ABSTRACT
The socialist commune Llano de Rio claimed to have an alternative to capitalism, but throughout their many years of attempting to establish an efficient and prosperous economy, they never succeeded to make ends meet. The commune's experience established a direct affinity between the level of ideological, spiritual-religious motivation and the ability to cope with the primary economic problems. Most of the small family farms of their neighbors could not compete economically with the large mixed farms of the communes. The process of stabilization brought with it a variegated economy that developed from mixed farming to a combination of agriculture and industry. The most negative and far-reaching effect was doubtlessly the introduction of hired labor on a large and permanent scale into the communal economy. Historical experience shows that not all of them dissolved at the outset; many survived for years but not because of their economic prosperity.
