The Basque Country’s Mondragón Corporation is the largest industrial co-op

Post by tossandthrow » Thu, Apr 25, 2024, 11:26 AM UTC

dexterdog wrote: post #99

tossandthrow wrote: post #63

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If we factor in not just C-suite but the entire middle to top management, then I definitely think there is something to come for. Though, in the end, the US is extremely adversarial. So these people standing to loose out on the competition would do anything to stifle such innovations.

So in this utopia does the organization run with no management at all or does management all work for $0?

Post by dredmorbius » Thu, Apr 25, 2024, 12:28 PM UTC

robocat wrote: post #250

dredmorbius wrote: post #145

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Quite, and encouraged by the USDA, see e.g., https://www.usda.gov/topics/rural/co-ops-key-part-fabric-rur... >. Producer co-ops generally are at least somewhat prevalent. Two notable former examples are Visa and Mastercard (they've since reverted to publicly-traded corporations, in the aughts). Both were originally formed as co-operative ventures among member banks, effectively a producer co-op. I've looked into work…

> Bob's Red Mill I think Bob basically gifted the company to the employees (they bought in over 10 years, but at a valuation far lower than Bob could have got selling the company to an acquirer). Some discussion on the employee ownership here: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=39374158

Post by [deleted] » Thu, Apr 25, 2024, 2:09 PM UTC

rybosworld wrote: post #290

greenie_beans wrote: post #255

Earlier quoted context omitted.

i'm not responding to those comments because you clearly aren't informed about the definition of socialism, particularly the nuances and the debates that leftists have about this definition all of the time. nor do you understand what a cooperative is. it's not worth my time to go tit for tat in a debate if we're not operating on the same knowledge, and you're not willing to learn. you are just somebody who argues on…

You don't understand what socialism and coops are, nor do you understand the nuances and debates that leftists have. See how easy it is to make assertions? > you are just somebody who argues on the internet Says, the guy arguing on the internet lol. > a natural contrarian who thinks they are right about everything, while being totally wrong Says the natural contrarian who thinks they are right about everything, while…

Post by greenie_beans » Thu, Apr 25, 2024, 2:12 PM UTC

rybosworld wrote: post #290

greenie_beans wrote: post #255

Earlier quoted context omitted.

i'm not responding to those comments because you clearly aren't informed about the definition of socialism, particularly the nuances and the debates that leftists have about this definition all of the time. nor do you understand what a cooperative is. it's not worth my time to go tit for tat in a debate if we're not operating on the same knowledge, and you're not willing to learn. you are just somebody who argues on…

You don't understand what socialism and coops are, nor do you understand the nuances and debates that leftists have. See how easy it is to make assertions? > you are just somebody who argues on the internet Says, the guy arguing on the internet lol. > a natural contrarian who thinks they are right about everything, while being totally wrong Says the natural contrarian who thinks they are right about everything, while…

Post by fransje26 » Thu, Apr 25, 2024, 2:40 PM UTC

jampekka wrote: post #237

jltsiren wrote: post #233

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I guess it's because American culture is more focused on property and ownership. The co-op movement arose as a reaction to industrialization and capitalism, which threatened many workers. You could understand it as capitalism based on membership rather than ownership, or as a third way that's neither capitalism nor socialism. But just like socialism never really took root in the US, other alternatives to capitalism d…

Worker co-ops are quite concretely socialist in the sense that the workers control their means of production. Of course when embedded in largely capitalist economy, e.g. banks do still have often de-facto control over them.