Climate scientists say we’re past the point of prevention, and should be working on mitigating the worst effects of climate change. Which makes me wonder: Doesn’t that same thinking apply to our political system as well? Everything is so thoroughly corrupt, it seems like revolution is inevitable.
So really, shouldn’t we be talking about how to rebuild a government after things settle down? What should change? The important thing is, the group that’s prepared to govern usually gets control.
What ideas do you have?
I would nationalize the pharmaceutical industry. How about you?
Make an absolute prohibition of private money financing elections. It’s the only way to get legislators focused on crafting good public policy. It also would raise the quality of debate about candidates and issues, because they wouldn’t be able to rely on 30-second TV spots.
As I keep saying, finance reform is the one solution that makes all other policy solutions possible. Every progressive organization in the country should be pushing for it as a coalition, because success will disarm most of the corporate interests that have been blocking advances on the issues that progressives care about.
Dissolve the USA. http://thearchdruidreport.blogspot.com/2012/10/how-it-could-happen-part-one-hubris.html
“Dissolve the USA,” damned anarchist. Dissolving the capitalist economic system is a much easier lift and would be far more impactful than dissolving the USA. Nationalizing the pharmaceutical industry is certainly getting into the spirit of things, but one is not enough. Nationalizing any corporation employing more than 500 people with total sales of more than $10 million dollars is what should be done. Our problem is the accumulation of wealth. How much is enough? Nobody should be allowed to have more than $5 million dollars in assets. The tax code can be rewritten to prevent that from happening. When you die you should become penniless. Either you give away your $5 million in assets before you die or we the people should get it through taxation. The common good. Capitalism and War is over. If you want it.
Well, um, since you ask … I’ve spent years thinking about this. Hence Reimagining Democracy.
The tl:dr; version? Redesigning government is a biggish topic. It doesn’t fit in a sentence. But if I had to summarize I guess I’d say that avoiding double standards allows you to derive pretty much all the rules you need. Equal treatment is the e=mc(2) of governing. (Then it takes me a book-length work to discuss the pre-conditions, assumptions, implications and applications.)
I thought that was what we were talking about all along. Try some David Graeber.
I agree 100% with Kurt!!!