The People's Summit vs. the Revolution
The People's Summit - $50 - 200. per person June 17-19
-Fight for 15
-mass incarceration and criminal justice reform
-voting rights and expanding democratic participation
-a tax on Wall Street speculation to fund human needs and jobs
-climate justice toward a sustainable economy
-improved Medicare for All
-the fight for free and debt-free higher education
-secure retirement through expanding social security
-ending HIV/AIDS
-achieving Constitutional pay equity for women
-and ending deportations and support for DREAMers
-Work within the Democratic Party for change
The Revolution - Free
-End the Oligarchy and Plutocracy and institute a People's Democracy ending the Party System
-End U.S. Imperialism and All War and Militarism
-Abolish the Federal Reserve System and institute Public Banking
-Abolish the CIA, NSA, and other intelligence agencies. Establish a single replacement for national defense only.
-Abolish the Presidency and institute a Council of rotated Citizens
-Abolish Wall Street and the Big Banks
-End Disaster/Gangster Capitalism
-Arrest and Try all U.S. Presidents and High level Officials for Crimes against Humanity
-Arrest and Try all Criminal Banksters and Corporate Heads for Crimes against Humanity
-Rescind the Patriot Act
-Abolish the Department of Homeland Security
-End the Emerging Militarized Police State
-Abolish the DEA and end the War on Drugs
-Abolish the FBI
Comments
Just a rough draft.
Glad to take any ideas.
I've said many times , it depends on what people really want.
Massive mobilization to replace fossil fuels
With renewables and conservation
Dig within. There lies the wellspring of all good. Ever dig and it will ever flow
Marcus Aurelius
Election Integrity
Guarantee open primaries in all states.
Same day voter registration
Removal of electronic voting machines
Guarantee the integrity of our elections
Removal of Super Delegates
Mary Rybarczyk
Good ones, but I think better suited for the People's
Summit than the Revolution. The problem with trying to reform this representative system is that it can't be reformed. In my opinion of course. But I'm far from alone.
It gets to my main point which is a Revolution should be an overturning of the power. Utilizing the electoral system and thus depending on Congress to make individual changes of issues isn't an attempt at overturning the power. It's just more Alms for the Poor as the picture I pasted shows.
Looks like you get 3 thumbs up
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --
Heh, Made me laugh. Love it.
"Abolish the CIA, NSA, and other intelligence agencies."
Tiny, but IMHO essential, tweak:
"Abolish the CIA, NSA, DEA, and other intelligence agencies."
"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar
"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides
Ya good point, War on Drugs by extension
I'm in. nt
"Love One Another" ~ George Harrison
We all want to change the world.
[video:https://youtu.be/BGLGzRXY5Bw]
I see your revolution
And raise you a revolution.
The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself. - Friedrich Nietzsche -
We're gonna need a bigger park.
Need to abolish the FBI, too (first?).
Check out emptywheel's work
over the years, most
especially the past few years,
for ample evidence that that
organization runs the largest,
most in-depth unchecked and
unsupervised spying
operation in the US.
Never forget today's fibbees
are the heirs of J Edgar, with
vastly advanced technological
tools as well as access to all
state and local spy collections
and, most recently, that of the
NSA - the last completely (as
well as most of the others)
without any warrant
requirements at all.
Only connect. - E.M. Forster
Absolutely
I was going to bring that up earlier. The FBI, "The Terror Factory".
We may have just seen some of it's work.
http://trevoraaronson.com/book/
Yeah, I've been feeling sorry for the alleged Orlando shooter
lately. Strongly suspect the
fibbees were using his
closeted gay behavior as
leverage to turn him into an
agent provocateur to entrap
more hapless citizens with
"funny-sounding" last names
as terrorist-wannabes and
the guy just fractured under
the pressure.
Only connect. - E.M. Forster
Israel’s Unit 8200 pressures Palestinians to turn collaborator
“Pressures” is probably a more polite word for “blackmails.” Palestinians have no rights and that includes the right to privacy. There are no limits on the information the Israeli government can collect on them, the methods it can use, or what it can do with it.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/sep/12/israel-unit-8200-refusenik...
