OWNERSHIP: Re: Alaska dividend model for Iraq

["William B. Ryan" <william_b_ryan@hotmail.com>]

Gravel's proposal was to invest the state's royalties
in acquiring the pipeline, which would have been
putting all of Alaska's eggs into one basket.  It
would have been a windfall for the bought-out owners
and the "advisers" who put the deal together.
Moreover, it would have been an investment into
infrastructure which would have dwindled in value as
Alaska's oil was depleted.

The Permanent fund--approved by the voters in
referendum--follows the prudential rule of
diversification, by investment in stocks, bonds and
real estate--which will directly provide income to
the people of Alaska forever.
--





>From :   "Norman G. Kurland" <thirdway@cesj.org>
Reply-To :   ownership@cog.kent.edu
To :   ownership@cog.kent.edu
Subject :   Re: OWNERSHIP: Alaska dividend model for Iraq
Date :   Tue, 29 Apr 2003 22:49:07 -0400
I thought this is a discussion group on ownership, not trickle-down profit
sharing, as in the politically corrupt Alaskan model.  The issue of how to
achieve widespread citizen participation in Iraqi oil profits is ultimately
a moral issue and an issue or whether economic power should be in the hands
of the mullahs, foreign owners, the state and its bureaucrats, or
democratically spread out as a right of private property in the hands
individually of every citizen.  Profit sharing that does not flow from the
ownership of capital leaves the recipients in a permanent state of economic
dependency on the whim of those in power.  That is the approach of Karl
Marx.  That's not democracy.  Here is a proposal that is based on
widespread ownership sharing that I thought everyone in this group is
implicitly in favor of.

Norm Kurland
Center for Economic and Social Justice
CESJ web site: http://www.cesj.org
Global Justice Movement web site: http://www.globaljusticemovement.org
--

>From :   "Norman G. Kurland" <thirdway@cesj.org>
Reply-To :   ownership@cog.kent.edu
To :   ownership@cog.kent.edu
CC :   "Shakespeare, Rodney" <Rodney.Shakespeare1@btopenworld.com>
Subject :   Re: OWNERSHIP: Alaska dividend model for Iraq
Date :   Wed, 30 Apr 2003 09:32:17 -0400
The confusion stems from the original plan advanced by former Senator Mike
Gravel to establish a General Stock Ownership Plan that was designed to
establish share accounts for every citizen to become an owner of the Alaskan
pipeline.  In that case, the dividends would have flowed to each citizen 
based
on their participation in ownership.  And it would then be example of binary
economics and be consistent with the Kelso-Adler principles of economic
justice.  Unfortunately, Senator Gravel's political enemies strongly opposed
this ownership proposal and convinced the Alaskan voters to support the 
current
dividend plan, which is a traditional trickle-down welfare state proposal to
keep the Alaskan voters economically powerless and dependent on the 
ownership
elite and their political cronies who control the Alaskan economy.  Today
Alaskan dividends are disconnected from direct personal ownership and are
therefore an example of socialism, not the just third way advanced by Kelso. 
  I
think Rodney understands this distinction.
--







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