Forum Post: a call for localism
Posted 13 years ago on Oct. 19, 2011, 4:25 a.m. EST by fuzzybucket
(33)
This content is user submitted and not an official statement
I believe the way forward is to invest our time, resources, and money into local institutions so that we can build up a local economy that is tied to community rather than to a quarterly balance sheet on wall street. If we support local and regional banks that are invested in the community, we will help capitalize these institutions to build a local economy that will invest in more businesses and perhaps bolster a struggling housing market. The growth of new businesses may eventually support more manufacturing jobs in a local economy.
A good model for this movement to shift from a globalized corporate economy towards relocalizing goods and services into a local economy is the slow food culture that emphasized local sustainable and organic food production for a healthier way of living. We need to do the same and commit our time and resources to support local shops and institutions that are invested in the community and its people. Currently, corporations and our do nothing government has overtaken the media, despoiled our environment, and ruined our national economy. The only way to fight back is to make choices to support a call for 'localism'. I think this is message we need to get out to everyone who is angry, frustrated, and suffering in this country and wants to make a difference today and not wait for an end to corporate welfare and reform policies from our government that will never come. Using this opportunity to channel the voice and will of everyone in this movement to commit to relocalization efforts in their own communities I think will send a clear message to both our politicians and to wall street.
We can make a difference together in our own communities...
I like it ecause each locality retains it's own idenity and culture based on the resources of it's community. If anything, this will help localities come together with this shared idenity. Maybe end the fed should mean more than just the federal reserve, but the federal government too?
The communities that develop strong local economies will be the ones that rise out of this first, or avoid disaster the longest.
This would have a major impact on global warming.
Absolutely. It would help us become less reliant on an oil-based economy. Our whole economy is based on cheap oil. The sooner we move away from this model, the better off we will become both economically and spiritually.
Yes. It's insane. If you even try to imaging the hundreds of millions of cars on the planet. Millions of semi tractor trailers, thousands of deisel powered barges and shipping vessels, millions of jet planes, thousands of coal fired power plants... You get the idea.
It's a miracle this planet doesn't already resemble something out of Blade Runner. Then again, I guess parts of it do.
http://metapolitik.org/blog/toward-global-open-society
http://metapolitik.org/content/demands
Unfortunately, that is where we are headed. I think we are way beyond the tipping point to make any substantive difference in our trajectory, even if we drastically reduce our carbon emissions and convert to a green economy overnight. Right now, it is more about how bad it will become. sorry to be a downer but the dysfunction in our government and a heavy handed corporate culture in our lives gives me very little hope. But at least, OWS has been a long time coming and we are finally putting it out there!!!
Being real about the situation is not being a 'downer' (IMHO).
What brings me down is the people who use this observation as an excuse to do nothing.
I absolutely agree. I always try to encourage my family and friends to make whatever difference they can: contribute to campaigns, write to local representatives and, most of all, VOTE! If we all did that, we would change the focus of this country.
As long as nobody votes Democrat OR Republican then yes... Otherwise (any more), you're just casting your vote for Wall St.
When politicians and Wall St. say "non-partisan" or "bi-partisan" anymore... What they really mean is that they own both parties.
Mass Exodus... Vote Green!
http://metapolitik.org/content/time-green-president-draft-jill-stein-us-president-2012
i hear you, but we have no viable third party to challenge our existing two-party system. Perhaps through OWS and a 'localism' movement, a third party that aligns with our goals to reform government and our current corporate culture could possibly emerge and grow in strength and appeal over time. I would welcome that and I think there is a populist agenda that can be supported by the mainstream population. We are starting that discussion today but until then I cannot sit idly by and vote for a third party candidate as a protest vote with no possibility of gaining office. Although not perfect, the Democrats most closely align with our goals to reform a corrupt system. When a third party does rise, it will help shift the balance in our two-party system where it will either gain strength or cause the Democrats to try and capture that momentum and realign its values with a growing movement. It may be similar to what the tea party is doing to the Republicans. Most of all, I believe the problem with your approach is all too common. People who tend to lean more liberal or vote Democratic are more likely to stay away from the polls, whereas, the base for conservative voters are more energized and active in voicing their support at the polls. I think that is what happened during the 2010 midterm election and what many in the Democratic Party is fearing will happen in the 2012.
