Maybe Occupy is a harbinger of what democracy will look like: where people get together

[applegrove]

Last edited Fri Feb 24, 2012, 03:04 AM - Edit history (1)

with some other people to support some issue (and maybe get taxed for its cost) and then break apart with that group and form another when it comes to another issue. Because Occupy represents a myriad of ideas. Maybe democracy will be done over the internet. Maybe we can do away with legislators and vote directly on laws after a period of open discussion some day way ahead in the future. Corporations want to be the messenger between people and a tiny weak government. Maybe the internet will allow people to make an end run around the plutocracy the GOP want. Just musing.

[unionworks]

1. Watching Occupy Being Born

Last fall was like watching a flower bloom. Just jaw dropping beautiful. It is the movement I feel most where I belong.

[applegrove]

2. I still believe in the democracies we have today. And as long as the internet remains

Last edited Tue Feb 28, 2012, 11:52 PM - Edit history (1)

open the powers that be will have to adjust to the power of one: each person in Occupy fights like a mighty mite and together they create a movement that is huge and passionate (and has the quick implimentation of creative ideas in a speed hierarchies cannot muster). The GOP thought they had done away with the power of the little guy, or at least had coralled the passion of the little guy into social issues and religion. But Occupy allowed escape from the hierarchies. What I am talking about above I don't think I'll see in my lifetime. Only if the corporations get out of control, and ignore the current blowback, will people give up on our present democratic system totally. They say the pendulum swings one way, and then another. Occupy is the pendulum swinging back towards true democracy. I really believe that. And it is about everybody having a say. Which means that yes, there will be some improvements that will help corporations, Occupy will not stop all legislation that helps corporations. Because they are in the country too. But that the country will not look like a place that only serves them. A country should not serve only one group. That is what Occupy means to me.

[sabrina 1]

5. "Occupy is the pendulum swinging back towards true democracy."

Beautifully said. I feel that way also. I was reading today about Occupy SF's ideas about starting their own 'people's banks' and how they are working with officials to do so. It is truly inspiring to read about their ideas for these banks. Totally geared to the communities they serve. They want to establish a system to provide small loans even to homeless people to help them start businesses, eg. NGOs have been doing this in third world countries, so why not do so here?

I will put together some of the information I found, maybe tomorrow. If you have not read about it, I think you will be very excited about this. What would happen is, money would stay in communities, unlike what happens with money put into Big Banks. In a way, if they succeed, and I think they will, it would be building a whole new, people oriented banking system, inside the system, instead of trying to fight the big banks, which probably would be the end result if these ideas spread to other cities. It's not a new idea, and even the WSJ never friendly to OWS, was impressed with what they are planning.

[applegrove]

6. The new banks should lend to the less developed nations because that is where all the growth in

Last edited Fri Feb 24, 2012, 05:00 AM - Edit history (1)

wealth is going to occur. The growth rate in the USA is going to be low. The West are all mature economies. The time to invest in local communities only was in the 19th and 20th century within the USA. Local banks would be good if they could get together internationally and invest in business across the world. We are talking growth rates of 10% - 14% in rapidly developing nations vs. growth rates of 2 or 3% in the USA. It doesn't make a big difference in one year. But over twenty that would be a huge difference in money made for the bank. I hope these little local banks know this going in. If they can make a small profit and are happy with that great. Otherwise they should have an international arm that is affiliated with most of the local occupy/municipal banks and can be an expert on that type of lending. Could be micro lending in the less developed nations too.

[sabrina 1]

7. I don't know what their longterm goals are, but that is interesting information

for them, if they are not aware of it.

Here is a link to a report on their plans, and at the bottom of the page there is a link to a WSJ article which gives a bit more detail of what they are doing. The WSJ has never been friendly to OWS, which is evident in the first paragraph. But is a surprisingly positive article for them.

I know nothing about banking, but you seem to so this might mean a lot more to you.

Oops, forgot the link! http://moneyland.time.com/2011/12/02/occupy-san-francisco-starts-its-own-credit-union/

[applegrove]

8. Oh I don't know that much about banking either. Thanks for the link. Good article.

[Joe Shlabotnik]

3. beautifully said.

Throughout the 2000s, seldom did a day pass when I didn't wonder, "if not now....when??"

[Magoo48]

10. I too waited for our movement for a long time.

I didn't know what it would look like, but I was sure that I would recognize it. OWS is what I was looking for: it appears to be a wonderfully correct beginning. Let's hope we grow strong and sink our roots deep.

[JDPriestly]

4. I like the fact that the Occupy movement encourages

ordinary people to meet and talk about political issues.

We aren't just sitting in front of the TV any more. We aren't just sitting at our computers any more. We are learning to work together to solve problems.

I think this is a positive sign even though we have a long, long way to go.

[KoKo]

9. K&R...for post and the interesting replies....