Sounds like the US.
US citizens have no right to
privacy, Constitutional or
otherwise.
Also, apparently no limits on
the information that can be
collected on them/us nor
the (ever-expanding) uses to
which that information can
be put.
Only connect. - E.M. Forster
Looks legit.
I would spect no less from an agency that is run by reptilian aliens in human disguise.
Can we wait on the FBI until after they nab HRC?
And Bill.
We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.--Aristotle
If there is no struggle there is no progress.--Frederick Douglass
Abolishing the FBI is probably more likely and easier /nt
Only connect. - E.M. Forster
True, but...
I am an eternal optimist except when I am angry or depressed. Then I am an angry and depressed optimist.
We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.--Aristotle
If there is no struggle there is no progress.--Frederick Douglass
The CIA has committed more violence in countries
Than the FBI has. How many coups, assassinations,tortures, renditions and many other atrocities has it committed since its inception?
And one of the first agency that needs to be abolished is the TSA.
Good God, I can't believe how so many people are still willingly giving up their 4th amendment rights.
On my local website this morning, I read an article about a guy suing them because the security delay made him miss his flight.
In the comment section, people are still defending that worthless agency. They really believe that it is keeping terrorists off the flights even though it has been well documented that they miss up to 80% of the materials that are banned.
And people have no problem either being in line for hours just to see a ballgame or other social events.
And with all of the illegal spying by the NSA, terrible things are still happening in the country
The Boston bombers had been on the FBI watch list, interviewed and they still bombed the marathon
The shooter in Orlando was on the no fly list, yet was still able to buy guns.
Which AIPAC/MIC/pharma/bank bought politician are you going to vote for? Don’t be surprised when nothing changes.
And Homeland Security established under Bush
That was a real power grab and in effect created a national top down police state.
Remember when we were saying ten years ago the War OF Terror would last forever?
Abolishing der Homeland Security jobs program
would get rid of most of the
US internal spy operations.
Restricting the DoD's NSA
to defense against
declared external enemies
would help a lot, too.
Only connect. - E.M. Forster
Amazing how the Democrats slammed the Bush administration
but when push came to shove, they voted for every draconian law, funded every military operation, and, after Obama took over, adopted every Bush 43 policy as their own and in many cases drastically expanded it.
(No subject)
Not really. As Pelosi made clear after Obama's election,
both the Blue Team and the
Red Team are just hired
entertainment, both owned
by the oligarchs to do the
oligarchs' bidding.
That the oligarchs have
chosen this election for both
parties to fall apart does not
bode well for the people.
As the velvet glove comes
off, the iron fist is revealed . . .
Only connect. - E.M. Forster
This is why there are two political parties
... In the oligarchy, so that one can legitimize the actions of the other. The ratchet only moves one way
Dig within. There lies the wellspring of all good. Ever dig and it will ever flow
Marcus Aurelius
The US has been at war since June 1950,
the beginning of the Korean
War, which is still ongoing.
Combat activities only
ceased as an agreement
between generals - not even
diplomats. There was never
a declared ceasefire much
less a peace treaty.
And no matter how many
times North Korea agrees to
give up its nukes program
in return for a peace treaty,
the US always refuses to
such a deal.
Meanwhile, so long as the
US is at war, the 1944
Supreme Court decision
Korematsu v. U.S. - the
decision that upheld the
internment of Japanese-
Americans and established
the principle that during
times of war the judiciary
will defer to the military -
holds that, well, the military
is in charge.
Only connect. - E.M. Forster
I don't see foreign policy
I don't see foreign policy reform under the people's summit. We do not live in isolation. You can't separate the two. We can't be funding the way towards global hegemony for the multinationals as played out in accordance with the Project for the New American Century - Hillary's script - and fight for the type of equality and justice outlined under the people's summit.
Perplexing isn't it.
One of my big complaints with these Bernie Revolution extension efforts, "where's the beef"? It's the same with the "People's Revolution" effort in Philadelphia.
It's like people just want to ignore it and hope it goes away.
