Yes, the problem is structural not moral.
Where structure comes in is to stop accumulation. And I think there are commons tools to do that now. For example, mutual credit is an accounting system, with no ‘money’ to be extracted from communities and accumulated. That kills the capitalist model stone dead.
And, for example, housing commons can be built in working-class communities because people want affordable housing, secure tenancies and jobs – and co-operating in local commons groups helps them get those things. Not, as you say, by appealing to them morally or asking for altruism.
I agree that the discourse becomes a self-sustaining industry – millions of very comfortable managers / professionals make sure it stays that way, managing everything for the super-wealthy, whether they know it or not. Those of us who talk about new systems and structures are labelled as unserious, idealist, or even childish.
But build commons models that are useful and affordable for working-class people (the vast majority of the world), and a new, commons system can grow exponentially from grassroots (I hope).
(Did you have anything else in mind?)
[But - competition is definitely natural, and is way older than humans – competition for territory, mates etc. And humans have it. Children will implement Lord of the Flies without ‘trained’ adults to supervise them until they themselves are trained. But we can channel that competitive urge into socially useful things, rather than accumulating wealth. I want my local bakers and brewers to compete on quality and taste. I don’t want them to give up on that kind of competition, or for there only to be one baker/brewer.
But I want that competition to operate within commons structures that don’t allow wealth to accumulate. If you work harder or longer at the same job, or spend more time learning how to do it well, of course you should receive a greater reward, but if wealth is allowed to accumulate exponentially, as it does in capitalism, we can say goodbye to real democracy.
So I think we need structures that allow competition on quality, that will bring rewards to the ‘winners’ - otherwise, it will be like trying to prevent the best looking people from attracting each other. The most attractive people didn’t do anything to deserve it, but genes bring benefits that you can’t remove. Plus people will think ‘no competition = shit beer’.]
