Economic Democracy

Revolt: The Path To Ending Inverted Totalitarianism

October 21, 2014 Chris Hedges, www.truthdig.com Educate! Corporatism, Democracy, Economic Democracy

This devolution of the economic system has been accompanied by corporations’ seizure of nearly all forms of political and social power. The corporate elite, through a puppet political class and compliant intellectuals, pundits and press, still employs the language of a capitalist democracy. But what has arisen is a new kind of control, inverted totalitarianism, which Wolin brilliantly dissects in his book “Democracy Incorporated.” Inverted totalitarianism does not replicate past totalitarian structures, such as fascism and communism. It is therefore harder to immediately identify and understand. There is no blustering demagogue. There is no triumphant revolutionary party. There are no ideologically drenched and emotional mass political rallies. The old symbols, the old iconography and the old language of democracy are held up as virtuous.

Socialism And Workers’ Self-Directed Enterprises

September 18, 2014 Richard D. Wolff, www.mrzine.com Create! Economic Democracy, Labor

A tiny minority of persons (directors and major shareholders) makes all the key economic decisions in capitalist enterprises. The mass of workers who must live with those decisions and their effects are excluded from making them. Capitalist enterprise organization is thus the opposite and enemy of the democratic enterprise organization that socialism affirms. In socialism redefined along these lines, all the workers in an enterprise collectively and democratically make all the key economic decisions: what, how, and where to produce and what to do with the enterprise’s surplus or profits. Such a socialism would advocate social ownership, planning, and the democratization of enterprises, i.e. their transition from capitalist to workers' self-directed enterprises (WSDEs).

Workers In Maine Buy Out Their Jobs

September 16, 2014 Rob Brown, Noemi Giszpenc and Brian Van Slyke, www.truth-out.org Create! Cooperative, Economic Democracy, Labor

On remote Deer Isle, Maine, the movement for a more just and democratic economy won a major victory this summer. More than 60 employees of three retail businesses - Burnt Cove Market, V&S Variety and Pharmacy, and The Galley - banded together to buy the stores and create the largest worker cooperative in Maine and the second largest in New England. Now the workers own and run the businesses together under one banner, known as the Island Employee Cooperative (IEC). This is the first time that multiple businesses of this size and scope have been merged and converted into one worker cooperative - making this a particularly groundbreaking achievement in advancing economic democracy.

Next Phase In The Venezuelan Revolution Announced

September 7, 2014 Staff, www.telesurtv.net Organize! Democracy movement, Economic Democracy, Ecosocialism, Localism, Maduro, Venezuela

In declarations to the country on Tuesday night, Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro announced what he described as "five revolutions", as part of a need to "improve our service to the people." Maduro said the revolutions would be a "a new way of functioning" for the government, and emphasized the need for a more "efficient" government. Maduro described five specific next steps for the Bolivarian Revolution. He explained that it was about consolidating the communal model, and creating a "new eco socialist model". "It´s not about environmentalism, its about ecosocialism, environmentalism isn't enough," Maduro stated. The following five revolutions, he said, "should be united, and should define the government policies, giving power to the people, it will be the people who push government policy."

‘Front-Lines Of Climate Crisis’ Calls For New Economy

August 8, 2014 Sarah Lazare, www.commondreams.org Create! Climate Change, Economic Democracy, Energy

Under the banner of a campaign called "Our Power," participants hail from dozens of organizations representing indigenous peoples, people of color, and working-class white communities that collaborate through the Climate Justice Alliance. Three days of conversations and strategizing will conclude Saturdaywith a day of action to highlight local alternatives to fossil fuel dependence. This is the first national gathering of Our Power and, according to organizers, builds from an intense season of mobilization, including a gathering of youth and young adults that took place in Detroit in June, as well as ongoing preparation for the the Peoples Climate March and Summit, to take place in September in New York. Those convened in Richmond are ultimately shooting for a big goal: connecting local, national, and international struggles of the marginalized and dispossessed to chart a "just transition" to a new economy.

US Social Forum: Three Sites For 2015

August 6, 2014 Shamako Noble, www.ussocialforum.net Organize! Climate Change, Democracy, Economic Democracy

The world is in crisis. The economic recovery never happened for the large majority of people in the United States. Conflicts in Israel and Gaza and the Ukraine along with huge stand off’s by major global powers heralds a possible World War 3. Not in decades has the need for a People’s Movement for justice, equality, human rights and democracy been more painfully obvious. And the US Social Forum is gearing up in multiple regions of the country to help catalyze the movement that must be built. To connect and give national voice to these diverse emerging struggles, the US Social Forum announces the US Social Forum 3 in June 2015 as a polycentric social forum. It will be held in Philadelphia, PA, Jackson, MS, and San Jose, CA.

Across Latin America: Struggle for Communal Land & Indigenous Autonomy

July 22, 2014 Renata Bessi and Santiago Navarro F., www.truth-out.org Resist! Cooperatives, Economic Democracy, Indigenous Rights, Mutual Aid

"We recognize that we must confront the plundering by transnational companies and the harassment of bad governments through their political parties that offer programs and money that corrupt many leaders and divide our communities," states the declaration of the National Indigenous Congress (CNI) of the Isthmus region, which took place in March 2014. While a furious battle has been unleashed for the recognition of indigenous rights and culture in other communities in Mexico and Latin America, in Oaxaca, new legislation is being debated on this very theme while large-scale projects continue to advance.