It ain't going away and you're right, U.S. imperialism must be addressed for other issues to be properly addressed.
I think people's desire to focus on our internal issues
is a tacit acknowledgement that our money and effort should not be going to Imperialistic policies overseas.
However, you're right, it should be spelled out that we want no wars unless we are literally invaded by some other country. (I think it would be a hard sell to have people disavow war in all cases, even invasion, but there should be no wars of profit, convenience, regime change, coups, etc. etc.)
Push comes to shove, most people would agree
about imperialism I would think. Problem is so much of the public is ignorant about it and brainwashed to think that it's not imperialism, it's the "global policeman" role, which is pure BS.
Personally I think the no wars part should be easy because I'm a firm believer that ALL wars are a racket. I believe all wars are created, instigated, started by the power elite for the power elite and not for the purpose of defense. Not even WWII, that was a manufactured war that would not have occurred without the ruling class machinations for power and greed.
If the people could understand that the enemy is not us or them, it's those with the power to rule us, the small plutocracy/oligarchy (plutarcy) that seeks global hegemony, then they would understand there need be no war at all.
But ya, it's a hard sell no matter with the media propaganda apparatus the ruling class has control of. 90% of the media is controlled by six corporations and by extension the rich people who control those corporations. That has to change or be challenged as much as anything.
Which reminds me to add it to the list.
I agree - most people don't want war, but are led to believe
the US in acting in good faith, or for human rights (ha!) or "preemptively" striking to prevent an even bigger war.
I do think if most people really understood what was going on, they would not support any of these wars currently going on.
If you can't go
You can donate to the "scholarship fund" to help someone else go.
http://www.thepeoplessummit.org/register/
Life is strong. I'm weak, but Life is strong.
One thing
Change
to end the two party system.
Practially without exception these sycophants are working for the donor class, advancing corporate agendas, supporting global warming, keeping guns on our streets, perpetuating war and working to undermine the working class. FTA.
The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself. - Friedrich Nietzsche -
Total repeal of the Patriot Act
The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself. - Friedrich Nietzsche -
Amen.
Definitely can't forget about that.
See, there's another one, why aren't things like this on the "lists".
How about we get Jonathan Turley to
bring lawsuits to overturn Korematsu, the PATRIOT Act, the (by now maybe updated) 2001 AUMF, and God knows how many other odious laws that have stripped us of our Constitutional rights and continued and expanded this foreverwhereverwar?
I'm sure Turley already has a Wish List of cases he'd love to successfully argue before the Supremes! He'll need plaintifs and money (because such suits are extremely expensive even with volunteer lawyers), and I don't know what else.
Why don't we compile a wish list of laws we'd like over-turned and hit him up with it and at least see what he thinks of the idea?
On edit:
Looks like I've strayed off/
beyond topic.
More on topic might just be
a list of laws that need to
be overturned, and I believe
it starts with Korematsu.
Do we really need to wait until
after they've begun interning
Muslims/"potential Islamic
extremists" to even start such
a lawsuit?
Only connect. - E.M. Forster
Let's do it.
See that's part of a multi-pronged attack we should be organizing for this revolution, not these democratic party affiliated efforts. The 2001 AUMF, end the War OF Terror.
I need to make this list into a working document.
The CCR (Center for Constitutional Rights) might be a source also. Sure couldn't hurt to shoot him off a letter of some kind, but I'd like to see it fleshed off more as to how this would tie into the broader revolution.
On the legal front
we could also add challenging
these crap-ass "civil
foreiture"/highway robbery
laws and whatever legal
framework is allowing local
police and school districts
for chrissakes to "upgrade"
with military equipment in
the name of "keeping us (and
the children!) safe."
Only connect. - E.M. Forster
Also get rid of the profiling "Violent Extremist Students"
Program that Meteor Man
wrote about yesterday:
http://caucus99percent.com/content/fbis-violent-extremist-students-program
They have already begun
profiling grade school kids
in Britain for "extremist
tendencies" - for social
worker-type "intervention"
(not reeducation), of course.
