Successful communist village in Spain

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In Spain, the citizens of an impoverished village called Marinaleda which suffered mass unemployment and poverty decided they had enough and started running the village under a communist model. It seems to be enjoying modest success.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/o ... age-utopia

This sort of thing was tried in the US during the Gilded Age, only to have the robber barons shut them down. Even as progressives gained power in the US after 1900, communes were violently shut down. In the 1970s communes sprang back up, and were allowed to exist; however, most failed by 1980. Also, FDR encouraged socialist communes during the First Great Depression, and almost all flopped. The real test will be in two, five, ten years. By five years, all of FDR's communes had failed.

Edit: I didn't realize that they've been doing this for 30 years. Socialism in the US and Europe has come to mean handing people money and food in lieu of handing them work. The former creates a toxic dependency that destroys souls. The latter eventually produces a better society. Even FDR, who was a fan of Stalin, realized the value of work. He created jobs, while ever since the 1960s America has seen fit to gut education and give people money.

Black Bear could be the oldest commune in the us, and it's very active right now apparently. These do last and thrive if people involved really want it to, and if the state leaves it alone. 1968? Thats got to be 45 years.

http://blackbearranch.org/

Communism/Socialism has had mixed success. There was the Paris Commune, which had modest success, but was disbanded, the Kibbutz, which was state supported, but had and interesting model, the Jamestown experiment that failed horribly, and there wa sthe famous case of the Spanish socialist during the Spanish Civil War. But the key to these was autonomy. I am all in favor of any system, as long as it is voluntary. That is a good point about industry and work, and that is what can make or break a commune.

the Spanish would also cite Anarcho-Syndicalist Catalonia among that list.

If this works out, it will be because it's not compulsory.

More info about the village.

I'm seriously considering moving there. 15 euros a month rent? With prices like that you can't afford to remain under capitalism.



ABOUT THE PROJECT

Since 1978, in the village of Marinaleda, Andalusia (Spain), everyone earns the same salary - € 1,128 per month - whether they work in the field, factory or office. All of the services and accommodations are free, or almost free - what a good life. In fact, rent is €15 per month for a 90 square meter house. The right to housing is guaranteed: the municipality provides land and the person who wishes to move in receives help to build their her own home.
Access to health, education and cultural activities is free or almost free, as well as daycare services... Marinaleda has one of the lowest taxes in Andalusia.


In what ways is this project unique and creative?

The system is simple: residents have created a cooperative that does not redistribute profits. The worker wages (of all workers, regardless of their position) are 47 euros per day, six days a week, for six and a half hours a day - that translates to 1128 euros per month. But those workers don't have any expenses, because those who register for town housing pay 15 euros per month for their home.

The houses are built on municipal land. Those who are committed to building their own home are assisted by a building site manager and an architect - both paid by the municipality. An agreement with the regional government of Andalusia ensures that materials are provided. In two or three years the work is completed, the house belongs to the person who built it, and they only have to pay 15 euros per month.
What is the social value of this project?

There is no vandalism - because everything was built by the villagers. If a young person or their father or a friend has installed a bench, there is no reason to damage it or spray it with graffiti. The fact that the budgets are approved by all members of the community - also contributes to deterring crime.

What is the potential of this project to expand and develop?

The approach developed by the city can be successfully implemented on a large scale. The mayor, Juan Manuel Sanchez Gordillo, explains "People are surprised when they see that here there is almost no unemployment and everyone has their own home.'' This is what's considered normal. What people do elsewhere, just doesn't make sense. And don't let anyone tell you that our experience can't be used: any city can do the same, but only if they want to.


http://imaginationforpeople.org/en/proj ... ndalousie/

http://www.marinaleda.com/inicio.htm

This could be a spark of Murray Bookchin's Libertarian municipalism. But I don't know how involved the people there are in the decision making process.

Maybe the government of North Korea should take a look and learn something.

ruveyn

Found this very interesting comment about Marinaleda here (http://forum.nationstates.net/viewtopic ... 3&start=25):

Disobeying the orders of a land lord isn't the same thing as throwing someone into a gulag. Private property is a state law which are not voluntary, and is backed by the use of force. Call squatters "thieves" all you want, but please don't compare them to Stalin. Throwing someone in jail for squatting is more similar to totalitarianism. Russia was pretty much Stalins own private property when you really think about it. So it's not hard to call the soviet union a type of state capitalism.

Because often, those engineers *are* the capitalists? The chip company that made the chips that power your computer? It will have been founded by engineers. The designers of the software that you're using? Engineers, and, unless you're running open-source, capitalists. The company that built the chip foundry? Founded and run by capitalists. The company that mined the silicon needed for your computer? Again, capitalists...

As far as the land question goes, if the landlords ownership was from a state grant, it's not the landlords to dispose of anyway, because their ownership is illegitimate... besides, I tend towards usufruct in unimproved land.