Chapter 1

 Prolog

When the elite Dukes of Davos held their annual 2018 meeting to solve the World's problems, many turned out to be wicked predicaments, with no solutions. So in private they decided that there were too many people on the Earth and not enough resources to support them. This was highlighted in the book Limits to Growth in 1973. It was slammed by Elite influenced academics and sidelined at the time. So they decided when resource conflicts over water, oil, and farmland, or plagues, or starvation set in, they would just allow it to run its course. This would save a lot of money and combined with a slightly increased natural death rate and slightly lowered fertility rate should bring the global population down to 1 billion by 2100. The stench of 6 billion rotting corpes they could handle, and bought stock in Glade air freshener.

Thus it was not too surprising when several Tech billionaires decided they didn't want to live in an underground bunker in the coming hard times as many of their cohorts had decided to do. Citizens with torches and pitchforks could easily find the front door and the back door. Several of them had heard about the concept of seasteading. However, the initial idea was to be in a sheltered bay by a large city, easy to attack. So they set up a private foundation to develop ocean-going seasteads that would pay for themselves by hosting genetic research, cloning, transgenic body parts, young blood therapy, stem cell research, and other advanced medical procedures for anti-aging and longevity enhancement.

After the design was finalized in 2021, they set up production in several Chinese shipyards simultaneously. Three of them would build the main hulls and two others would build the cabin modules. (see sketches in appendix) Finished modules cost $800 million and 6 were required for a floating city one kilometer in diameter that would become a free-trade Zone much like Hong Kong had been.

Arkon One launched in 2023 and took up station in mid pacific, about 15 degrees north of the equator. It supported 15,000 residents and 5,000 guests. So our story begins ...

 FREE   on  the   SEA

  CH-1.01 Getting on Station

All six modules of ARKON-1 launched on New Year's Day to great fanfare. After 3 weeks of sea trials they hooked up with their AgroSembly barges and headed out for their rendezvous station (15 N, 175W), cruising at 7 kph, twice as fast as most ocean currents, February and March being the minimum storm period. When on station they will be carefully bolted and welded together into a large hexagonal floating island, 1000 m across, with protected slot anchorage for cargo and guest boats.

Just as they were finishing their second glass of red wine in their cabin, after dinner in the cafeteria, Logan and Tango were surprised by the blinking of their wall screen and their commo pods laying on the counter. 'Now all hands hear this. In celebration of our passing sea trials there will be a Beer and Pizza Party on the fantail this Saturday night. All hands not on watch or work welcome.' "Wow!" said Tango, "Captain Jensen gets high marks for social awareness." "It is certainly good for morale," said Logan, "Now how about some serious pounding?" "I'm up for that, and it looks like you are too," she giggled.

Their cabin, at 4 by 3 meters, was a little bit compact but they had been living in the same size room on shore at the training compound. Plus the soft requirement that applicants be 1.4 to 1.7 meters height made the 2 meter ceiling height tolerable. It came with a counter and a small sink with a 1.5 cubic foot refrigerator underneath and a hot pot on top. There were two shelves above the counter. On the opposite wall was a bed large enough for two friends with cabinets and drawers underneath. It was not luxurious but allowed them to save money for a baby in the next year. There was no one under the legal age of 16 in the initial crew. There was a park and sporting activities like a jogging track, tennis, indoor shooting range, and gyms to give them an outlet when they needed to unwind from the close space.

At work the next day Logan asked his buddy Jack, "What do you think about the fantail party Saturday night? Are you going?" They were both in the Lectra Powa guild and were stringing some cables for a new bioreactor project. The output of the three new bioreactors would be blended to produce snack bars that are nutritionally balanced and provide 500 calories each. "Yeah, Bonnie and I are going," replied Jack, "She was surprised Captain Jensen was relaxing a little bit. He was always such a stickler for rules and regulations. I told her it must have been his wife's idea. Bonnie is on the noon to 18.00 shift this month so we will probably drop by around 20.00. Why don't you look us up there?" "That sounds like a good idea," said Logan, "Tango and I have the same shift this month and get off at 12.00."

Work schedules on Arkon were arranged in 6 hour shifts from 6 to 12 day shift, noon to 6 afternoon shift, and six to midnight evening shift. There was a seldom scheduled graveyard shift from Midnight to 6 a.m. Sometimes they would change, say from days to evening, on a monthly basis depending on work requirements.

