Forum Post: To My Friends in Discontent

Why can't we focus on positive solutions, rather than focusing on the flaws that exist in the system? While it is important to acknowledge their existence, that acknowledgement can proceed in a much more positive way if we think creatively on how to solve these flaws. Some solutions to the extravagances that the rich have seen include localizing politics by practicing direct democracy both in the work place (worker owned cooperatives being one notable example) and the community (community gardens, CSA's, community currencies/open money, creating public spaces out of street corners and intersections to facilitate face to face community interaction, and lastly but most importantly, community meetings for reasons of concern or interest of the people in that community and by extension, when necessary or applicable, community represented cross-community meetings).

Imagine the change we could effect if all of the people occupying wall street and the other financial districts of their states and countries around the world were working in their communities to create these kinds of alternatives to the exploitative capitalist system. Granted, this does not fix the problem of tax loopholes, but I would be willing to bet that if we got together face to face in our communities on a regular basis to discuss what matters the most to us, we would find some more creative ways to raise money for the "government" that we have made for ourselves. When the government is ruled by the people for the people, really and truly, and not in this euphemistic way that we are currently being ruled, the true wealth of the nation flows freely from the community governing and taking care of itself. When the workers have the greatest say in company policies/practices, as opposed to having control of operations consolidated in the hands of a few who are elected by the shareholders, i.e. money holders, the tendency for hierarchy in compensation greatly diminishes, except when it is truly merited from all parties perspectives. When we get together and govern ourselves, both economically and politically, the injustices that we are currently witnessing in our tumultuous times disappears!!

Don't take these ideas as dogmas written in stone, but as starting points upon which we can discuss, expand, dream, and envision the future.

So please:

MY FRIENDS IN DISCONTENT, let's focus our energy on the positive rather than the negative, and work towards a better tomorrow!!

Further reading:

Worker Owned Cooperatives - http://www.usworker.coop/front

Community Gardens - http://communitygarden.org/learn/starting-a-community-garden.php

CSA's - http://www.localharvest.org/csa/

Community Currency/Open Money - http://www.openmoney.org/

Community Meeting Place Creation - http://www.cityrepair.org

Community Self Governance and Organzing - "Getting Free" by James Herod - http://www.jamesherod.info/?sec=book&id=1