June 27, 2026

Below is the fifth newsletter for our objective to flip the flow of how we are governed. Instead of giving our power to the politicians … Let’s give that power to the people and let the people build their communities and govern themselves. We will issue these newsletters every 2-weeks between now and our local Election Day on October 26.

Imagine the people governing themselves. We can.

It is doable. But we will have to revolutionize ourselves to change that flow. We can do that too.

This mission starts local — from the neighbours in our communities to our local Town Hall. And the more that other communities do the same, the more the power of the people will flow into provincial and state capitals and right into the seats of the federal government.

We are starting it in our own local community … The Front of Yonge Township in Eastern Ontario Canada. Hopefully, we are setting an example for other communities to do the same.

Power to the People!

_________________________

WE CAN’T SEE YOU

NEWSLETTER - JUNE 27 2026

We need to talk about “transparency”. Or - the lack of - transparency.

We have knocked on over 200 doors across the Township in the past 2-months. Our purpose for doing this has been to gather some perceptions that our neighbours have about our local governance. What is on their minds? Are they satisfied with our system of governance?

The feedback we gather from this effort is important because we can gauge the tone among us which will ultimately reflect how our local election campaign moves forward. After all, our mission is to engage our community towards assuming the role of governing ourselves — essentially, of building our community together.

While specific issues surface (some township-wide and some specific to various neighbourhoods) a common underlying theme becomes obvious. Our neighbours - by a significant majority - echo a uniform sentiment. There is a complete and total lack of trust in government and its institutions. This also extends to corporations and the media. Basically, trust in our overall “system” is gone.

We could readily say that this is a common theme at three out every four doors we knock on. We further notice that at least half of those declaring that observation do so with an obvious rage. Our neighbours are upset and they want their lack of trust resolved.

The good news is that this confirms and validates the purpose for our entire Our Town Hall initiative.

In the last few weeks we have also started to - repeatedly - hear a specific concern that absolutely punctuates this lack of trust sentiment. That concern is about the proliferation of Artificial Intelligence (AI) Data Centres. In fact, the concern is rooted in outright rage.

Let’s talk about it.

First off, the Data Centre concern is rooted in two foundational directions. They are not mutually-exclusive but operate in parallel to each other.

One is the role of these Data Centres in the first place. What is their purpose? Why are they so damned important all of sudden? Who is behind them? And how do they impact our lives? These questions are valid and they have not been answered.

This outrage also extends into their environmental impacts — their astronomical consumption of energy and water, their noise pollution, their impacts on people losing their homes through imminent domain land grabs. And their impacts on a community that finds them as their new next door neighbours. They are - to put it bluntly - bad neighbours.

None of these impacts are positive. In fact, every single one is negative.

There is a lot of material available about the impacts of Data Centres on communities. Here is one video example:

And we can easily find numerous others online with a simple search.

But it is the second foundational direction of these Data Centres that causes concern. And this is where we are focusing our discussion today — on the ‘bad neighbour’ concern.

Here in Front of Yonge Township we do not have a Data Centre nor is one currently planned (at least that we know of). But — this concern directly impacts us as it does everyone across the country.

How do these AI Data Centres get green-lighted to be built in the first place? After all, every single one of these Data Centres (and there are hundreds of them with more coming) get approved by communities. How do these approvals happen in the first place? After all, every community they touch has a local Town Hall, a local Council of representatives. What are they thinking? Why would any local Town Hall roll out the welcome mat to a bad neighbour?

How do these Councils allow these Data Centres to proceed? I have not heard of a single community (hundreds in Canada, thousands in the USA) that actually wanted one in their community! Not a single one. In fact, most communities experiencing the arrival of their new Data Centre neighbours are hopping mad about having them.

So … how did their local governing councils allow this to happen to them? This is the question we have to ask here — because there is a parallel action right here that demonstrates how unwanted mega-projects actually arrive in a community without the community even wanting them.

The answer is frightening.

And the answer absolutely justifies the rage shared among many of our neighbours here. Because it could happen here. We might get stuck with a Data Centre at any time and we would have no recourse to stop it. That flaw falls on our government. Squarely.

We can see how these Data Centres get their approvals to proceed without any input from the members of the communities that experience them as their newest neighbour.

Right here - in the Front of Yonge Township - we currently have a project consuming the attention of our local Town Council that exposes a lot of the similarities of having a Data Centre approved in a community.

That project is the proposed construction of a new Fire Hall.

Suffice to say that this project is a $3-million infrastructure project that we will be on the hook to pay for for the next 30-years (via our property tax bills). To date, we have not been presented with a reason for it beyond our current fire hall being ‘outdated’.

What is even more alarming … is that most people we have talked to did not even know it was happening! This is the root of the problem!