At the party Saturday night Bonnie said, "One of my friends in Lektra Sigs said the idea for the celebration came from  Commodore Kaiser's wife. His designated Flagship is Arkon-A which is leading the flotilla.... I'm glad we're in module D. It's never good to be too close to command central, heh."

"A lady I know working in Hospitality said one of her customers bought shares in a new LA- Dago real estate venture," said Tango, "She said it was going to be a floating crime-free island just off the coast. Open for business this December, called Babylon." "Well, the design is open source," said Logan, "I wonder if they will give us competition?" "I don't think so," said Jack, "it is a big ocean. I wonder if that is related to an email I got from a friend in Hong Kong. He said some Asian 'Garks and Geeks had a new real estate concept to sell shares in. A high-tech luxury condo Island 2000 km Southeast from Japan. It was to be called Shangri-La, ready for business in February next year."

After 65 days of uneventful cruising the Arkon flotilla arrived on station, about 2000 km southwest of Hawaii. This was not by accident because their route had been planned to take them north of the typical typhoon storm tracks. In 2020 the global temperature was about 14 deg C and now it was down to 13.5 due to the quiet sun. This made the equatorial-  polar temperature gradient much bigger creating more powerful storms.

 ARKON     CH-1.02        Setting Up

With calm weather forecast for the next week, the joining process began. Module A was designated North, B through F arranged clockwise from there. With teams working around the clock, they finished in five days. Of course they had a big Saturday night beer and pizza party to celebrate.

All the openings where the modules were joined were standard 3 by 10 meters. You could imagine them forming a Ring Road about the center of town. The first one on the second deck was about 75 meters from the center. The next connection on the third deck was about 150 meters from the center. The third connection was on the fourth deck about 100 meters from the center.

At the party Saturday night Jack was looking out over the fantail at the Agro- Sembly barge still lit up in the early evening and said, "I heard we got an assembly contract from Beretta to do three shifts work for a year assembling their new 9mm pistol." " I read on a news channel where we have a joint venture also," said Tango, "we're developing a new 7mm compact pistol." "I'm happy with my 5 watt laser pistol," said Logan, "very low recoil, heh." "I'm satisfied to carry my 30 cm wood blade for protection," said Bonnie, "what do you prefer for personal protection Tango?" "When we go out drinking or shopping, I like my little strap on wrist zapper," replied Tango, "How about you Jack?" "I have a low recoil 7 watt laser pistol," replied Jack.

"Now that we're joined together in one big happy City I hear the Council of Elders will hold their first formal meeting," said Logan, "they're going to choose their public spokesperson." "Why is that?" asked Bonnie, "couldn't the Admiral keep running things?" "It's kind of like the American Indian structure," said Jack,  "the Admiral is like the War- Chief and makes decisions about defense and maneuvering the vessel. the Council of Elders is like the Peace- Chief and proposes laws and decisions regarding civil activities. Having a spokesperson as interface to the public is always a good idea to act as a lightning rod for controversial decisions." "They only get paid for 3 hours a day," said Bonnie, "what do they actually do?" "I read where they wander around and keep an eye on things and listen for public comments and propose legislation for problems they see or anticipate," said Tango, "also don't forget all of our legislation gets voted on by ships company and has a sunset time of 1 to 5 years, depending on whether it passed with 55 to 95%." "I can't complain," said Logan, "we only have 15 laws right now. Remember, we are a minarky, minimum government. That is why we have lots of ad hoc volunteer committees that come and go with different projects. And if 1000 citizens sign a petition they can get a law proposed as a referendum."

The next Saturday night was also an all hands party. "So what are we celebrating tonight?," asked Tango. "Well, I understand it's two things this time," replied Jack, "number one, the ship fitters assembled the 600m raised landing strip for STOL aircraft, and number two, we deployed the solar powered desalination plants at every Agro- Sembly barge." "I read where those are unique," said Logan, "they employ an air pump to reduce the pressure over the water and double or triple the evaporation rate." "I rode in an STOL once," said Bonnie, "they are a little bit rough but they only need a clear patch of dirt, maybe 300M, to take off and land. Typically they can carry 6 passengers plus camping equipment and have a range of two or three thousand kilometers."

