So, NOW what do we do?

I think it's apparent to most of us that the current system is not working to the benefit of We the People and that we are, clearly, well on our way to becoming a fascist nation. Virtually all legislation is geared to benefit the multi-nationals at the expense of the poor and middle class and our elected "representatives" represent only the monied interests. They cart us out every two years for the dog-and-pony show laughingly called elections and promptly forget about us in between. I just keep thinking of a quote from Frank Zappa:

"The illusion of freedom will continue as long as it's profitable to continue the illusion. At the point where the illusion becomes too expensive to maintain, they will just take down the scenery, they will pull back the curtains, they will move the tables and chairs out of the way and you will see the brick wall at the back of the theater."

The Founders handed us a perfectly good form of Democracy and each generation has been charged with maintaining it. This isn't he first time in our history that our form of government has been challenged nor will it be the last. The questions is, as the current stewards, what do WE do?

I would like to hear from DUers about what they think We the People can do to take back our Democracy and take back our country. And as the originator of this thread I get to be first. :P ;-)

1. Take the Blinders Off. Understand our peril as it is and not as you'd like it to be. The two-party system as it stands has been severely compromised. Staying within the confines of the rules at DU, the Democratic Party needs purged of the corporate cronies and replaced with representatives who will actually represent us. The only way this is going to happen is from the bottom up. It's up to us to hold our candidates' feet to the fire and if they don't represent us, find someone who does.

2. Join the Sustainability Movement. Learn to grow your own food, cook from scratch, can and preserve, shop at thrift stores and yard sales, sew, weave, knit, and fix stuff that's broken. We used to know how to do that but we've been TRAINED to be a consumer nation. There's an old saying that (I think) came about during the Depression: "Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without." The more independent we become, the more of our own money we get to keep and the less money we shovel up to The Masters.

3. Start or Join a Community Alliance Group In Your Area. This is an idea I've had rolling around in my head for awhile and this year I've finally committed to trying to implement it. The Community Alliance is simply the residents of a particular neighborhood getting together for mutually-beneficial activities. Our first event is a Neighborhood Yard Sale. Our next event is a Neighborhood Watch Meeting followed by a Fourth of July Firework Display and Pot Luck. Those are just openers but, eventually, I envision things like neighbors holding workshops in their area of expertise or getting together a barter list wherein neighbors can barter goods and services with one another. Once again it's about independence through resource sharing, saving money and not feeding the corporate coffers.

I have lots more but the idea is for DUers to offer their suggestions.

Now you.

form.



.........The Founders handed us a perfectly good form of Democracy and each generation has been charged with maintaining it. This isn't he first time in our history that our form of government has been challenged nor will it be the last. The questions is, as the current stewards, what do WE do?..........

else I wouldn't be allowed to vote and African-Americans would still be 3/5ths of a person. I'm just interested in getting as close to the ideal as possible. At the moment we seem to be headed in the opposite direction.

tea party or whatever you want to call them---is a static form of democracy-that that does not change-or one that they do not want to see as 'living'.

of conservativism.

The electoral process is an exercise in futility at this time. The people have no strength and this is only to be found in the streets. There is a crying need for organization, long term planning and commitment, it can't be a one shot deal.

Any specifics?

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MILITANT extra electoral politics. BTW, it doesn't NECESSARILY have to be violent. But it DOES have to have a good measure of self defense, as individuals and as a class.

when has a ruling class moved along quietly? Their violence is a reaction to our organization, ours is a response to their violence.

ours is a response to their violence."

That, my comrade, is it in a nutshell. That's why our violence is only self defense.

...we educate, educate, educate and register citizens to vote.


Getting involved at the local level is critical.


Changing the national Dems is necessary. We've got a whole bunch of damn fine Dems here in Wisconsin. At the Federal level I believe the vast majority are corrupt.

But the way I see it, there needs to be some massive recruitment of people willing to run for congress. People who have not been compromised. With unemployment so high, WHY ARE UNEMPLOYED PEOPLE NOT LINING UP TO RUN FOR THESE FABULOUS JOBS? Have a garage sale to come up with the filing fee, then get out and knock on a few thousand doors. They're unemployed anyway. They got lots of free time to campaign.

...having every mistake you ever made trotted out against you.

How many are willing to do that? Of those, how many have the verbal and finesse skills necessary to be competitive? The knowledge of the issues?

It's hard to find good, willing candidates.

Certainly in my case.

lay 'em on me. (Shameless one-time kick. ;-))

:kick:

realize the fabricated distractions and call them out..realize the fabricated divisions and supposed differences among us and call them out..accept that actions speak louder than words or a D behind ones name and call them out..call out the cheerleaders as there is little to cheer about

your post yesterday and today are reflective of a growing awareness ..forget MSM and the polls and stick to the truth..ie, we're in 3 wars and doing covert operations in yemen which may very well be a 4th...support only those who tell the truth even when its not convenient...i have faith in us, with the blinders off we will move toward a solution...

nothing will change until the "this is a facist nation" and "this is a socialist nation" groups come together and defend our country as one united group.

Would progressive alliances work here?

unless the progressive and conservative minorities are willing to dump their "our way or no way" train of thought and work with the moderate majority.

If any alliance is going to work, the people must place country before ideology. And that will NEVER happen again. Those days are long gone.

part of the problem.

is why things are only going to change for the worse.

Using government to force a certain way of life onto Americans has proven to not work. It divides us and has brought to where we are now, which is exactly where TPTB wants.

Our nation can only be fixed when We the People stop believing others who hold differing beliefs and values are the problem.

2. Incentives to bring back the jobs

3. become a manufacturing nation

That's in the political level.

On the personal level, Thomas Jefferson said it best: “Every generation needs a new revolution.” Or perhaps John F Kennedy “Those who make peaceful revolution impossible, make violent revolution inevitable.”

greece, spain, not to mention yemen, syria, ..and the arab spring. Unrest is in the air and occurs when folks have no other solution.

http://ampedstatus.org/acts-of-resistance-what-are-you-going-to-do-on-june-14th-to-rebel-against-economic-tyranny/

http://ampedstatus.org/june-14th-economic-rebellion-update-–-this-is-what-decentralized-resistance-looks-like/


remember the date - June 14 - :hi: and this:


There is no act too small, no act too bold. The history of social change is the history of millions of actions, small and large, coming together at points in history and creating a power that governments cannot suppress.
- Howard Zinn



And BTW, I really like your Community Alliance idea; I've been thinking along these lines too (although it doesn't have to be geographically restricted to one area). I am convinced that building such networks is an essential step; people need to organize and work together.

I get my clothes at the Goodwill, I started a vegetable garden, cut my trash down by 1/3 by composting, use less water, I want chickens and goats for milk but husband is not excited about that yet. Want to rig up solar for water. Also joined homestead.org, pretty liberal members. The homesteadingtoday.com are pretty right wing wacka-doodle, stay away from them!! They think it is OK to kill someone who walks onto your property. Whoooooo!!!

I wrote this one day when thinking of what I would like to see in a leader. What was interesting is that the concept of this type of leader appeared to genuinely frighten some people. The post is an allegory; there is no way that I am smart enough, or charismatic enough, to be the leader depicted in the post. I totally believe that it is important for everyone to individually do what they can, but I also think we need a wise council and a courageous leader that can unify the movement.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x767568

The 3 suggestions you listed in your post are awesome; some of us have been at this for a long time already.;)

http://www.okanoganfamilyfaire.net/

http://www.welcomehome.org/rainbow/sites/annual-site.html

Peace

...who can raise a gazillion dollars.