Forum Post: A simple set of demands.
Posted 12 years ago on Oct. 20, 2011, 3:44 p.m. EST by wdawley
(4)
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A simple set of demands is needed so that OWS's can use its public support for concrete ends. Please circulate these for broad-based reform.
1) Campaign Finance Reform: Neither a privatized free-for-all nor a top-down public scheme, we want a cap on individual, corporate, and special interest group donations. 2) Regulation of the Financial Sector: To prevent too-big-to-fail banks, unstable securitizations, and the need for bailouts. 3) Commitment to Basic Freedoms: A repeal of the Patriot Act, strengthened unions' right to organize, and a serious review of the War on Drugs and the growth of the For-Profit Prison Industry with which it is linked.
This should not be the end but the beginning of substantial social revitalization. Support a simple program, achieve success, and we can begin to change the world. Once we get the kitchen under control, there will be plenty of fish to fry.
these are what I saw in an article about OWS so I assumed they had merit "OWS demands are : (1)Change banking laws (2)Prosecute the Wall Street criminals and those broke the law and helped cause the 2008 financial crisis (3)Fair Election (corporations should not spend as much as they want on elections. All political candidates should be given equal time for free in the public media during campaign season) (4) Fair Tax (at least Congress pass the Buffette rule on fair taxation) (5)Protect the integrity of the marketplace (6)Limit the influence of the Lobbyists (7)Eliminate the ability of former government regulators going to work for corporations that they once regulated (8)Eliminate the “Personhood” legal status for corporations."
I think many of us are in agreement on these. What I would like to see is a shorter, easier to summarize set of demands. I think that many of these, such as a fair tax scheme, could be passed in the short term, while others are too vague or open to debate as to meaning. For instance, what are the downsides of personhood status, and is removing it necessary if we limits individual and corporate donations to political campaigns? What is "the integrity of the marketplace"? And if we limit campaign contributions, do we need (or want) to otherwise limit the political right to lobby? I think a shorter list would be ideal. That's just my opinion.
I sincerely agree with the notion of keeping money local and limiting the power of corporations. This is a great idea for showing the power of consumers who cannot be political activitists for whatever reason. Best of luck. Have you considered using a credit union instead of a big bank. That's also a very powerful way to limit the power and influence of "too big to fail" banks.
Here are two ways I've seen to achieve some of these goals on limiting bank influence:
On re-establishing the separation between commercial and investment banks: https://wwws.whitehouse.gov/petitions/!/petition/re-establish-and-maintain-separation-between-investment-banks-and-commercial-banks-second-draft/V6G2jX0n
On switching to a credit union on November 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zPWxmRWg3sI
As for credit unions already there, gladly, no credit cards either, I think credit cards are just a scam personally, but it is a challenging choice at times I admit.
THIS IS MY 'IDEA', IT IS INCOMPLETE, THE BLANK(S) NEED TO BE FILLED Want to speak up, without joining the people in the streets (for whatever reasons), Take a BITE out of the CORPORATE POCKET one day a week make them FEEL your wrath and do not patronize their business on these days. Sunday - Petrol AVOID THE GAS STATION Monday - Malls DONT EVEN ENTER THE MALL Tuesday - Credit Cards (DO NOT USE THEM ON THIS DAY OTHER THAN AN EMERGENCY) Wednesday - Walmart (Large Chains) Thursday - Banking, avoid ANY banking that they make money on, like credit/debit/ATM Fees Friday - Fastfood Chains (little mom & pop places are ok) Saturday - In General AVOID the Corporate Money Making scheme and keep the money LOCAL so your more likely to see it coming back to your pocket... Just a thought...
I have studied economics at a post graduate level and am on my way to completing my doctoral thesis. While doing all my studies and research so far I have come to accept RBE to be a viable alternative. Some of the Austrian economists maintain their position about the monetary system as the final frontier of human society. The thing is humans are the only species in the universe who use money to live on their planet. Things like value for goods and services in terms of economics have a very limited frame of reference. For example we value diamonds at a conspicuous level and have put a high price tag due to its scarcity. But is a diamond really valuable? It is just a worthless piece of stone with no actual value whatsoever. In addition to that it is responsible for the deaths of thousands of labourers who are exposed to inhumane conditions, destruction of eco-system diversity (3000 plant and animal species are directly effected) and high energy consumption (for artificial diamonds).
This among various other applied examples suggests that money has no purpose in identifying the actual value of any good or service. value is a subjective term that can be manipulated by advertisements, popular culture, traditional beliefs etc. So, as a professional economist I say, "Economics as a discipline is nothing but bullshit and should be done away with". As to those who still advocate or think in terms of free market economy, capitalism, communism, socialism, statism etc. know there there is no such thing. It is just human construction based on semantic understanding. A proper way to go about is to know more about nature and natural law. Not man made constructions that are subject to individual interpretations. The methods of science through uninterpretable data (meaning same results from tests conducted) is the best option for our species. When plants grow, they don't pay for their existence. They are the most scientific creatures and their level of understanding their environment is beyond human ingenuity today. They have highly computerized mechanism of sensing and remote sensing. It is through the laws of nature that we humans get all our information. So it is not us who are the intelligent creatures. We need to learn more from nature as to how they function in a neural network and get by without the use of money. How they give and take in a highly advanced form of communication system and not in the conventional sense of barter.
Therefore, a RBE is a definite system that uses non-established evolutionary perspective to attain resources for the human species to "get by" keeping in mind the "standard of living" and proper resource management. Oh and yeah..."I have checked and found that it is technically achievable but socially a little bit difficult but not impossible".
Personally, I am in agreement with you, although I am not the person to debate the finer points of what you are saying. I think the power of what you are saying is undeniable to people who are beginning to see the constructedness of the economy and the danger of such a volatile construction.
On a tactical level, though, I think you would agree that we have a long way to go before we reorganize economies on this basis -- and decide the issue of distribution and how it is achieved. I sincerely hope thoughtful and educated people like yourself will think about short, pithy proposals that will make the implementation of such an overhaul possible. The content of what you are saying seems completely reasonable. The context -- how we fix existing power structures to get there -- is what seems the most pressing to me at the moment. Thoughts?