"During my free time this last week I've been exploring," said Tango, "One of the things I noticed was so many of the crew are light to dark tan and not very tall or bulky. A lot of the scientific staff seem to be at least two meters but they also have nice tans. The other thing I found out is the Tinker town next door is mostly for electronic projects whereas ours is mostly mechanical. I am guessing the third one is maybe a mix of electro-mechanical like robots maybe." "There are several advantages to having a small size crew," said Jack, "even on a spaceship. They can still get the job done and not eat as much, heh. Being stationed on the equator means the sun is really strong and a tan is going to give protection from skin cancer. There are even melanotan injections for normally white skinned people to give them 6 months protection at a time." "I'm glad to hear about the electronic tinkertown," said Bonnie, "I have a little project in mind." "What is that?" asked Jack. "None of your business until I have a prototype," said Bonnie.

ARKON CH-1.03 Routine & Rumor

With no free beer and pizza on this cold Saturday night in December, Logan and Tango wandered about the fantail food court and picked up some spicy Mexican food and joined their friends Jack and Bonnie at their table.

"Wow!" exclaimed Bonnie upon sighting Tango's maternity blouse, "Congratulations." "Well, I still have another 6 months." said Tango, "We filed an application with the Personnel Department 4 months ago and they checked our genetic records and said we should be okay. "Also we filed an application for the next vacant cabin one deck higher and 6 by 3 meters,"  said Logan, "since we're going to need more room for the baby crib." "Bonnie and I discussed babies last year," said Jack, "and we decided to adopt a three-year-old from the Arkon nursery."

"I saw on a news clip where the floating city of Babylon arrived on station early 4 weeks ago," said Logan, "and the video tour showed much higher superstructure than ours and the interior looked more like a cruise ship with a lot of casinos." "I saw that too," said Jack, "it looks like it's 1000 km southwest of Monterey Bay." "Well, we do have two malls and two casinos." said Tango, "That's not chopped liver!" "That news clip reminded me of something else," said Logan, "We don't get much news from the interior of America anymore, just the east and west coast occasionally." "You're right." said Jeff, "I was talking to some Honduran crew members who moved to Manila in 2021 and they said drug gang warlords from Mexico had already taken over southern New Mexico and Arizona."

"A friend of mine got an encrypted email from her brother in Vladivostok," said Tango, "He wrote that with all the Chinese shipyards busy the Russians are building a small Fleet of eight steel hull clipper ships to make a cargo loop from Vladivostok to Vancouver, San Fran, LA- Dago, and back to Manila, Japan, China, Korea, then up to Vostok. With eight ships, one should come into Port about every two weeks. He is going to join as a navigator." "Besides the profit potential," said Bonnie, "every Seaport will have some rumors and intelligence from the interior." "I'm sure the captains will talk to each other and after a few loops they will pick some local to be their agent in each Seaport," said Logan, "Maybe some bed and breakfast inn on a main road coming into the seaport from the interior." "I think they might even swing by here if we had one or two 20-foot containers of product," said Jack.

"Aha!" exclaimed Jack, "that might explain something we overheard at an informal reception to the new climatologist and his wife, a marine biologist. They said the Chinese government, which buys alot of our climate and ocean data, was sponsoring a new climate research vessel called the Arkon Star. It wouldn't be as long as some of our modules but it would be wide enough to be stable in a big storm. The plan was to cruise up and down the east coast of North America from the Arctic to Nicaragua in Central America. Besides ocean current velocity and temperature they would observe sea ice conditions and offshore marine ecosystems. I wouldn't be surprised if they also had an agent on an incoming main road to some seaports." "So depending on the season," said Bonnie, "they might swing by here and Shangri-La on their way back to the Gulf of Alaska."

ARKON CH-1.04 Thrill of a Drill

The following message appeared on All Hands wall screens and commo pods on a Sunday.

One of the things people living on a ship learn to do is help each other. We're all in the same boat, so to speak. So when we have an emergency that requires all hands to help we will sound three loud klaxons or gongs, followed by a statement:

Now all hands man your pirate stations and standby to repel boarders. This is a drill (or not). Do not cycle the railgun or load ammunition into the anti-aircraft weapons. Break out the small arms for your station and standby.

When going to your general quarters station you will proceed up and forward on the starboard and down and aft on the port side of your module. In this case forward will be towards the center and aft will be towards the outside periphery. This should prevent collisions and congestion. You should move quickly but do not run.

