I know this question will sound silly to some, but suppose a group of people in a low key third world country decide to make their own commune. They work together to build up farming and industry purely based on their own need, and slowly expand to accomodate their needs.
I understand Communes are viewed as ineffective, but a commune like this would be meant to grow, not just remain isolated. It would inspire communes in other areas, and it would aim to expand.
I see a couple of issues with this:
- not all countries can do this. For example, Palestinians living in Palestine will suffer trying to do this. But most countries can, right?
- it will only benefit the tiny group of people within proximity to the commune. But the commune can 1) expand and 2) inspire communes in other locations
- some needs are hard for a small commune to make, such as computer chip manufacturing, and other things they will need to get from the non commune world
But still, I can’t see this as less than a good step forward?
In order for atomic change to bring about social change, it has to be part of a broader trend. That’s why, as materialists, we aren’t particularly interested in idealist solutions (any plan where “if enough people come together and x”). If there were a material basis for communes to be an effective solution, that would be happening*, communes would be forming (and you’d see a self-preservationist backlash from the state). The only way people get inspired to do something on a wide scale is if there’s a strong material basis already, and the “idea” is the catalyst for it to be realized.
Commune-ism is generally neo-feudalist, based on a misconception of self-sufficiency outside of global trade. Look at how much even small countries suffer under embargo; how would a society a fraction of the size fare, with access to fewer resources and capable of less specialization?
Now, that doesn’t mean the idea has no merits. And it doesn’t mean people on a small level can’t carve out personal niches, maybe even develop small bits of power that can be leveraged for loftier goals. Local conditions in some places might be favorable to a rent coop or worker coop, which after formation could connect with a larger org and be part of a progressive network of power.
*Not to dismiss material analyses that suggest changing social conditions might bring about a basis for commune formation. With looming environmental destruction, I could see this being the case in the future.