No, I am sorry but the Democrats are 100% owned/co-opted by Wall St. and Big Business.
There is no hope left in them.
The Green Party is viable, active, participatory and engaged:
Positions
Jill Stein for President 2012Downsize Wall St.
Taxing Wall Street Speculation
Stopping Off Shore Tax-Havens
Taxing Multimillion Dollar Estates
30% Reduction in the U.S. Military Budget
Get Money Out of Politics
Green New Deal
Employ Every American
Health Care for Every American
Education for Every Student
A Home for Every Family
Bring Our Troops Home
Repeal the Patriot Act
Address Climate Change
Sustainable Energy Infrastructure
Sustainable Transportation Infrastructure
Sustainable Production Infrastructure
Mass Transit
Regional Food Distribution
Organic Agriculture
Clean Manufacturing
http://metapolitik.org/content/time-green-president-draft-jill-stein-us-president-2012
http://www.jillstein.org/
I totaly agree with the whole local idea, and if we develop our own trade routes for products that are regional we would gently expand everyones market a little.
Also, it would make it more difficult for multinational corporations to hijack the economy and flood it with useless 'goods'.
thank you met! push on
Do you honestly believe that our politicians care about what we want? Everything that has been voted on and approved is the reason why we are in this mess in the first place.
That being the case, voters created their own hell.
Local governments, too! Direct democracy on big decisions like wars, health care, trade agreements, etc.
YES!! Great post, thank you.
However I note that with the intrusion of big federal government, this is NOT possible.
I disagree. It is already happening - see below:
http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/video/bank-customers-close-accounts-14806105?tab=9482930§ion=1206853&playlist=14806380
This is great - exactly the kind of thing we as consumers must do to reduce the power of these corporations.
I've had my money in credit unions for the last 20 years. They provide better service and there aren't a bunch of random fees. They are also owned by the shareholders (the customers).
Finally a sensible idea. I've discussed this with my wife and supporting local businesses is really the way to take power away from the Corporations.
We also need to get away from the career politicians and start electing common, intelligent, and successful individuals to bring some common sense and trustworthiness back to our government. I just heard Biden say today his focus now till the election is to work to get Obama reelected. If Obama does his job there would be no need to wast over 25% of his term campaigning for reelection. It's time to start using our heads for more then a hat rack.
excellent evolutionary strategy.
Agreed, and I particularly like the statement -- the only way to fight back is to make choices to support a call for 'localism' -- so perhaps you would consider our group's proposal of an alternative online direct democracy of government and business at http://getsatisfaction.com/americanselect/topics/on_strategically_weighted_policies_organizational_operating_structures_tactical_investment_procedures-448eo , hit the facebook “like” button if agreed, and then join our group's 20 members committed to that plan at http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/StrategicInternationalSystems/
The problem is with the federal govt. But i have noticed lately that the NYCGA seems to be pushing this local community thing and that all local communities have different problems. SO everyone should protest what is wrong in their local community.
Sorry that is not how it works. Federal govt makes the rules. We get nowhere by protesting the mayor and city council. It is a federal problem.
Either the NYCGA needs to step up and lead this thing or they need to GTFO of the way and let others do it. They are jacking around doing silly shit in the park instead of worry about leading this movement or putting ways together so everyone can speak in a unified voice. I been reading the GA minutes and they been focusing on running their little mini country they have going in the park.
Like a bunch of kids playing a game. Either get busy or GTFO out of the way.
i am poor and a cheap bastard. i'd buy from walmart because i can't afford anything else.