Secure All Watertight Hatches.

There will be two people assigned to each water tight hatch whose job is to close it when it looks like all Personnel are on station. This will prevent damage from one compartment allowing seawater into another compartment and sinking our ship.

 or

The emergency could be:

All hands man your pirate stations and standby for firefighting.

There will be four special teams that have training in firefighting on board a ship. Most crew will just stay out of the way topside. If you have to go down a smoke-filled passageway and see no flames ahead, you should get down on your hands and knees and breathe the air near the deck, it should be much cleaner. Also try to breathe through your nose. If it feels stuffy, pinch your nose and blow out the soot.

Your individual GQ station will be sent to your wall screen and commo pod in the next 2 hours. Take some time during your off work hours before this Thursday and find your station. If you have time practice how you will get there from work or your cabin. Thursday morning between 0800 and 1100 there will be a drill. There will be monitors with orange armbands to answer questions or point you in the right direction. This exercise will be timed so we can see how we improve for the next one.

"Oh my God," said Tango, "this is not downtown Smallville." "You're on the Arkon now, you're not behind a plow," said Logan, "Let's call Jack and Bonnie and have a meeting on the fantail tonight." Just then their commo pods beeped with an incoming call from Jack and Bonnie.

"So, where's your station?" asked Jack. "I've got a hatch to close on deck 4," said Tango, "Not far from work." "And I'm one of five roveing snipers on the fantail," said Logan, "How about you guys?" "I'm on a corner Rifleman team overlooking the starboard protected Anchorage," said Bonnie. "And I'm on a corner Rifleman team overlooking the port protected Anchorage," said Jack.

"This is what the question on the application regarding, 'Would you shoot someone attacking you?' was all about," said Logan, "Those checking 'NO', are still on the beach waiting for an invitation, heh. "I thought so," said Jack, "That's the way the Jungle Rumbles."

ARKON CH-1.05    Man Your Pirate Stations

The drill started at 0900 Thursday morning ...

 Ah-Ooo-Gah ... Ah-Ooo-Gah ... Ah-Ooo-Gah ...


NOW   ALL   HANDS   MAN   YOUR    PIRATE    BATTLE   STATIONS   AND   STANDBY   TO   REPEL   BOARDERS ...   THIS   IS   A   DRILL ... BREAK   OUT   THE   SMALL   ARMS FOR   YOUR   STATION ... FIRE   AT   WILL.

When Bonnie heard the alarm she was at work. She turned off her tools and equipment and took off her safety helmet and proceeded at a rapid walk. 7 minutes later she arrived at her station and took her rifle from the lock rack and loaded it. Then she logged in on her commo pod that she was on station. The computer system would register all hands as they arrived on station and present the display to their Captain and the Commodore.

Logan had just stepped out of the shower when he heard the alarm. Drying quickly he jumped in some jeans, threw on a T-shirt and sandals, grabbed his commo pod and started walking quickly down the passageway outside. He passed an elevator with a temporary sign that said, 'No! keep walking.' Probably to speed things up. If one group is in an elevator and another group is waiting, they could be closer to being on station instead of waiting. And suppose the attack damages power. In any event he arrived at his roving sniper position and checked in after 9 minutes.

Tango was in the middle of a pet project in tinkertown when she heard the alarm. She turned off her soldering iron and put some heavy pieces under her work bench so they could not fall. Proceeding quickly, she reached her deck 4 hatch assignment in 5 minutes. The other crew member showed up at 6 minutes.

Jack was sound asleep when the alarm woke him. Already in his boxer shorts and t-shirt, he pulled on jeans and sandals, grabbed his commo pod and headed out. the rifle rack for his position was already unlocked. He logged in on station at 8 minutes.

Friday morning there was an all-hands summary bulletin on their wall screen. It showed an arrival on station curve  that looked exponential, from 0 to 30 minutes.

Fortunately all the weapon stations were manned by 10 minutes and all the water tight hatches by 15 minutes. The stragglers will have to do better next time. Our goal is to have everyone on station in under 10 minutes. So we will have an unannounced drill every 3 or 4 weeks until we are successful.

Well Done for a first pass.
Commodore Kaiser.

