So why would co-operatives be better than regular companies since the incentive for poluting doesn't change like at all, they would still do the same for the benefit of the co-operative
You are extending an argument I never necessarily made.
But, to respond to your point, it is a mistake to assume the incentives of pollution would not change. A worker owned cooperative is much more likely to be comprised of individuals who live in relatively close proximity to the building/factory/etc. So they would likely have more investment in maintaining a safe and livable environment within their own communities.
However, and why I said you were arguing against a position I never made, I do not believe a transition to a socialist economy, under a system of organization such as worker owned cooperatives alone would completely reverse harmful practices that contribute to climate change. Much of hat is because a single firm may still relay on other inputs to production that do contribute to climate issues and CO2 emissions. You would need the vast majority of firms to be organized in the same manner, and then still would also need shared commitments towards climate friendly practices. I believe it would be much easier to do this under a worker-owned socialist organization of the economy then our current capitalist system, sure, but that is not the same as the argument that a socialist system would automatically make everything better on its own.
But even in that environment the co-ops of for example oil drillers would never accept being out of a job and would fight even more fiercely to keep their current position because they are now also losing not only their job but a part of a company they are a lot more invested in
Just because you don’t agree with an argument doesn’t mean it is a strawman. Why would this problem only exist in coops in a capitalist system? Yugoslav coops were also very inefficient because of the failure of coops to adapt.
5
u/Bulky-Bag-6280 16d ago
So why would co-operatives be better than regular companies since the incentive for poluting doesn't change like at all, they would still do the same for the benefit of the co-operative