Yes, great idea. But we need to get the whole movement behind it. Let's face it, Corporate America are not going to create any more jobs in the US - certainly not until they drive Obama out of the white house anyway. So, how can anyone (other than the corporates) say that encouraging people to buy local is not a good thing? People are getting fed up with OWS because 1) they say that we are all a load of whiners that don't offer any alternatives, and 2) we are viewed as being anti-capitalist. So encouraging people to buy locally would be a positive action, intended to create employment AND if we are trying to build local businesses, how is that anti-capitalist? This is a great idea, but how do we get the movement to get behind it (so OWS benefits from the positive publicity) and how do we get sufficient numbers of people to support it to make a difference? We can all do our little part, but we also need to spread the word.
This 'localism' totally fits in with the grassroots movement of OWS. This is a call to action that can be implemented in all communities and through such an open forum as this, an exchange of ideas and networking possibilities, we can support each other to promote and grow this local movement. I hope this idea will be included within a larger framework to effect national policies that would redress priorities for the middle class. Changing the political landscape would be a longer term process that will require persistence and will. In the meantime, if we can change the behavior in how we choose to consume, then we can make a real difference immediately. We may not eliminate our desire for corporate stores as Target or Costco overnight but if this localism effort becomes more powerful and pervasive enough, such stores will invest in more American made goods and promote their efforts in contributing to the local community. Some of these store are already doing that and we can recognize that and vote with our dollars today. In the end, I hope that OWS will become the megaphone that can spread and implement this "localism" movement.
Really they have us by the balls. Local products generally cost more and it difficult for people to take the more expensive option especially when they have a shortage of funds. The exception is home grown food which is ofcourse much cheaper and higher quality then store bought food. Local is good but the key is to differentiate between destruction and creation. Most of the products sold by the corporations are destructive and arnt even needed. http://occupywallst.org/forum/family-food-gardens-this-is-the-solution/
Right now, food travels on average from farm to plate approximately 1200 miles. With energy prices only going up in the future, the price of food will follow. Do we want to wait for that day to come and succumb to higher prices without a choice or do we try to build a local food system that will be as competitive or likely cheaper and higher quality while also supporting a local economy? Yes, the price of food is cheap today but if we decided now to scale up by supporting urban agriculture, community gardens, farmers markets and protecting existing farmland by building more densely then we can provide access to good quality food for everyone and not just those who can afford to shop at whole foods.
The freshest food is from ones garden. Building densely has no benefit and many problems. How can children play outside if there are busy streets outside with dangerous cars? Productivity of the land can only be maximised when biodiverse systems are best harvested by hand which is easier than travelling to the market. On the contrary lack of human care is destroying farmland and mono cultures are leading to soil erosion, low productivity and disease due to mineral devravation. Other problems are water consumption and pollution. High concentrations of people create problems with access to quality water since the pipes contaminate the water. People are required to work for others because of high rents and the inability to produce. High density cities fundamentally detach us from reality and make us waste energy holding up dead horses such as money.
Higher density does not have to be mega high rises everywhere. What may likely happen will result in transformation of existing suburban neighborhoods into a mixed use zones that will allow an additional one or two units on an existing single family lot. such a scenario will likely occur around existing or planned transit (rail) facilities that would be within walking distance. in response to your concerns about streets becoming unsafe due to higher density - well, in these communities, such streets would be narrowed to slow speed and be shared with pedestrians and bicyclists. such streets are very common in many parts of Europe and Japan. I understand your concerns about increased density and the inherent social and environmental problems that may come with it. but we have come a long way where we can design and build better communities today that would serve a cross section of the population, at all income levels and do it in a more sustainable and healthy manner.
i think the alternative would be much worse which has been the model for development up until the start of mortgage crisis that collapsed the housing market. in that approach, especially where undeveloped farmland was plentiful, generations of family farms were sold and developed as subdivisions. as a result, more and more of our food would be transported from farther distances, and likely from a corporate farm with a monoculture operation.
"Occupy Your Garden!
The Yard Project is proud to sponsor the OccupyFarm.org site for those who want to become less reliant on other entities (e.g. corporations, government, etc) by becoming more self-reliant. In the spirit of this sponsorship we will be providing blogs on basic self-reliant practical applications. Today’s topic is about planting for the future.
