Comments on: Co-operatise the state?

By: David

David — Thu, 07 Jun 2012 13:32:01 +0000

Dear John,
I read you post with interest. Your observations are true in England too. Co-operatives are not seen as socialist idea in most situations. In fact, I notice that in many instances, co-operatives are seen as a sort of ‘little Englander’ ‘Shier Tory’ idea! This is of course a gross misrepresentation of the roots of the coop movement. I take your point that it might be best for the furthering of the course of cooperative movements, that socialism not be mentioned in connection with them. However, I think this conception needs to be challenged. It seems to me that linking cooperatives to a social society would be a great step forward for the left in Britain as in Canada. This should be handled carefully but pushed for none the less.

By: Nick Matthews

Nick Matthews — Wed, 23 May 2012 12:37:16 +0000

Dear Hilary, as Chair of the UK Society of Co-operative Studies and a Director of a Retail co-operative Society and on the Board of a Housing Co-op and on the board of Co-operatives UK I am very pleased with you discovery of the radical potential of co-operatives. This will however require a regular co-op input into Red Pepper.(I am a long term subscriber going back to the socialist paper) So if you need help in covering the sector and how co-ops can play a bigger role in our economy and society I am more than happy to help. The fact is co-ops went through a near death experience in the 1980′s and are only now just getting their confidence back. So we need more coverage of the sector to help in that confidence building process!

By: John

John — Thu, 17 May 2012 19:52:17 +0000

I don’t know about the UK but here in English-speaking Canada nothing gets the backs up of many co-op members like talk of “socialism”. The reason? Co-op have long since ceased to present themselves as an an alternative to capitalism. The co-op sector was long ago co-opted in the Western world and in return for becoming mainstream and giving up on providing an real social and economic alterantive to capitalism – the “movement” was rewarded with better legislation, rules and regulations. Many members themselves are comfortable with the quiet role co-ops play in liberal-democractic capitalism and have no ambition to offer change to the rest of society. This could all change of course in the coming years as capitalism stumbles from pilar to post but one thing I’ve learned from many years of co-op activism (and out of respect for democracy) is to not mention “socialism” in polite company. Even if it is what one really believes in…