ARKON CH-1.06    Alternatives to Capitalism

At the beginning of the Yule year end celebrations for 2024, the following annual review appeared on All Hands wall screen:

  ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~

City-State of Arkon Summary Review 12,024 H.E.

Beginning Balance - $2,527,738
Ending       Balance     5,296,481

(to view in another currency click the symbol)

Beginning Population (16-60)   11,473
Ending       Population (16-60)   13,286

Beginning Population (01-15)        835
Ending       Population (01-15)     1,322

Beginning business registrations 473
Ending    business    registrations 952

Our medical tourism, contract assembly, joint ventures, and other projects have generated so much revenue that we have issued a series of Sovereign City-State construction bonds totaling $1.5 billion. They will be used to partially repay the founders loan and a down payment on our joint venture with the Chinese government to launch a research vessel, Arkon Star.

Prepared by the office of the Council of Elders.

   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~  ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~

The Usual Suspects were gathered on the fantail food court even though it was a bit chill for outdoors.

"That is certainly an upbeat summary note," said Logan, "I wonder why our businesses* are growing so well?" "I want to know more about this Arkon Star," said Jack, "What is it going to research?" "A key reason our medical tourism is growing," said Bonnie, "is we are not anywhere near a war zone. Plus, our services are competitively priced and always work. Remember the old marketing saw,  'A happy customer tells three people, an angry customer tells five,' heh." "Other key factors," said Tango, " are we have no government bureaucracy to feed and meddle in our business, we settle disputes by arbitration with no lawyers, and taxes are very low."

"I read an article from Beijing University last summer," said Tango. "It talked about weather and climate cycles and said they really were not chaotic as some people claimed. It was just that we had not studied them in enough detail to know how everything worked together. The article ended with a call for the government to fund research vessels to measure more parameters. Maybe the Arkon Star is part of that." "I think you're right," said Jack. "I remember in geology class we studied ice ages and other long cyclical climate phenomenon but nothing that tied it to annual or decadal changes."

"Another thing that probably helps our businesses," said Logan, "is this was designed as an experiment to demonstrate a steady- state economy can yield good business results as well as good social results." "It sounds like a hybrid Mondragon capitalism," said Bonnie, "the Best of Both Worlds." "I think keeping the CEO/ line worker salary ratio  low is a key thing," said Tango, "That would prevent over spending on CEOs and envy; that happens in the outside world too often." "We're able to do that," said Jack, "because we planned the minimum wage to provide a comfortable living."

*thermal depolymerization of plastic and animal waste products into light crude oil, efficient cannabutter process, a soybean meal grinder that extracts oil and textured vegetable protein, and an efficient soybean oil to biodiesel process.

  ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~  ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~

Since Arkon One is organized as a minarky, the economy is also non- traditional. Historically, since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, there have been various alternatives proposed to capitalism. Here are some popular ones outlined:

1. Syndicalism is a proposed type of  economic system, considered a replacement for capitalism. It suggests that workers, industries, and organisations be systematized into confederations or syndicates. It is "...a system of economic organization in which industries are owned and managed by the workers."

Its theory and practice is the advocacy of multiple cooperative productive units composed of specialists and representatives of workers in each field to negotiate and manage the economy.

For adherents, labour unions and labour training are the potential means of both overcoming economic  aristocracy and running society in the interest of informed and skilled majorities, through union democracy. Industry in a syndicalist system would be run through co- operative  confederations and mutual aid. Local syndicates may communicate with other syndicates through the Bourse du Travail (labour exchange), which would cooperatively determine distributions of commodities. - wiki

2. Anarcho- syndicalism (also referred to as revolutionary syndicalism) is a theory of anarchism that views  revolutionary industrial unionism  or syndicalism as a method for workers in capitalist society to gain control of an economy and, with that control, influence broader society. Syndicalists consider their economic theories a strategy for facilitating  worker self- activity and as an alternative co- operative economic system with democratic values and production centered on meeting human needs.

The basic principles of anarcho-syndicalism are solidarity, direct action (action undertaken without the intervention of third parties such as politicians, bureaucrats, and arbitrators) and direct democracy, or workers' self- management. The end goal of syndicalism is to abolish the wage system, regarding it as wage slavery. Anarcho- syndicalist theory therefore generally focuses on the labour movement.

