It's not so simple. Solutions I mean.

There are solutions but nobody has the power to take us there. The nation is only going in one direction. The ballot box will not take us there. There are some that want to take us there, but they ultimately do not have the power in Washington it seems, no matter the numbers make up. We should vote for those that would take us there if they could. But it will also take efforts in the streets and in our communities to add to the few that would in Washington if they could. We have to send a message we cannot be dictated to. We cannot be dismissed. That ultimately is the only way.

"An Economy Turned Upside Down"

While mainstream America is hoping for federal economic reform, some social justice organizations have a radically different idea, and are organizing low-income communities to build a new economy from the grassroots up. Tired of asking for change from the top down, they are taking their economy into their own hands. Social justice organizations, having a strong membership base rooted in community, are ideal spaces to cultivate alternative economic projects, as relationships of trust and solidarity have been nurtured over time through education and a history of taking action for justice. Here are some exciting examples of grassroots alternative economy projects for social justice:

Alliance to Develop Power(ADP) is social justice organization based in Massachusetts with a membership of 10,000 low-income African Americans and Latinos. According to Sally Kohn of the Nation, ADP has stated that “at the end of every issue campaign, our goal is to create an institution that our members control.” This a lofty goal for an organization that fights for basic necessities, like housing, on a regular basis. ADP is creating a 1,200 unit tenant-owned housing cooperative, a worker coops to provide landscaping, construction, building maintenance and weatherization for the homes, as well as four volunteer-run food coops for local health food access.

In what appears to be an emerging trend, San Francisco's PODER (People Organizing to Demand Environmental and Economic Rights) expresses similar goals. Oscar Grande, Community Organizer for PODER, said they “aspire to be ADP when they grow up.” Every year, PODER fights to get City Hall to allocate funding for its economically disadvantaged community. It's a battle that consumes most of its energy, and in the end the community rarely gets what it needs. This year, PODER moved beyond reactive social justice campaigns to explore the uncharted territory of proactive alternative economics with its members. It leveraged a strong community base to get funding to plan a work force development center in the neighborhood with the membership’s input. Based on members' interests, PODER is developing an exchange group through BACE Timebank, which members hope will help support their Semillero worker coop incubation project. And the organization is investigating participatory budgeting as a tool to shift power to its membership in the municipal budget-making process in order to fund more community-driven initiatives, like worker coop training programs.

FULL ARTICLE HERE: http://www.shareable.net/blog/an-economy-turned-upside-down

You always come through.

of simply learning to act in responsible and compassionate way, the community way. There's no need to shout any special message that we cannot be dictated. Just walking away from the dictators and not taking orders from them in civil disobedience, while taking care of each other - coops, intentional communities etc. - is message enough.

Grass roots revolution of refinding self-confidence as communities and individuals: we are not dependet from the dictators, bankers, politicians, TPTB.., they are just non-productive parasites who are dependent from us and can keep on parasiting only as long as they are able to hypnotize us into believing that they are needed and we cannot live without them bossing and robbing us.

If we want the party to change we've got to oppose from the INSIDE.

That means we have to do the things it takes to hold positions inside the party.

Out on the street, making noise will get us caged in Free Speech Zones miles from any possibility of being influential.

platforms they create including a state's representatives in DC. I know from experience. You have to run yourself or someone of like mind. So you are correct but street work is necessary. Otherwise, they only see the crazies from the "tea party.

If by rank and file you mean people whose only connection is voting and donating time and money I totally agree.

If you mean delegates to conventions and state officers of the party, and folks writing position papers, speeches and model legislation, then I think I disagree.

If progressives want to change the party, they have to have influence, to get that, they've got to move into positions that have influence.

The DLC did it, the T-baggers did it. It IS doable. Lots of progressives just have to commit to doing it.

but have been a delegate and voted on platforms and positions. I've also been part of groups that produce ideas to add to platforms.

is where it counts.

ideas. In fact, I can't remember any Third Way positions being advocated at that level.

Take that out of the equation, and everything is easy.