Are "Governments" a thing of the past?
Geographically defined powers are slowly ceding power to economic entities. In an age of instant, electronic communications, multi-national economic alliances can do business through a network of "ether," or compute on a "cloud." What use do such powers have for those who are bound by imaginary geographic borders?
There's a wave of change coming. Learn to surf or drown. Corporations are the superpowers of the near-future. What corporate model will dominate? Right now it seems as if all the recognized players on the field are the standard, capitalistic corporations. Hierarchical, authoritarian, profit driven, and dedicated to serving the board of directors--not necessarily the employees.
In other words, a world wide Republican Party.
But hey! Aren't we the Democratic Party? Can't we offer a corporate model that's democratic and progressive? What about the Not-for-Profit model, or the CO-OP model?
When Republicans tell us that the country needs to be run like a company, we should agree!
"Yeah!" we'd say: "Run America like a CO-OP!"
How do you run a CO-OP?
Cooperatives
Are owned and democratically controlled by their members-the people who use the co-op’s services or buy its goods-not by outside investors; Co-op members elect their board of directors from within the membership.
Return surplus revenues (income over expenses and investment) to members proportionate to their use of the cooperative, not proportionate to their “investment” or ownership share.
Are motivated not by profit, but by service-to meet their members’ needs or affordable and high quality goods or services; Exist solely to serve their members.
Pay taxes on income kept within the co-op for investment and reserves. Surplus revenues from the co-op are returned to individual members who pay taxes on that income.
http://www.ncba.coop/ncba/about-co-opsThis new world order, global economy is coming. I don't think it can be stopped. Democrats have to find a way to play this game that doesn't force us to become Capitalist tools in the process. We've already seen that in our party, we call them Blue Dogs, or New Dems. Our answer has always been to promote more politically progressive candidates.
What we need to do is admit that progressive politics are not enough, and that we need progressive economic models. As politicians cede power to CEOs, Democrats need an alternative.
How can we change the current narrative from "We need to run our country like a business" to "We need to run our country like the
right business?"
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