Socialist futures

I want to make a minor observation about an essay Norman Geras links to on socialist alternatives to capitalism, but I'm probably going to take a lot of words to say it, so bear with me.

First, a preamble: I am not now nor have I ever been a socialist. I broadly accept much of the socialist critique of capitalism, but I have always rejected statism and have largely disavowed political action, believing that social transformation is only possible through direct action in the social and economic spheres.

To me, most socialist alternatives to capitalism look like utopian fatasies, either that or they depend on the myth of a benevolent dictatorship. Nevertheless, I am always interested to hear what socialists have to say about how radical social change might be achieved.

Thus, it was with some interest that I turned to "Taking the Social in Socialism Seriously" by Erik Olin Wright, in which he talks of "socializing capitalism" through a number of initiatives designed to promote a more socialist society. They are not that exciting (nor are they particularly new): an unconditional basic income, John Roemer's common ownership coupons, and neighborhood assemblies with partial responsibility for municipal budgets.

In his post, Norm notes that Wright, in considering socialist alternatives, makes no apologies for communism as a (problematic) historical alternative to capitalism. That's hardly surprising, but what I find remarkable, particularly given Wright's fondness for associationalism, is that he makes no mention of syndicalism or indeed (dare I say it) anarcho-syndicalism.

Not that I think Wright should have looked at initiatives stemming from a syndicalist perspective, I'm just surprised they never got a mention.