And - yes - it has been progressing through our Town Council. Money has been spent on setting the groundwork. A formal Request for Proposal (BID Number FIRE-01-26) has been posted earlier this year for the Architectural Designs. The land (already owned by our Township) has been set aside for it directly on the west side of our Recreation Park.

How come most of us did not even know about this? How come we are not being asked if we wanted it?

This is a serious problem. Furthermore, it is in direct contradiction of the formal Role of Council set forth in the Province of Ontario 2001 Municipal Act; specifically Section 224 (d) “It is the role of Council to ensure the accountability and transparency of the operations of the municipality, including the activities of the senior management of the municipality”.

Accountability. A $3-million capital project in a Township with an annual budget of about $3-million is significant and absolutely requires Accountability.

Transparency. Why do the majority of our taxpayers not even know about this project? Why has Council not brought us into the discussion? We should know about it. It should be rooted in Transparency.

The impact will be on us for 30-years. It is a massive capital project ($3-million). And we are not informed?

How could our Town Council actually let us know about this Fire Hall project? It should be simple to inform us. They themselves tout their own monthly newsletter as being the vehicle to keep us informed about “projects, news and events”. We get these newsletters in our mailboxes every month. I welcome them and read them. Some events I choose to attend. I find them useful and read them every month. We even place them on our fridge door for reference.

Not once do I recall any mention of a new “Fire Hall Project” that would put us into debt for the next 30-years! Not once.

They could have issued a notice to our mailboxes to call us all into Town Hall for a meeting to discuss this project. They did not do that either.

If our Town Council could not see to it to involve us in a discussion about this $3-million Fire Hall project, how could we trust them to notify us of a pending Data Centre project? That is a problem.

Let me go out on a ledge and say this: IF WE ARE NOT MADE AWARE OF THIS FIRE HALL PROJECT, HOW CAN WE TRUST THAT WE WOULD BE MADE AWARE OF A DATA CENTRE BEFORE IT WAS TOO LATE?

We can’t trust our Council. This feeds directly into the lack of trust we significantly share about our government, our institutions, our media and our corporations. And – in this case – it is not so much about our Council seeking to approve this project — it is about our Council not informing us of it. The lack of trust is not rooted in what they say … it is rooted in what they do not say. Erosion of trust in them becomes justified — and it should be expected.

In the majority of the communities that have found themselves experiencing the arrival of a Data Centre they have found out about it too late to do anything about it. The lack of transparency by their local councils has taken the same lack of transparency steps as our Council here in regards to this Fire Hall. This is how it happens. It happens behind closed doors.

The absence of trust in government that our neighbours have? Totally justified!

The rage of being excluded from critical local decisions our neighbours have? Totally justified!

Transparency. Accountability. Those are two foundational elements required in any governing body that exists to represent its community. And - its absence - deserves our distrust and it deserves our rage.

We can do better than this. And we will.

We will see you around in the neighbourhood and please mark your calendar for Election Day on October 26th.

We will absolutely ensure that accountability and transparency accrue to our community. We have to because we do not need to be enraged by our own government and our trust deserves to be earned.

Power to the People!

NEXT STEPS

We keep finding more and more great neighbours that exist among us! We know we can rule ourselves — and do a great job of it! That is getting confirmed by every door we knock on. We have good neighbours here. Many of us are a bit quirky but everyone wants better governance than we have now. We have a good community with all kinds of skills, experiences, talents, and creativity. And good ideas. Let’s give them the light of day!

We are organizing meetings every two-weeks between now and election day. Join us. Let’s start by nominating 5 candidates from among ourselves to form our next Town Council.

• Voice your concerns and share your ideas. Our governance is a community project!

• The next meeting will be held on MONDAY JULY 6th at 7 PM at the Pavilion at the Mallorytown Recreational Park (at the soccer and baseball fields). JOIN US. JOIN YOUR NEIGHBOURS.

• Subscribe to these newsletters. Stay informed. They will be issued every two weeks following each of our meetings. It’s all free, it’s fast and simple to do, and the newsletters will be sent to your email inbox.

Subscribe now

• Visit our website. Watch the videos about democracy and what it means to govern ourselves. Understand the power we actually have. The links are posted on our website OURTOWNHALL.ORG

And feel free to leave your comments and suggestions. Your ideas make our ideas better ideas. Democracy is a team game. Democracy is a community game. Let’s get on the playing field of democracy.

Leave a comment

Power to the People!

June 13, 2026

Below is the fourth newsletter for our objective to flip the flow of how we are governed. Instead of giving our power to the politicians … Let’s give that power to the people and let the people build their communities and govern themselves. We will issue these newsletters every 2-weeks between now and our local Election Day on October 26.

Imagine the people governing themselves. We can.

