“The libertarian principle of workers’ control will not be invalidated by changes in the composition of the work force or in the nature of work itself. With or without automation, the economic structure of the new society must be based on self-administration by the people directly involved in economic functions. Under automation millions of highly trained technicians, engineers, scientists, educators, etc., who are already organized into local, regional, national, and international federations will freely circulate information, constantly improving both the quality and availability of goods and services and developing new products for new needs.
By closely intermeshing and greatly expanding the already existing networks of consumer cooperative associations with the producer associations at every level, consumers will make their wants known and be supplied by the producers. The innumerable variety of supermarkets, chain stores, and service centers of every description now blanketing the country, though owned by corporations or privately, are so structured that they could be easily socialized and converted into cooperative networks. In general, the same holds true for production, exchange, and other branches of the economy. The integration of these economic organisms will undoubtedly be greatly facilitated because the same people are both producers and consumers.
The progress of the new society will depend greatly upon the extent to which its self-governing units will be able to speed up direct communication––to understand each other’s problems and better coordinate activities. Thanks to modern communications technology, all the essential facilities are now available…….are making instant, direct communication on a world scale accessible to all (visual and radio contact between earth and moon within seconds!). Face-to-face democracy––a cornerstone of a free society, is already foreshadowed by the increasing mobility of peoples.”
Sam Dolgoff: “The relevance of anarchism to modern society”
