From Corporate Globalization to Global Co-operation: We Owe It to Our Grandchildren

This friendly orange book has back cover praise from, among others, Maude Barlow and Manfred Max-Neef. The author states the intention of the book is not "political or social or economic" but “where they all meet." It is a well-written and useful exploration of the potential of co-operatives to repair our economic woes, with a very spiritual sort of preface. Webb remarks, “co-operation is more important and healthier than the competition...and that love produces a better world.” The preface also quotes several spiritual references regarding gain, from Islam, Buddhism, Judaism, Taoism, and Sikhism and Confucianism, “One word sums up the basis of all good conduct...loving kindness. Do not do onto others what you do not want done to yourself.” Confucious, Analects, 15:23.
This book is divided into seven sections. The first section, titled, "A World of Ominous Uncertainty," takes on every grim topic imaginable, beginning with interrelated global issues, ecological overshoot, environmental destruction and extinction.
The next sections of the book go on to describe trends that are the greatest threats, with charts displaying oil prices, climate change, and freshwater depletion before Webb moves into the topic of destructive inequality and financial instability. This was followed by a section discussing "addiction to growth," and the erosion of democracy, while also presenting the under-explored issue of technological research for the few.
I found Dangerous Myths of Neoclassical Economics was a particularly well-written chapter that provides structure to and context to arguments that “economic outlook” is never at a positive point when millions of children are starving. The book achieves its stated aim in reminding us that such economics are destroying democracy and that Adam Smith was from a different era. The author also then usefully explodes the myth of free markets, “left unregulated, markets work for the very rich and work imperfectly or not at all for the bottom 80 percent of humanity.”
Section 6, titled, "Cooperative Renewal and Reform" is full of many excellent cases and examples, leading well into Section 7 which discusses cooperative-friendly public policy. Then, moving past policy, Section 7 cites a number of examples and is a very helpful read. "Legislation in Italy recognizes member loans as a valuable form of financing and provides financial incentives for them; allows cooperatives to put profits into indivisible reserves without paying taxes on them, permits cooperatives to have members (within a one member, on vote limitation) who do not use the services of the cooperative but only invest in it," and, we learn, requires co-ops to donate a percentage of their profits for the purpose of national cooperative development.
Other examples chosen by the authors include Danish Wind co-operatives, Midcounties Co-operative Energy in the UK, and TREC Renewable Energy Co-operative in Toronto.
The book remarks that co-operatives and co-operative leaders have in their hands the most powerful tools available to humanity to fuel the transition to a better world. The book asks, "will they have the courage, wisdom, and strength to play that important role?"
Leading in to the final section, the book cautions, "reality demands that we keep our eyes on both the positive and the negative.”
The concluding section, Dreaming of a Better World, is full of informed optimism coupled with a shrewd eye to the future. The author has clearly seen both positive and negative aspects of the cooperative process, and comes out a strong proponent of coops as a vital tool for social and economic empowerment worldwide. Dreaming of a Better World is followed by an extensive bibliography as well as a listing of organizational websites exploring economic alternatives.
All in all, a very cool little book from the heart by J. Tom Webb. I recommend it.

Webb, T. (2016). From corporate globalization to global co-operation: We owe it to our grandchildren. Fernwood Publishing.