It is doable. But we will have to revolutionize ourselves to change that flow. We can do that too.

This mission starts local — from the neighbours in our communities to our local Town Hall. And the more that other communities do the same, the more the power of the people will flow into provincial and state capitals and right into the seats of the federal government.

We are starting it in our own local community … The Front of Yonge Township in Eastern Ontario Canada. Hopefully, we are setting an example for other communities to do the same.

Power to the People!

_________________________

$100

NEWSLETTER - JUNE 13 2026

Imagine that you are walking down the street and you see a $100 bill lying on the ground.

You would bend down and pick it up … I would and I believe most of us would. It would take us about 3-seconds.

But Elon Musk would not. He can’t afford to.

Elon Musk’s net worth growth generally ranges from $6,000 to over $13,000 every second.

The three seconds it would take him to bend down, grasp it, and stand back up would cost him $18,000 to $39,000. He cannot afford it. Picking up that $100 bill would cost him — and it’s not even a close call.

When we consider the magnitude of Elon Musk’s wealth, we can reflect on how much we – as Canadians – earn. Our national GDP (Gross Domestic Product) is about $2.5-Trillion a year. Collectively – all of us Canadians combined – earn a total of $2.5-Trillion a year. Elon Musk now is worth $1.1-Trillion (US Dollars which is over $1.5-Trillion Canadian Dollars). One single person is worth as much as we — all together as Canadians — produce in 7.2 months of work.

Is this a good thing for our society? We have to ask because society is about living in a community.

This is not just a theoretical question. We actually used to have a different reality. But that reality has changed.

When I was born (1957) the top marginal tax rate on income was 91%. It was levied on incomes over $400,000. Our top federal marginal tax rate in 2025 is 33%. In 1957, there was (maybe) one single billionaire (J Paul Getty who was worth between $700-million and $1-billion). We did not have a “billionaire problem”.

Today, there are 3,428 of them. And more being added. Today, we have a “billionaire problem”.

It is hard to find out how much Elon Musk actually pays in taxes as tax returns are private. But it is nowhere near 91% — and it’s nowhere near 33% either. His corporations pay some taxes — Tesla paid about $1.2-billion in 2025. But most of that was to foreign governments including China. SpaceX did not pay much at all due to research and depreciation credits.

Anyways, we need to ask ourselves if having such extreme levels of wealth concentrated in the hands of the very few is a good thing for our society. Maybe some think it is a good thing. But — it is certainly a discussion we need to have. It is our society and it is our community. And taxation and equity are tools a democratic society has to work with.

TRUST

We have now knocked on almost 200 doors across our Township. We have good neighbours among us. Many of us are quirky in numerous ways — but certainly the vast majority of us are good neighbours to have. The foundation of our community is healthy which is a wonderful thing.

Most of us are glad to share our thoughts about how our society is functioning. We see the same problems. One example is the consistency we share on the subject of trust. And I am not talking about trust issues we have with each other — most of us are good with each other.

But when we discuss our level of trust in our governments, our institutions, our corporations and our media, we are pretty uniform about its complete absence. There is little to no trust in any of them. What I think we did not realize is that we actually share that same sentiment.

We really have some common ground here. There is very little – if any at all – trust in the institutions that our system has created. And there is zero confidence in our governments changing that. In fact, most of us expect their actions to deliver even worse outcomes for us all going forward.

Rooted within our lack of trust is our common sense that the system we have is broken and corrupt. We sense that the ‘privileged wealthy’ individuals have distorted our public institutions to their exclusive favour. And it is a trend that is moving ever further in the wrong direction.

This sentiment punctuates the need to change how we govern ourselves. Simply put, what we are doing now is not working.

As stated in our previous newsletters and videos, we have a problem and we have to fix it. The problem is in the flow of power. It is flowing downwards from federal to provincial levels to our local Town Halls and finally to us - the people - who reside on the bottom rung of that ladder. That is backwards and we have to flip it right-side up. In democracy, it is we the people who are the top rung. Look at 1(a). “Government by the people.”

We need to embrace our power and govern ourselves. That is what our effort here is all about. Democracy actually requires it.

And - right here in the Front of Yonge Township - is where we can set an example for all the other communities across Ontario, Canada and even beyond.

Our first step is for us to band together and build our community together. To focus on coming together and actually making our local Town Hall represent what we - together - want our community to be. We will get it right. From all our neighbours that we have already met, we know we have all the talents, skills, experiences and creativity we need to get it right. Every single time. On every single issue.

It is the people who have ideas. Let’s hear them. Let’s discuss them, let’s debate them, let’s make them better ideas, and let’s vote on them. And let’s have our Town Council do what we together want them to do (and not the other way around). That is how we flip that flow of power right-side up.

