What to do . . . Five simple ideas . . .

[OneBlueSky]

this Indymedia article was published in 2003, but the ideas are still good . . . good enough to be a paradigm for a new Democratic Party platform, imo . . .

What to do: Five simple ideas that can bring about revolution

http://sf.indymedia.org/news/2003/01/1560365.php

(snip)

We must yet again show that we have the power to bring about justice. This power must come collectively from our integrated individual actions. These actions must embody the vision of a world in which life is valued over profit. Greed and violence must give way to justice and peace. We have all imagined a world in which compassion, integrity and wisdom join forces to bring about a global society at peace with itself. It is simply our task to make that vision a reality.

1) Compassion not greed

Each individual must step away from the short-sighted pretense of greedy self interest and realize that one's personal well-being and the well-being of the world are one. The wisdom of this idea is a differentiating mark of a mature society. The time for our society to step away from adolescence and into adulthood is now.

2) Community not corporation

A healthy economy is one in which money and thus power stays within the community and is circulated over and over again. It is time to build healthy and powerful local economies based upon a framework of local businesses and organizations. Let us give our money to businesses that will work with us to support the local environment and will provide comprehensive health care, good quality education and other needed services in our communities.

3) Walk not drive

We must stop pretending that our oil consumption is without great costs to the world and thus to ourselves. We must realize that each dollar that is spent at the gas pump is a dollar in support of our destructive energy and foreign policy. It is time to stop waiting for those in power to act against their private interests to bring about a sane energy policy. It is time to start voting with our dollars and bring about sane policy through massive action at the consumer level. It is time to ween ourselves from the automobile, time to embrace more humble means of transportation: walking, biking, public transportation.

4) Think not watch

It is time to step away from the influence of corporate media. It is time to turn off the television, to stop listening to corporate sponsored radio news (including National Public Radio). It is time for every person to look critically at their news sources and to evaluate the willingness of those sources to give accurate and independent coverage of the issues important to our communities. The television simply is not telling the truth. It is time for us to think for ourselves.

5) Democracy

It is time for human beings in this country to take back democracy from the corporations. We must declare that corporations are not persons and follow through on that declaration. We must demand real campaign finance election reform and see to it that our governmental officials are representatives of we the human people. We must stop assuming that our system of government works just because we go to the ballot box every other year. We must fill the streets when injustice reigns. We must start taking part in local government, taking a personal stake in the passage of laws and the allocation of funds. We must stop relying on the media to carry on the political debate and start becoming the debate ourselves. We must stop pretending that we live in a democracy and start acting like we want a democracy.

- more . . .

http://sf.indymedia.org/news/2003/01/1560365.php