Anarcho- syndicalists view the primary purpose of the state as being the defence of private property, and therefore of economic, social, and political privilege, denying most of its denizens the ability to enjoy material independence and the social autonomy that springs from it. In contrast with other bodies of thought, particularly with Marxism- Leninism, anarcho- syndicalists deny the possibility of a workers' state, or a state that acts in the interests of workers, as opposed to those of the powerful, and posit that any state with the intention of empowering the workers will inevitably work to empower itself or the existing elite at the expense of the workers. Reflecting the anarchist philosophy from which it draws its primary inspiration, anarcho-syndicalism is centred around the idea that power corrupts and that any hierarchy that cannot be ethically justified must either be dismantled or replaced by decentralized egalitarian control. - wiki

3. A worker cooperative is a  co-op that is owned and self-  managed by its workers. This control may be exercised in a number of ways. A cooperative enterprise may mean a firm where every worker- owner participates in decision making in a democratic fashion, or it may refer to one in which management is elected by every worker- owner, and it can refer to a situation in which managers are considered, and treated as, workers of the firm. In traditional forms of worker cooperative, all shares are held by the workforce with no outside or consumer owners, and each member has one voting share. In practice, control by worker- owners may be exercised through individual, collective, or majority ownership by the workforce; or the retention of individual, collective, or majority voting rights (exercised on a one-member one-vote basis). A worker cooperative, therefore, has the characteristic that each of its workers own one share, and all shares are owned by the workers. The International organisation representing worker cooperatives is CICOPA. CICOPA has two regional organisations: CECOP- CICOPA Europe and CICOPA Americas. - wiki

                      HISTORY of worker Co-Ops

Worker cooperatives rose to prominence during the Industrial Revolution as part of the labour movement. As employment moved to industrial areas and job sectors declined, workers began organizing and controlling businesses for themselves. Workers cooperative were originally sparked by "critical reaction to industrial capitalism and the excesses of the industrial revolution." The formation of some workers cooperatives were designed to "cope with the evils of unbridled capitalism and the insecurities of wage labor".

The philosophy that underpinned the cooperative movement stemmed from the socialist writings of thinkers including Robert Owen and Charles Fourier. Robert Owen, considered by many as the father of the cooperative movement, made his fortune in the cotton trade, but believed in putting his workers in a good environment with access to education for themselves and their children. These ideas were put into effect successfully in thecotton mills of New Lanark,  Scotland. It was here that the first co-operative store was opened. Spurred on by the success of this, he had the idea of forming "villages of cooperation"  where workers would drag themselves out of poverty by growing their own food, making their own clothes and ultimately becoming self-governing. He tried to form such communities in Orbiston in Scotland and in New Harmony, Indiana in the United States of America, but both communities failed.

Similar early experiments were made in the early 19th century and by 1830 there were several hundred co-operatives. Dr William King made Owen's ideas more workable and practical. He believed in starting small, and realized that the working classes would need to set up co-operatives  for themselves, so he saw his role as one of instruction. He founded a monthly periodical called The Co-operator, the first edition of which appeared on 1 May 1828. This gave a mixture of co-operative philosophy and practical advice about running a shop using cooperative principles. - wiki

4. The Mondragon Corporation is a corporation and federation of worker cooperatives based in the Basque  region of Spain. It was founded in the town of Mondragon in 1956 by graduates of a local technical college. Its first product was paraffin heaters. It is the tenth-largest Spanish company in terms of asset turnover and the leading business group in the Basque Country. At the end of 2014, it  employed  74,117 people in 257 companies and organizations in four areas of activity: finance, industry, retail and knowledge. By 2015, 74,335 people were employed. - wiki

                          Wage regulation at Mondragon

At Mondragon, there are agreed upon wage ratios between executive work and field or factory work which earns a minimum wage. These ratios range from 3:1 to 9:1 in different cooperatives  and average 5:1. That is, the general manager of an average Mondragon cooperative earns no more than 5 times as much as the theoretical  minimum wage paid in their cooperative. For most workers, this ratio is smaller because there are few Mondragon worker- owners that earn minimum wages, because most jobs are somewhat specialized and are classified at higher wage levels. The wage ratio of a cooperative is decided periodically by its worker- owners through a democratic vote.

