Peut-il y avoir un socialisme après le communisme ?

Résumé Fr En

Socialism is based on equality, not public ownership. In the present period, in order to be efficient, it must rely to a considerable extent on the market. The main reason for the failure of communism was the incapacity to solve the problem of incentives. From these three premisses, we can sketch a model of market socialism. Only the structure and level of investment need be decided on by planning - the plan operates through various forms of incentive, such as differential interest rates. A market for shares is preserved in order to compel managers to manage efficiently - but is is a market of « bonds », shared between al1 adult citizens, which may be bartered for other bonds, but not for money. The bond system, by spreading ownership, reduces the level of public nuisances like pollution. Such a model gets rid of poverty and increases political democracy ; it might be tried out in Eastem Europe.

Socialism is based on equality, not public ownership. In the present period, in order to be efficient, it must rely to a considerable extent on the market. The main reason for the failure of communism was the incapacity to solve the problem of incentives. From these three premisses, we can sketch a model of market socialism. Only the structure and level of investment need be decided on by planning - the plan operates through various forms of incentive, such as differential interest rates. A market for shares is preserved in order to compel managers to manage efficiently - but is is a market of « bonds », shared between all adult citizens, which may be bartered for other bonds, but not for money. The bond system, by spreading ownership, reduces the level of public nuisances like pollution. Such a model gets rid of poverty and increases political democracy ; it might be tried out in Eastem Europe.