitalist and classless economic system, known as participatory economics and based on his most recent book, No Bosses (Zer0 Books, 2021). In this first part, Paul Jay and Michael Albert talk about the importance of economic vision and the rationale behind re-organizing the workplace [...]]]> https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/no-bosses-a-new-economy-for-a-better-world-2/feed/ 0