Wojtek, if I read you right, you're saying that being in the same geographical area, especially in face-to-face contact, breeds solidarity. Maybe, but that predicts that the plant manager will have more in common with the plant's rank and file than with the folks at corporate HQ. That doesn't fit with the facts that I've seen. The pre-Mao Chinese empire had a solution to the tendency for emissaries of the central power to identify with localist goals. They rotated them between areas and made sure that no-body ever was in charge of a province that he was from. (Never a she, strangely.) BTW, when I was talking about a second line of communication between GOSPLAN and the factory, I was talking about informal, often illegal, relationships. Similar relationships existed between plant managers. Max, Bill is right that you seem to be rejecting democracy (at least today). However, you don't seem to be a totalitarian or even an apologist for management. I do agree with Bill that democracy is an end in itself, rather than being a means to an end. Democratic sovereignty seems the only legitimate political principle. Also, Max, it sure seems that your vison predicts that the Economic Policy Institute would be a collectively self-aggrandizing organization that would always be opportunistically taking advantage of others (and the natural environment) in order to build the careers of its leaders and (to a lesser extent) its members. It predicts that it would be willing to do research for the Moonie-run WASHINGTON TIMES -- for a price. (Wojtek's theory also suggests similar.) I'll let you decide whether the prediction fits the facts or not. -- Jim