And let's not forget the "Get
$ for Snitching on Fellow
Students" program Wendy
Davis wrote about here (I'll
have to look up the link).
All these "pograms" need to
be on anyone's slow or fast
revolution list.
Only connect. - E.M. Forster
Here's the link to wendy's essay
DHS Is Paying Students to Spy on Classmates in the Name of Safer Schools for Some™:
http://caucus99percent.com/content/dhs-paying-students-spy-classmates-na...
Only connect. - E.M. Forster
Abolish capitalism, period.
To me, there is no "good" kind, or potential for a "good" kind. No need for additional adjectives regarding the type of capitalism, IMO. End it all, root and branch.
Make it illegal for anyone to own anyone else -- their bodies, their production, their time. Make it illegal for anyone to dictate the value of others. That should a democratic decision, only. All of us, with equal voices, stakes, shares, power and say. We all decide. No more
"the few decide for the many."
The latter is also why I'm against elections. They're the seed pods for corruption, along with capitalism. We should just rotate in citizens as temporary facilitators. We'd all do our duty for some period of time, perhaps two years, or four, or six. Then we go home. No permanent power structure, anywhere. No permanent positions of power, anywhere. No "bosses" anywhere. Not via the political system, or the economy. Unfortunately, when you have a representational system, with elections, you have bosses. So no more permanent reps. Temps instead, via lotteries or some such mechanism.
Community levels, regional and national. So we could have, say, two years in the community, two years regionally, and two years nationally, or something like that.
Also, no money. Just digits, debited from personal, community, regional and national accounts. No more connection between sales and funding for compensation, or sales and taxes for public projects. The funding stream would be entirely, absolutely separate from all of that and publicly held. Sales totals would no longer be relevant, and taxes would no longer be needed. No more debt or deficits, either.
There is in me an anarchy and frightful disorder. Creating makes me die a thousand deaths, because it means making order, and my entire being rebels against order. But without it I would die, scattered to the winds.
-- Albert Camus
My only issue with your idea is competence
Some people are naturally skilled in a certain area, say - farming or growing things - but would be lost in another area - say technology - and just having a lottery appoint people to decision-making/facilitation positions without regards for skills seems problematic. Additionally, as long as there are other countries out there, we need to have some kind of foreign policy, although I'd like to see it be more along the lines of the policy of those countries no one ever hears from, but issues like foreign policy decisions really require a sound knowledge of history and the workings of other country's governments in order to make wise decisions (not that we're doing so now).
There must be a better way. I have no idea what that way would be, though. I'd say local councils where people are chosen based on their skill sets, but that can lead right back to the same people being in power. Term limits? I don't know.
I like the idea of everyone serving in some way, though - if only for the ownership aspect alone.
Some good ideas.
What I'm aiming for is and one of the things you've highlighted is this:
"That should a democratic decision, only. All of us, with equal voices, stakes, shares, power and say. We all decide. No more
"the few decide for the many."
Freedom and equality, that's what I want. Capitalism may not ever be able to provide that granted, but in the end the people have to be able to decide all of this.
Also, my instincts do not like the no money part. To me that signifies control and I am against control. But excellent discussion material here.
No money and no profits actually radically reduce "control."
And by money, I'm talking about as we use it today. We would still have a kind of currency, though it would be electronic only. It would be publicly held, in "people's banks," and when you work, you get additional digits added to your account. When you purchase certain goods and services -- those not already provided without any exchange/debits -- a certain number of digits would be removed from your account.
Communities, regions and the nation would also have accounts, which would provide all the funding for public projects. As mentioned, no more taxes, no debt, no deficits. We would have unlimited digits to fund whatever we wanted, though we would set limits together, craft budgets, set up production to order, to avoid gluts, waste, pollution, etc. etc.
I detailed this at TOP a bit. But may return to it and flesh it out in a new essay here. Thanks for your essay, btw. It's sparked a lot of food for thought. Well done.
There is in me an anarchy and frightful disorder. Creating makes me die a thousand deaths, because it means making order, and my entire being rebels against order. But without it I would die, scattered to the winds.
