Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!watarts!cdanderson From: cdanderson@watarts.UUCP Newsgroups: net.politics Subject: Re: Property (or Class Struggle? What Class Struggle?) Message-ID: <2126@watarts.UUCP> Date: Mon, 12-Mar-84 01:15:56 EST Article-I.D.: watarts.2126 Posted: Mon Mar 12 01:15:56 1984 Date-Received: Tue, 13-Mar-84 01:00:25 EST References: <312@tty3b.UUCP> dciem.758 Lines: 27 Before it becomes accepted as fact on the net, as it has in much of today's corporate world, Japan should neither be held up as a model of labour/management cooperation, nor as a formula for economic success for the U.S. Regarding the relationship between worker and management, Japan can only have this apparent unity because of the very great standing army of labour (i.e. unemployed waiting to get a better job) existing in the country and their history as a feudal society. Only when there are no differences in the rewards to those who manage and those who produce, or these are kept at a minimum, and where all own the means of production will a truly "just" society exist. For an example of what I mean, see the movie "The Mondragon Experiment", about how 91 worker- owned and controlled cooperatives have been established in the Basque region of Spain. While some problems still exist, it is far better, and has been economically superior, than other "capitalist" companies in Spain. I know I should be posting the references, but perhaps this will do for now (?). The reason that Japan has succeeded so well since WW 11 is that it was aided by the USA through vast sums of money and technological assistance (recently, some of it through theft) and the country has extensive import restrictions protecting it from competition. Beware of the co-opt in cooperation, Cameron Anderson watmath!watarts!cdanderson