Richard Wolff On The Mondragon Cooperatives. .........................................................................................
***Could the Mondragon system work in the US?
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“The Mondragon cooperatives talk about social transformation, a more far-reaching, future-oriented goal that seeks the creation of social and economic systems that reinforce the best in human nature. At the heart of this transformation is the desire to emphasize cooperation as opposed to competition as the most likely path toward creating a future that maximizes the well-being of all.” -- Jill Bamburg, Co-Founder of the Bainbridge Graduate Institute ........................................................................................
The Mondragon Corporation is a corporation and federation of worker cooperatives based in the Basque region of Spain. It was founded in the town of Mondragón in 1956 by graduates of a local technical college. -- Workplace Democracy. Mondragon is the biggest cooperative venture in the world. Wolff's fascinating explanation of the Mondragon system is well worth the time to listen. ........................................................................................
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**Question:What are some of the cooperatives in America that you know?**
1
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Feel free to reply to any comment by clicking the "Reply" button.I've always been fascinated by cooperative enterprises. I particularly admire people like the ones in your clip who began their enterprise in 1956, at the height of Francoist repression. The Basques were already in Franco's bad books because of the stance they had taken (most of them) during the Civil War and their separatist position which meant that any Spanish government was likely to view them with at least suspicion and more likely with outright hostility. They have built on the idealist tradition of labour movements from the late 19th century onwards, a tradition that I admire with few reservations. What distinguishes it from the more extreme "working class" movements is that it gives more emphasis to actually achieving things and less to intellectual posing. Thank you for posting this.
Senex
Level 5
Sep 17, 2019
1
You're quite welcome.
I wonder if cooperation is even possible in our country. Corporations are so ingrained in the greed process. I certainly would love to see changes.
AmelieMatisse
Level 8
Sep 13, 2019
1
There is a more humanistic and successful way to do business than capitalism. I feel that many Americans with some means are totally fed up with capitalism's unfairness. There is a non-biased, wonderful article about Mondragon, a cooperative which understands the difficulties it has overcome, but still has some to overcome in regard to uniting with potential cooperative partners from other countries and from America, partners who may not be ready for membership, as they still have difficulty grasping a new mindset and model of fairness. "As Ed Whitfield, Co-Managing Director of the Fund for Democratic Communities recently put it, “ There are three kinds of power. Power than can crush us and we can and must resist it. That’s oppression. Power can assist us and we must guide it. That’s advocacy. But then we can also be power ourselves. This means organizing and building institutions together for what we need.” " [medium.com]
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