Join Us To Tell FCC: ‘The Internet Is A Common Carrier’

July 10, 2014 Kevin Zeese and Margaret Flowers, , www.PopularResistance.org Organize! Democracy, Economic Democracy, FCC, Internet, Internet Freedom, Media

This is not the time for expedience or for working within the confines of what is perceived as politically possible. This rulemaking is about the future of the most important communication tool in history. The Internet already has tremendous economic, social, cultural and political impact and will have an even greater impact in all of those areas in the future. Popular Resistance urges the FCC to reclassify the Internet Under Title II as a Common Carrier so real net neutrality rules can be put in place and we can be assured that the Internet will remain an Open Internet with equal access for all and no discrimination. Only in this way can the full potential of the Internet be realized.

July 4th, The Meaning Of Democracy

July 4, 2014 Howie Hawkins, www.howiehawkins.org Educate! Debt, Democracy, Economic Democracy, Jubilee

Because economic power translates into political power, the extreme concentration of wealth in the top 1% undermines democracy. Both main parties have colluded over the last four decades to transfer wealth to their super-rich donors, while ensuring that no meaningful reforms take place to our electoral system. The U.S. leads the industrial nations in income inequality because our electoral system is the least democratic. The sacred texts of Jews, Christians, and Muslims all call for a Jubilee every 50 years to redistribute wealth and forgive debts, not just for moral reasons, but to make the economy function again. America needs a Jubilee. The US electoral system of winner-takes-all leads to the domination by two parties, one center-right and the other far-right. The Democrats want to repeal the New Deal and the Republicans want to repeal the Enlightenment.

Popular Resistance Newsletter – Celebrating Our First Year

May 31, 2014 Margaret Flowers and Kevin Zeese, www.popularresistance.org Newsletter Climate Change, Economic Democracy, Monsanto, Walmart, Wars and Militarism

Tomorrow, June 1st, is the 1st anniversary of Popular Resistance. The goal of Popular Resistance is to help grow a mass movement for social, economic and environmental justice. We do this by covering the wide range of both protest movements and those working to create alternative systems in the US and around the world; connecting issues (or sub-movements) so we become a 'movement of movements'; and providing tools and information for everyone who seeks to participate in this movement. We are all in this together. We want to thank you for your participation in Popular Resistance. Please help us celebrate by growing the movement – share Popular Resistance with your friends and family. Consider using the articles for discussion groups. Use the tools and information on the “Organize” “Strategize” “Resist” and “Create” pages. And use Popular Resistance to share your work, tools and events by emailing info@popularresistance.org.

Vision For A New Urban Economy Based On Democracy

May 16, 2014 Staff, www.PopularResistance.org Educate! Cooperatives, Economic Democracy, Energy, Finance and the Economy, Food and Agriculture, Housing

Tonight is the first night of the Building Our New Economy Together, Economic Democracy Conference in Baltimore. If you are unable to make it to the conference tonight, keep it tuned to this page for a live stream of our town hall at The Real News Network! You will also be able to catch the opening and closing plenary sessions on Saturday right here. For more on the event’s schedule, visit here. The evening will bring together top national experts on reframing our political situation with the folks in Baltimore who are already working on these issues. This session will be held from 7 to 9 PM, with doors opening at 6:30 PM and a reception following. Speakers will include (order TBD): Margaret Flowers of Popular Resistance and Its Our Economy Diane Bell McKoy, Associated Black Charities Gar Alperovitz, University of Maryland, College Park Jacqui Dunne, Author, Rethinking Money: How New Currencies Turn Scarcity into Prosperity Michael Coleman, United Workers

Economic Democracy Is Part Of Long Struggle For Racial And Economic Justice

May 16, 2014 Carl Davidson, www.carldavidson.blogspot.com Create! Cooperatives, Democracy, Economic Democracy, Finance and the Economy

Nearly 500 people turned out over the May 2-4, 2014 weekend for the ‘Jackson Rising’ conference in Jackson, Mississippi. It was a highly successful and intensive exploration of Black power, the solidarity economy and the possibilities unleashed for democratic change when radicals win urban elections. The gathering drew urban workers and rural farmers, youth and the elderly, students and teachers, men and women. At least half were people of color. About 50 were from the city of Jackson itself, and most were from other Southern states. But a good deal came from across the country, from New York to the Bay area, and a few from other countries—Quebec, South Africa, Venezuela and Zimbabwe. . . "Freeing the land has given our people a new sense of belonging," said Omar Sierra, of Venezuela. “Chokwe Lumumba extended his solidarity to us in a time of need. Our people are saddened by his passing, and will not forget him.” William Copeland, a cultural organizer from Detroit. Summed up the spirit of the crowd: “These presentations demonstrate the international significance of the Black Liberation Movement and Southern movement building.”

Lumumba’s Son Mayoral Loss Won’t Stop ‘Jackson Rising’

May 4, 2014 Jessica Desvarieux, www.therealnews.com Educate! Democracy, Economic Democracy, Finance and the Economy

We still have a great deal of momentum, we still have a great deal of strength, and I think we learned some hard lessons around--collectively that we have to speak more to our base and to their needs upfront and immediately and let there be known even if you're not necessarily able to implement it off the top, it needs to be more clearly enforced and forcefully stated I think is one of the great lessons we can take away from this election. . . In terms of policy, we know that's an uphill climb here in Mississippi. The Republican, basically, Tea Party government that we have is on a state level not that in favor of what we're trying to push through cooperative development at all. There was a bill that was up supporting cooperatives that they killed earlier this year. We're going to keep fighting for that, but we know it's going to be an uphill battle as long as the Tea Party and as long as the Republicans are in office. On a local level, however, on a municipal level, we are looking to transform all of the procurement policies of the city, all of the environmental regulations and standard policies within the city, and particularly all of the land-use policies in the city, and have those articulated in such a way that they support and foster various means of kind of collectively engaging those different areas for productive activity that will support cooperatives. So that's on the policy side.

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