Kevin CarsonMay 10

How Socialism in the 21st Century Could Work

https://jacobin.com/2026/05/market-socialism-capitalism-ownership-exploitation

How Socialism in the 21st Century Could Work

A socialism with a role for markets but not capitalists can deliver human flourishing without the pitfalls of fully planned economies.

Show threadJacqueline

@KevinCarson1

"Socialism with markets" is like "democracy without voting"

I.e. it cannot exist

May 10 at 9:12pmWeb
Show threadhatzkaMay 10
@burnoutqueen @KevinCarson1 Do you have a more specific rebuttal than "nuh uh"?
Show threadJacquelineMay 10

@hatzka @KevinCarson1

Markets, by their very definition, require the private ownership of land and capital in order to function

Show threadhatzkaMay 10
@burnoutqueen @KevinCarson1 That definition being what, exactly? I can't imagine how land in particular factors in unless you think we're talking about literal physical places people go to do business.
Show threadKevin CarsonMay 10
@hatzka @burnoutqueen Markets could exist in a society where not a single square foot of land was a marketable commodity, and not a single enterprise was absentee-owned by capitalists. The only defining feature of markets as such is exchange of producer and consumer goods.
Show threadKevin CarsonMay 10
@burnoutqueen @hatzka No, they do not. Markets existed in periods where most land ownership was commons-based, and fee-simple land title did not exist. And they're fully compatible with an economy in which all enterprises are either worker-owned and -managed, or (in the case of utilities) stakeholder cooperatives.
Show threadDregling of the Great SwampMay 10
@burnoutqueen @hatzka @KevinCarson1 Market socialism is kinda doomed, but not for this reason afaik. Markets where land is collectively managed and capital is worker controlled via coops is possible iiuc. The issue is that even in a world wide system where the entire economy is worker coops, the logic of markets will still alienate workers and does not address commodification. Such a system would be incredibly better than a system of global capitalism though! whether it is worth the effort...
Show threadKevin CarsonMay 10
@dregorfly @burnoutqueen @hatzka Marx himself distinguished markets from capitalism, pointing out that simple commodity exchange predated capitalism. "Capital," by definition, is means of production divorced from labor. The creation of capitalism required "freeing" workers from their rights in the means of production. Clearly, markets can exist without absentee capital owners who put propertyless workers to work.