15. Participatory Economic Program 

…would you tell me please
which way we should go from here? [Alice]
That depends a good deal
on where you want to get to. [The Cat]
-Lewis Carroll 

It is necessary with bold spirit and in good conscience
to save civilization.... We must halt the dissolution
that corrupts the roots of human society. The bare and barren tree can be made green again. Are we not ready?
-Antonio Gramsci 


Participatory economics is a set of institutions for accomplishing production, consumption, and allocation while meeting people’s needs and furthering their development; a set of institutions designed to propel equity, solidarity, diversity, and self-management; a set of institutions centered upon democratic councils, remuneration according to effort and sacrifice, balanced job complexes, and participatory planning; a set of institutions that answers the question: if not capitalism, what do you want? 

Participatory economic program is a set of demands meant to win improvements in people’s lives in the short run while laying the basis for more gains and eventually winning a participatory economy in the long run. It includes demands for… 

148    THINKING FORWARD 


All the above has been discussed in the foregoing chapters and now one final step concludes the argument. 

Suppose we adopt a participatory program encompassing all the above. What do we then highlight as our central demand? What feature becomes the lynchpin of our efforts, the element that produces public visibility and widespread support? What is our version of “abolish slavery,” “get the vote,” “end the war,” “free my people”? What current demand within the broad program can best: 

    THINKING FORWARD    149 

Parecon Program 

The reasonable man adapts himself to the world;
the unreasonable man persists in trying
to adapt the world to himself. Therefore,
all progress depends on the unreasonable man.
- George Bernard  Shaw 

    Iam going to hazard a guess about which demand might best encapsulate these goals…very loosely and broadly, and pending more evidence.