One of the most common questions raised about the coop movement is: where did the money come from?

This paper analyzes the economic factors which gave birth to the coops, the causes of their phenomenal growth, and subsequently the stagnation of the coops.

Labor is the basis of capital

Any economic analysis must start with the source of all wealth in society -- human labor. Labor not only creates all value, but also it is the measure of all value. Concretely labor can be equated with a dollar value because labor is the basis for all wealth.

This is a link to a YouTube recording of Leola Johnson talking about Theo during a program called ‘Hippie Localism’ at the Walker Art Center on November 17, 2015. Her talk is about 50 minutes into the program, she mentions Theo and his family about 57 minutes in. 

 https://youtu.be/1MtTq8s-p50

This is a transcription of most of her statement, in case the Walker takes the recording down

STRATEGY AND TACTICS

The guiding principles of revolutionary organizational practice
INTRODUCTION

"Dialectical materialism has two outstanding characteristics. One is its class nature: it openly avows that dialectical materialism is in the service of the proletariat ... Marxist philosophy holds that the most important problem does not lie in understanding the laws of the objective world and thus being able to explain it, but in applying the knowledge of these laws actively to change the world." (On Practice)
The development of the assessment process has been a process of systematically building cadre's material understanding of ·the laws of dialectical materialism in general, and the dialectical method.

Introduction

The warehouse panel met with the purpose of investigating the factors that led up to the infiltration of the People’s Warehouse by Steve Brandriet, and the effects of that infiltration -- April 1st coup and the subsequent destruction of the PW. It is the conclusion of this panel that the infiltration could have been stopped, SB neutralized, and the coup and subsequent destruction of PW prevented. In the course of panel discussions, PW primary and secondary leadership and organizational members involved in the PW at the time SB was there were questioned about the sequence of events at PW and their role in them. All members of the organizational base took part in this inquiry, underscoring its seriousness and the necessity to hold members of a revolutionary organization accountable for the effects of their practice

We, as a group, the Beanery workers, are concerned about the way food is produced and distributed in the world today.
On the one hand, we have massive starvation, malnutrition and food shortages; on the other hand, we have farmers going broke and killing calves they can't afford to feed.
We have food industry practices of producing "chemical food" that has a direct effect on our physical and mental health, and then we have "organic health food" that is more expensive and often a fraud.

INTRODUCTION

This paper is not only an update from the standpoint of bringing the eyents of the coop struggle more up to date. It is also an update
of our analysis of those events. As the contradictions in the coop system have developed and intensified, we can see more deeply
the meaning of phenomena that were previously understood on a more superficial level. For instance, what was the significance of the
economic success of North Country Coop, and how did it affect the hippie's world outlook? And why was the PRB established?

4/9/75

The purpose of the Coop organization is to serve as a vehicle through which we will work to re-structure the coops. After our goal has been completed, or after the Coop Organization would have fulfilled its purpose in the first stage of the coop strategy, then the Coop Organization will undergo a qualitative change in order to fit into the re-structuring of the coops.
The other wing of the Coop Organization must be pulled together this week. Also this week, both wings of the Coop Organization must be pulled together in an assembly in order to officially organize the Coop Organization. (Sunday)

A speech delivered by Jerry Path at Walker Church, Dec. 3, 1975

Most of us have brought to this meeting political differences which stem from differences in approach to revolutionary strategy and tactics.
There will always be differences among us. This fact is based on the universality of contradiction which is a basic law of dialectical materialism. Mao Tse-Tung states this law as follows: "The universality or absoluteness of contradiction has a two-fold meaning. One is that contradiction exists in the
development of all things' and the other is that in the process of development of each thing a movement of opposites exists from beginning to end."
We are here together tonight because, between the opposing forces in a contradiction there is both unity and struggle.

The idea of serving the needs of poor and working class people has always held some strength in the operation of Selby Food Coop and
Sunrise Book Coop. The changes attempted in the past have only partially accomplished this task. Attempts to expand the class base of the
Coop are incomplete unless we undertake the task of including members of the working cl.ass in the leadership. We need a change from the present
leadership to a leadership who better represents members of the community who will. benefit most materially from a neighborhood food cooperative.