-- Albert Camus
Thank you,
and for your thoughts here. We'll have to continue this.
Graeber has also written an article on democracy,
entitled "There Never Was a 'West'." It is a very long article, but Graeber is an excellent and entertaining writer. "There Never Was a 'West'" is well worth reading, then re-reading and studying. The article will give you food for thought for a very long time, if it affects you as it did me and every reviewer of the piece that I have read.
You can read it at:
https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/david-graeber-there-never-was-a-...
Only connect. - E.M. Forster
thanks dr, will get at that tonight.
Anthropologist David Graeber
presented a 10-part series (each segment about 15 minutes long) on BBC Radio 4 in March based on his book "Debt: The First 5,000 Years," in which he explores the ways debt has shaped society over the past 5,000 years and, in summation, offers some ideas based on that history on where we might go from here.
From the introduction to the first part of the series:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b054zdp6/episodes/player
Click the link to listen to the BBC's archive of the radio series. (i couldn't find any transcript of it.)
Only connect. - E.M. Forster
I have his book. It's a good read.
Very important voice within Occupy and its beginnings, too.
I also like his conception of small "c" communism, and agree with him about this. That we're natural communists of that small "c" variety. We prove this daily with the way we act within families, neighborhoods, even at work. So much of what we do is based on sharing, willingly done, with no expectation of remuneration. Even within a capitalist corporation we share our knowledge and our skills with our co-workers, with no expectation for any monetary reward.
Graeber is a smart fella.
There is in me an anarchy and frightful disorder. Creating makes me die a thousand deaths, because it means making order, and my entire being rebels against order. But without it I would die, scattered to the winds.
-- Albert Camus
I can understand that objection.
People could remain in their chosen jobs for as long as they liked, so "expertise" could be developed that way. The "temp" part I'm referring to is for political facilitators, at those different levels, and workplace direction. Not the vocation itself.
And we'd attack the problem in another way as well. In this new society, everyone, without exception, would have completely open and free access to the widest possible array of skills training, the arts, crafts, science, math, tech, engineering, etc. etc. From Day One.
Cradle to grave lifetime learning. No one left behind. And we'd teach everyone how to self-provide to the degree possible. Make their own stuff. Grow their own food and so on. Society would vigorously promote independence (of mind and body), critical thinking, and a host of different skill sets, with constant cross-training (open to everyone). No one would be raised to be just a cog in some corporation. No one would have to put off their dreams due to money, or the lack thereof. Money would no longer be able to block anyone from achieving their fullest potential as human beings. It would no longer be a requirement for this, etc.
There is in me an anarchy and frightful disorder. Creating makes me die a thousand deaths, because it means making order, and my entire being rebels against order. But without it I would die, scattered to the winds.
-- Albert Camus
Lifelong learning...
That will win me over anytime! There are so many things i want to learn and do, but instead I spend all my time (except when I'm wasting it here) "making" money to survive. Wouldn't it be great if we could all use our lives to explore different vocations and find something really worthwhile to do and contribute?
I love this quote from Marx:
In the society I envision, this would be an option for everyone. But, as mentioned above, people could also choose to stay with one occupation, if that was their desire. But they wouldn't have to. Working would really be for extras in life, and more personal options and flexibility. Everyone, just by being a citizen, would have guaranteed medical care, education, cultural venues, parks and rec, housing, food and so on. All the basics, all the necessities would be covered. Having a job, however, would add further options. It would give people the ability to buy their own home, for instance, instead of going with public housing. They could easily travel within and outside the new nation. They'd be able to purchase more things for themselves and their family, etc.
Everyone who wanted to work could. Society would guarantee jobs, too. All at comfortable wages, set democratically, and set to match up with the prices of goods and services. This would be in sync to benefit all citizens . . . . rather than the way we do it now, which is to benefit capitalists. In the capitalist system, wages are suppressed to enable wealth concentration at the top. This would no longer be possible in the new society.
There is in me an anarchy and frightful disorder. Creating makes me die a thousand deaths, because it means making order, and my entire being rebels against order. But without it I would die, scattered to the winds.
-- Albert Camus