Compared to similar jobs at local industries, Mondragon managers' wages are considerably lower (as some companies pay their best paid managers hundreds of times more than the lowest-paid employee of the company) and equivalent for middle management, technical and professional levels. Lower wage levels are on average 13% higher than similar jobs at local businesses. Spain's  progressive tax rate further reduces any disparity in pay. - wiki

The Statement on the Co-operative Identity, promulgated by the  International Co-operative Alliance  (ICA), defines and guides co-operatives worldwide. It contains the definition of a co-operative as a special form of organization, the values of co-operatives, and the currently accepted cooperative principles (the Rochdale Principles) that direct their behavior and operation. The Statement with the latest revision of the cooperative principles was adopted by ICA in 1995.

According to the Statement, a co-operative  is defined as "an  autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social, and  cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly owned and democratically controlled enterprise." Co-operatives "are based on the values of self-help, self-responsibility,  democracy, equality, equity and solidarity. In the tradition of co-operative founders, co-operative members believe in the ethical values of  honesty,  openness,  social responsibility and caring for others." - wiki

5. The Rochdale Principles are a set of ideals for the operation of cooperatives.  They were first set out in 1844 by the Rochdale Society of Equitable Pioneers in Rochdale, England and have formed the basis for the principles on which co-operatives around the world continue to operate. The implications of the Rochdale Principles are a focus of study in co-operative economics. The original Rochdale Principles were officially adopted by the International Co-operative Alliance (ICA) in 1937 as the Rochdale Principles of Co-operation. Updated versions of the principles were adopted by the ICA in 1966 as the Co-operative Principles and in 1995 as part of the Statement on the Co-operative Identity. - wiki

                  Original version (adopted 1937)

1. Open membership.

2. Democratic control (one person, one vote).

3. Distribution of surplus in proportion to trade.

4. Payment of limited interest on capital.

5. Political and religious neutrality.

6. Cash trading (no credit extended).

7. Promotion of education.


                       ICA revision (1966)

1. Open, voluntary membership.

2. Democratic governance.

3. Limited return on equity.

4. Surplus belongs to members.

5. Education of members, public in cooperative principles.

6. Cooperation between cooperatives. - wiki

6. Economic democracy or stakeholder  democracy is a socioeconomic philosophy that proposes to shift decision making power from corporate managers and corporate shareholders to a larger group of public stakeholders that includes workers, customers, suppliers, neighbors and the broader public. No single definition or approach encompasses economic democracy, but most proponents claim that modern property relations externalize costs (environmental damage), subordinate the general well-being to private profit, and deny the polity a democratic voice in economic policy decisions. In addition to these moral concerns, economic democracy makes practical claims, such as that it can compensate for capitalism's inherent effective demand gap.

Proponents of economic democracy generally argue that modern capitalism periodically results in economic crises characterized by deficiency of effective demand, as society is unable to earn enough income to purchase its output production. Corporate monopoly of common resources typically creates artificial scarcity, resulting in socio- economic imbalances that restrict workers from access to economic opportunity and diminish consumer purchasing power.  Economic democracy has been proposed as a component of larger socioeconomic ideologies, as a stand-alone theory, and as a variety of reform agendas. For example, as a means to securing full economic rights, it opens a path to full political rights, defined as including the former. Both market and non-market theories of economic democracy have been proposed. As a reform agenda, supporting theories and real-world examples range from decentralization  and economic liberalization to democratic cooperatives, public banking, fair trade, and the  regionalization of food production and currency. - wiki

7. Participatory economics, often abbreviated parecon, is an economic system based on participatory decision making as the primary economic mechanism for allocation in society. In the system the say in decision making is proportional to the impact on a person or group of people. Participatory economics is a form of decentralized economic planning  and socialism involving the common ownership of the means of production. It is a proposed alternative to contemporary  capitalism and central planning. This economic model is primarily associated with political theorist  Michael Albert and economist Robin Hahnel, who describe participatory economics as an anarchist economic vision.

The underlying values that parecon seeks to implement are  equity, solidarity, diversity, workers' self- management and efficiency (defined as accomplishing goals without wasting valued assets). The institutions of parecon include workers' and consumers' councils utilizing self- managerial methods for making decisions, balanced job complexes, remuneration based on individual effort, and participatory planning. - wiki

8. Communalism, a political theory based on the writings of Murray Bookchin. Bookchin developed Communalism after he broke with anarchism believing it to be individualist and lifestylist. It is based on libertarian municipalism, confederalism, and social ecology. - wiki

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