[Peace-discuss] were it not for the rack monster

Tue Jan 31 03:47:08 CST 2012

Apply, Lather, Rinse, Repeat.

On 1/31/2012 12:35 PM, David Johnson wrote:
>  "A good list for a fair society, but the question remains: How do we 
> get there (or even partially there) from here? What is to be done? "
> --mkb
> Agitate, Educate, Organize, Occupy, Resist
> David J.
>
>     ----- Original Message -----
>     *From:* Brussel, Morton K <mailto:brussel at illinois.edu>
>     *To:* E. Wayne Johnson <mailto:ewj at pigs.ag>
>     *Cc:* Peace-discuss <mailto:peace-discuss at anti-war.net>
>     *Sent:* Monday, January 30, 2012 10:08 PM
>     *Subject:* Re: [Peace-discuss] were it not for the rack monster
>
>      A good list for a fair society, but the question remains: How do
>     we get there (or even partially there) from here? What is to be done?
>     --mkb
>
>     On Jan 30, 2012, at 7:20 PM, E. Wayne Johnson wrote:
>
>>     "I'd start a r[3vol]ution...if I could get up in the morning" -
>>     Aimee Allen
>>
>>     *
>>     I found this piece in Common Dreams this morning and find several
>>     good points here,
>>     and it might be an interesting discussion piece.
>>
>>
>>     Published on Monday, January 23, 2012 by Common Dreams
>>     <http://www.commondreams.org/>
>>
>>
>>         Ten Steps for Radical Revolution in the US
>>
>>     by Bill Quigley <http://www.commondreams.org/bill-quigley>
>>
>>     /“I am convinced that if we are to get on the right side of the
>>     world revolution, we as a nation must undergo a radical
>>     revolution of values.” /*--Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. 1967*
>>
>>     *One.* Human rights must be taken absolutely seriously. Every
>>     single person is entitled to dignity and human rights. No
>>     application needed. No exclusions at all. This is our highest
>>     priority.
>>
>>     *Two.* We must radically reinvent contemporary democracy. Current
>>     systems are deeply corrupt and not responsive to the needs of
>>     people. Representatives chosen by money and influence govern by
>>     money and influence. This is unacceptable. Direct democracy by
>>     the people is now technologically possible and should be the
>>     rule. Communities must be protected whenever they advocate for
>>     self-determination, self-development and human rights. Dissent is
>>     essential to democracy; we pledge to help it flourish.
>>
>>     *Three.* Corporations are not people and are not entitled to
>>     human rights. Amend the US Constitution so it is clear
>>     corporations do not have constitutional or human rights. We the
>>     people must cut them down to size and so democracy can regulate
>>     their size, scope and actions.
>>
>>     *Four.* Leave the rest of the world alone. Cut US military
>>     spending by 75 percent and bring all troops outside the US home
>>     now. Defense of the US is a human right. Global offense and
>>     global police force by US military are not. Eliminate all nuclear
>>     and chemical and biological weapons. Stop allowing scare tactics
>>     to build up the national security forces at home. Stop the myth
>>     that the US is somehow special or exceptional and is entitled to
>>     act differently than all other nations. The US must re-join the
>>     global family of nations as a respectful partner. USA is one of
>>     many nations in the world. We must start acting like it.
>>
>>     *Five.* Property rights, privilege, and money-making are not as
>>     important as human rights. When current property and privilege
>>     arrangements are not just they must yield to the demands of human
>>     rights. Money-making can only be allowed when human rights are
>>     respected. Exploitation is unacceptable. There are national and
>>     global poverty lines. We must establish national and global
>>     excess lines so that people and businesses with extra houses,
>>     cars, luxuries, and incomes share much more to help everyone else
>>     be able to exercise their basic human rights to shelter, food,
>>     education and healthcare. If that disrupts current property,
>>     privilege and money-making, so be it.
>>
>>     *Six.* Defend our earth. Stop pollution, stop pipelines, stop new
>>     interstates, and stop destroying the land, sea, and air by
>>     extracting resources from them. Rebuild what we have destroyed.
>>     If corporations will not stop voluntarily, people must stop them.
>>     The very existence of life is at stake.
>>
>>     We respect the human rights and human dignity of others and work
>>     for a world where love and wisdom and solidarity and respect prevail.
>>
>>     *Seven.* Dramatically expand public spaces and reverse the
>>     privatization of public services. Quality public education,
>>     health and safety for all must be provided by transparent
>>     accountable public systems. Starving the state is a recipe for
>>     destroying social and economic human rights for everyone but the
>>     rich.
>>
>>     *Eight.* Pull the criminal legal prison system up and out by its
>>     roots and start over. Cease the criminalization of drugs,
>>     immigrants, poor people and people of color. We are all entitled
>>     to be safe but the current system makes us less so and ruins
>>     millions of lives. Start over.
>>
>>     *Nine.* The US was created based on two original crimes that must
>>     be confessed and made right. Reparations are owed to Native
>>     Americans because their land was stolen and they were uprooted
>>     and slaughtered. Reparations are owed to African Americans
>>     because they were kidnapped, enslaved and abused. The US has
>>     profited widely from these injustices and must make amends.
>>
>>     *Ten.* Everyone who wants to work should have the right to work
>>     and earn a living wage. Any workers who want to organize and
>>     advocate for change in solidarity with others must be absolutely
>>     protected from recriminations from their employer and from their
>>     government.
>>
>>     Finally, if those in government and those in power do not help
>>     the people do what is right, people seeking change must together
>>     exercise our human rights and bring about these changes directly.
>>     Dr. King and millions of others lived and worked for a radical
>>     revolution of values. We will as well. We respect the human
>>     rights and human dignity of others and work for a world where
>>     love and wisdom and solidarity and respect prevail. We expect
>>     those for whom the current unjust system works just fine will
>>     object and oppose and accuse people seeking dramatic change of
>>     being divisive and worse. That is to be expected because that is
>>     what happens to all groups which work for serious social change.
>>     Despite that, people will continue to go forward with
>>     determination and purpose to bring about a radical revolution of
>>     values in the USA.
>>
>>     _______________________________________________
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>>     <mailto:Peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net>
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>
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