To Cooperatize means to
KILL Corporations
and, more importantly, to
BIRTH Cooperatives.
On [HOME game's] companion website [Lets Cooperatize.info]
I describe in detail how we can
KILL Corporations and BIRTH Cooperatives.
But for now, here on this website, I'll explain why Cooperatives are so awesome!
P.S. Some of the information from [Lets Cooperatize.info] is repeated here
in case you didn't get a chance to visit that website first.
I describe in detail how we can
KILL Corporations and BIRTH Cooperatives.
But for now, here on this website, I'll explain why Cooperatives are so awesome!
P.S. Some of the information from [Lets Cooperatize.info] is repeated here
in case you didn't get a chance to visit that website first.
These 2 short videos feature economics professor Dr. Richard Wolff
describing the benefits of converting our current corporate-based economic system
to a cooperative-based one.
describing the benefits of converting our current corporate-based economic system
to a cooperative-based one.
And here's an analogy to illustrate why
Cooperatizing
will be so beneficial.
Imagine a small, empty room.
A bowl of candy is placed in the center the room.
Each bowl contains 100 pieces of candy.
Ten children are placed in the room and told to stand in a circle facing the bowl of candy.
They're told they're going to play a game. The one-and-only rule of this game is that
only one child can have the candy --- winner takes all.
Naturally the children 'get greedy' and fight amongst themselves in order to be that one child
who gets all the candy.
Then the children are told they're going to play a different game. This time the rule of the game is that they can have the candy
only if they share it equally ... each of them getting 10 pieces. Naturally the children negotiate amongst themselves insuring that
each of them gets their equal share. If one of them tries to take more than their fair share, the others will 'regulate' them.
The same children are involved but different behavior is engendered because of the different 'rules-of-the-game'.
Our current corporatized system, with its corporations must make a profit rule, engenders the competitive, detrimental behavior that's causing most of humanity's biggest, serious problems today.
Much is made of humanity's tool making/using capabilities, but little attention is given to their rule making/following instincts.
The point of this analogy is to show that people will obey the rules of the 'game' --- they will behave as the system dictates.
People aren't inherently, genetically, unmanageably greedy. In fact, we're inherently cooperative. Most of us are really
goodhearted and want to do good. We simply want live freely to be ourselves and enjoy this life we've been given on this
beautiful planet we all call HOME.
They're told they're going to play a game. The one-and-only rule of this game is that
only one child can have the candy --- winner takes all.
Naturally the children 'get greedy' and fight amongst themselves in order to be that one child
who gets all the candy.
Then the children are told they're going to play a different game. This time the rule of the game is that they can have the candy
only if they share it equally ... each of them getting 10 pieces. Naturally the children negotiate amongst themselves insuring that
each of them gets their equal share. If one of them tries to take more than their fair share, the others will 'regulate' them.
The same children are involved but different behavior is engendered because of the different 'rules-of-the-game'.
Our current corporatized system, with its corporations must make a profit rule, engenders the competitive, detrimental behavior that's causing most of humanity's biggest, serious problems today.
Much is made of humanity's tool making/using capabilities, but little attention is given to their rule making/following instincts.
The point of this analogy is to show that people will obey the rules of the 'game' --- they will behave as the system dictates.
People aren't inherently, genetically, unmanageably greedy. In fact, we're inherently cooperative. Most of us are really
goodhearted and want to do good. We simply want live freely to be ourselves and enjoy this life we've been given on this
beautiful planet we all call HOME.
So let's change the rules of the system to ones that will engender
cooperative behavior rather than cutthroat behavior.
Let's Cooperatize!
cooperative behavior rather than cutthroat behavior.
Let's Cooperatize!
Even though Cooperatives have been around for about 175 years, most people are unfamiliar with them.
There are many worldwide, operating in all areas of business (banking, insurance, energy, food, manufacturing, healthcare,
housing, sports, education, etc).
There are many worldwide, operating in all areas of business (banking, insurance, energy, food, manufacturing, healthcare,
housing, sports, education, etc).
'Shift Change' is an excellent documentary to watch to
familiarize yourself with cooperatives.
Here's its trailer.
familiarize yourself with cooperatives.
Here's its trailer.
Corporations have only one corrupting mandate, to make a profit,
whereas cooperatives have 7 harmony-producing, guiding principles.
These principles are:
1. Voluntary and open membership
2. Democratic member control
3. Members' economic participation
4. Autonomy and independence
5. Education, training, and information
6. Cooperation among cooperatives
7. Concern for community
whereas cooperatives have 7 harmony-producing, guiding principles.
These principles are:
1. Voluntary and open membership
2. Democratic member control
3. Members' economic participation
4. Autonomy and independence
5. Education, training, and information
6. Cooperation among cooperatives
7. Concern for community
These 7 principles are illustrated and explained beautifully here
in these posters created by Cooperation Texas.
(Be sure to scroll through all 7 of them.)
And here's a list delineating
some differences between
COOPERATIVES and
CORPORATIONS.
COOPERATIVES = jointly owned and democratically run by its members who all share in the benefits and profits.
CORPORATIONS = owned by shareholders who are the only ones who share in the profits.
COOPERATIVES = like owning your own home ... you have pride of ownership.
CORPORATIONS = like renting ... you have no personal stake in your work.
COOPERATIVES = mandated to 'make a living' for its many member/owners.
CORPORATIONS = mandated to 'make a killing' for a few shareholders.
COOPERATIVES = set up like a democracy, where the many member/owners have a voice in how the business is run.
CORPORATIONS = set up like a dictatorship, where a few owners at the top control (and often exploit) the many employees at the bottom.
CORPORATIONS = owned by shareholders who are the only ones who share in the profits.
COOPERATIVES = like owning your own home ... you have pride of ownership.
CORPORATIONS = like renting ... you have no personal stake in your work.
COOPERATIVES = mandated to 'make a living' for its many member/owners.
CORPORATIONS = mandated to 'make a killing' for a few shareholders.
COOPERATIVES = set up like a democracy, where the many member/owners have a voice in how the business is run.
CORPORATIONS = set up like a dictatorship, where a few owners at the top control (and often exploit) the many employees at the bottom.
- Wouldn't you really rather work for a cooperative in which you were part owner/partner, and had a say in how the business is run, instead of for some body-breaking, mind-numbing, heart-crushing, soul-sucking corporation?
- Wouldn't you really rather bank at a cooperative-bank in which you are a member, one that has you and your community's best interests at heart, rather than at some blood-sucking mega-corporate-bank whose only concern is its own bottom line?
- Wouldn't you really rather buy products produced by a cooperative where the employees are paid a decent wage and take pride in their product because they own the business, rather than from a corporation that treats its employees like slaves?
- Wouldn't you rather get healthcare from a doctor who isn't an employee of a corporation ... a corporation that has its bottom line as its main concern, not your health?
- Wouldn't you really rather buy food from a farmer who loves and cares for the land, someone who is part of a cooperative farming community, rather than from some corporatized-agribusiness-legal-entity that dumps poisons on the land and the food you eat, and tortures the sweet animals that give their lives to nourish you?
We can Cooperatize!
We can put the human heart-and-soul-and-mind back into our livelihoods.
We can choose Main Street over Wall Street.
In so doing, we will not only Occupy Wall Street, we will make it Obsolete.
(Don't worry Wall-Streeters, there'll be plenty of work for you to do in helping rebuild our Main-Streets,
the communities we all call HOME.)
Don't fight
Build a New Model