What Must Be Done: The Briefest Possible Sketch
We must educate and inform ourselves and others; speak up and stand up for both compassion (ie: public health) and freedom; sow non-violent democratic revolution to dethrone the sociopathic corporate oligarchs; nourish ourselves, our families, and our communities in body, mind and spirit; build networks of community, solidarity, cooperation, mutual aid and resilience; seek out and actively build better models – and never surrender.
This may seem a tall order, but we have survived and overcome many tremendous challenges before – the last ice age, for example, or the first wave of fascism, 75 years ago – and these things are entirely achievable.
J. Todd Ring,
November 1, 2020
Writings of J. Todd Ring 
November 1, 2020 at 7:53 pm
Yes … and …
We need to find a reliable way to eject special interest groups of most kinds from the halls (and pockets) of politicians and public institutions. Corporations wield far too much power and more than they ever have, but other interest groups also chip away at the power of sensible democratic freedom.
One proposal from me is that we boost the potency of co-ops, make incorporation more challenging when you pass the 10ish employees mark and remove the dividend tax credit. You could even go so far as to eliminate any tax deduction associated with lobbying from a corporate standpoint. And we need something like the FIRA back so that Canadians can finally control Canada.
They seem like small initiatives, but take co-ops. Unions and their members need the incentive to own the company they work for. For too long, we’ve stood idly by while international conglomerates dictate terms.
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November 29, 2020 at 1:51 pm
Co-ops are a big part of the answer. Democratizing the economy is key. Banning all private political “donations” – bribes, in honest terms – is also essential. That requires public funding of election campaigns, as is successfully done in some European countries. Breaking up the giant corporate empires, particularly in banking, Big Oil, Big Tech, Big Pharma and the media, is urgently needed, and must be done. Revolution is necessary, however (Gandhian). The power elite will not give up control freely. Along with raising awareness, which is always essential, strikes, boycotts, divestment, blockades and non-violent civil disobedience are now unavoidable and critical. See my books, Enlightened Democracy, and The People vs The Elite, for detailed strategy, vision and analysis.
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