Nothing is a better example of action now for a better tomorrow, than growing garlic. It is a simple procedure that needs some forethought in order to reap benefits in the following year. Anyone in the US with a patch of dirt can grow garlic regardless of your zone. " http://occupyfarm.org/?p=14
Wow. Well put. What a breath of fresh air. :)
Fuzzubucket1 - EXACTLY! We need 1) the weight of OWS behind us (there should be a link on the Web site, beside About Us and Donate) that says "Support your community"), 2) information about which corporations ARE buying American so that we can support them, 3) data about how many AMERICAN jobs could be created if just 5% of their spending to local shops.
I will do everything I can to promote this idea, but we need much more publicity about this - both to get more people doing it, and also to show that OWS DOES have positive suggestions - we are not just a bunch of whining dropouts that the 1% and their mouthpiece media would like to make us out to be.
Fuzzubucket1 - EXACTLY! We need 1) the weight of OWS behind us (there should be a link on the Web site, beside About Us and Donate) that says "Support your community"), 2) information about which corporations ARE buying American so that we can support them, 3) data about how many AMERICAN jobs could be created if just 5% of their spending to local shops.
I will do everything I can to promote this idea, but we need much more publicity about this - both to get more people doing it, and also to show that OWS DOES have positive suggestions - we are not just a bunch of whining dropouts that the 1% and their mouthpiece media would like to make us out to be.
I am so with you and hope there will be many people like you who believe in this and make the change both personally and in their own communities...
This is basically what I've been saying for a long time. Even have it written up on my website: http://keller2012.com/work for everyone, and on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tampa-Transformation-Project/234553483263679?sk=info for Tampa specifically. What could happen if we do these types of things in every city/town, especially big ones like NYC?
http://transitionus.org/
Join the global network of emerging Transition Towns... there's probably one near you... These guys have worked hard to construct a basic framework for a sustainable society.
Transition is the next step...
Agreed.
The economy as it stands is a massive carbon cluster fuck. Bump.
Correct position in the long run. My take is that the nwo is working to prevent that kind of independence. Accordingly, after an Article 5 convention, use of our rights to amend the constitution in defense of the constitution, we will be happily be doing exactly what you suggest.----
We are working to create an understanding of Article 5 and how it can be created by efforts in the states compelling them to apply to congress for a convention to amend. We are working to get a skype conference going to inform active Americans as to what article 5 is about.
http://www.articlevmeeting.info/
We need an Article V convention.
Congress is very afraid of it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convention_to_propose_amendments_to_the_United_States_Constitution "Congress acted preemptively to propose the amendments instead. At least four amendments (the Seventeenth, Twenty-First, Twenty-Second, and Twenty-Fifth Amendments) have been identified as being proposed by Congress at least partly in response to the threat of an Article V convention."
Our first right in our contract is Article V, the right to have congress convene delgates when 2/3 of the states have applied for an amendatory convention.
Article. V.
The Congress, whenever two thirds of both Houses shall deem it necessary, shall propose Amendments to this Constitution, or, on the Application of the Legislatures of two thirds of the several States, shall call a Convention for proposing Amendments, which, in either Case, shall be valid to all Intents and Purposes, as Part of this Constitution, when ratified by the Legislatures of three fourths of the several States, or by Conventions in three fourths thereof, as the one or the other Mode of Ratification may be proposed by the Congress; Provided that no Amendment which may be made prior to the Year One thousand eight hundred and eight shall in any Manner affect the first and fourth Clauses in the Ninth Section of the first Article; and that no State, without its Consent, shall be deprived of its equal Suffrage in the Senate.
Article V conference, Mark Meckler Lawrence Lessig at harvard 9/25/11-video comments http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-7ikbvu0Y8
Lessig power point on article V http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gpbfY-atMk
Lots of facts here about Article V. http://algoxy.com/poly/article_v_convention.html