>Regardless - how does a community produce for needs. It needs (ha ha) to know a number of things. 1) what peoples needs are (defined, absolute) 2) how many people there are who will need (variable) 3) how many people doing what kind of work will produce and distribute the required output to ensure that these pre-defined needs are met (unpredictably variable).<
-----You seem to be viewing the satisfaction of *all* needs (including whims) from a "planned economy" perspective. I think a community could come up with some form of prioritization without too much hassle - such as food, clothing, shelter, healthcare, for starters. As for producing purple gullywizards, go for it.
>Its pretty certain that pure capitalism wouldn't. 'it' produces for mutual gain, by those able to enter into trade with a value others want to trade for. So lots of people can get left out of the loop.<
Well irony is nice where appropriate, but...
"it" [capitalism] does NOT produce for "mutual gain", it produces for PROFIT. "Mutual gain may, or may not be a derivative.
The clearest example of this is the U.S. Managed Health Care System designed to enrich insurance companies. Ask the woman, still in a wheelchair after a difficult delivery, what she feels about the hospital's policy of sending her home after 24 hours (before potential infection can even be detected).
