• tags :: organizing

Very often the question of centralization vs. decentralization comes up. "Should the state be centralized?" "Should x kind of organization be centralized?" etc.

Stafford Beersays that this is a false dichotomy: that a system can be both centralized and decentralized. However, the only time this question is really important is when a system becomes too centralized or decentralized. At that point, the problems become apparent to the system.

For example, the SPDearly on were very decentralized: their local orgs were the most powerful part of the party, and the national was built from the aggregate of the locals. The problem with this was that local leaders were able to exert too much power over the national. In retaliation, the radicals of the party sought to fix this by making the national organization more centralized. The SPD then experienced the opposite problem, and with centralization came bureaucracy and bureaucracy was a conservative force on the party.(This is from [[file:literature/20210130191025-not_one_man_not_one_penny_german_social_democracy_1863_1914.org]["Not One Man! Not One Penny!" German Social Democracy, 1863-1914]])