With the announcement of Elon Musk officially becoming the world’s first trillionaire, we can leave you with one last question to consider: If you had a trillion dollars … would you go to work on Monday morning to make it a trillion-and-one dollars?

Elon Musk will show up for work. But — I wouldn’t. I would do something better. And I truly believe all my neighbours would make that same choice.

All these 1% millionaires/billionaires/trillionaires need to make more wealth for themselves. Why? They all show up for work to make even more money. Enough is never enough for them. There is something seriously wrong with these people — and we should not be letting them decide how our communities and society should operate.

I would not even want them as my neighbours. They all put up gates and fences. They all hire security staff. Fences, gates and security guards are not actions I would expect from good neighbours. Good neighbours have no need to be afraid of their own neighbours.

After meeting so many of you, I — more than ever — believe we can do a much better job ourselves. And I think - together - we can flip the flow of power right-side up. We can govern ourselves.

I am convinced of it.

NEXT STEPS

We have identified a full slate of candidates for all five Council positions. A couple of us are hesitant and hoping others will want to join us so we have five fully committed candidates. As such, our doors remain open for others who want to run for Council with us.

Until then, we are not presenting our candidates (there are some election laws and regulations we have to follow which includes not announcing ourselves until we actually file our nomination papers). Our current priority is to keep seeking candidates for our local Town Council. We will keep introducing ourselves to more of our neighbours. Again - every door we knock on, we will continue to keep learning – we will continue to hear what you have to say.

And we keep finding more and more great neighbours that exist among us! We know we can rule ourselves — and do a great job of it! That is getting confirmed by every door we knock on. We have good neighbours here. Many of us are a bit quirky but everyone wants better governance than we have now. A good community with all kinds of skills, experiences, talents, and creativity. And good ideas. Let’s give them the light of day!

If you feel this is something you can embrace, let us know. We would love to have you on the team.

We are organizing meetings every two-weeks between now and election day. Join us. Let’s start by nominating 5 candidates from among ourselves to form our next Town Council.

• Who do you think would be good candidates? Let us know or have them contact us.

• The next meeting will be held on MONDAY JUNE 22 at 7 PM at the Pavillion at the Mallorytown Recreational Park (at the soccer and baseball fields). JOIN US. JOIN YOUR NEIGHBOURS.

• Subscribe to these newsletters. Stay informed. They will be issued every two weeks following each of our meetings. It’s all free, it’s fast and simple to do, and the newsletters will be sent to your email inbox.

Subscribe now

• Visit our website. Watch the videos about democracy and what it means to govern ourselves. Understand the power we actually have. The links are posted on our website OURTOWNHALL.ORG

And feel free to leave your comments and suggestions. Your ideas make our ideas better ideas. Democracy is a team game. Democracy is a community game. Let’s get on the playing field of democracy.

Leave a comment

Power to the People!

May 29, 2026

Below is the third newsletter for our objective to flip the flow of how we are governed. Instead of giving our power to the politicians … Let’s give that power to the people and let the people build their communities and govern themselves. We will issue these newsletters every 2-weeks between now and our local Election Day on October 26.

Imagine the people governing themselves. We can.

It is doable. But we will have to revolutionize ourselves to change that flow. We can do that too.

This mission starts local — from the neighbours in our communities to our local Town Hall. And the more that other communities do the same, the more the power of the people will flow into provincial and state capitals and right into the seats of the federal government.

We are starting it in our own local community … The Front of Yonge Township in Eastern Ontario Canada. Hopefully, we are setting an example for other communities to do the same.

Power to the People!

_________________________

WHAT IS REPRESENTATIVE DEMOCRACY?

NEWSLETTER - MAY 29 2026

Here — in The Front of Yonge Township — we have not elected our local Town Council for at least 12-years now. It is high time to change that.

Democracy. That is what it’s all about.

AN INTERESTING CANDIDATE MEETING

I recently met with a local resident that expressed interest in running for Mayor of Front of Yonge Township this fall. He heard about us and reached out to explore if what we were offering would coincide with his goals. Fair enough.

Suffice to say that the fit did not align.

However, the meeting was not in vain. It validated our mission. It punctuated a lot of the reasons that we are advocating for a new approach to governance. It was a learning experience — as most interactions with our neighbours are.

Out of respect, I am not going to disclose his name here as there is no value in doing that — and who knows — perhaps he will see the light. We actually did agree on several things. Let’s just call him Mr. X.

The meeting started with Mr. X expressing interest in our mission to deliver a new local government. He presented his background (solid) and outlined his long-tenured residency in our Township. All good.

Mr. X punctuated the fact that we really have not elected our Town Council here for almost twelve years now. Nobody runs against the existing Council – they are just acclaimed. As such, there is no election and nobody votes for them. Absolutely true!

However, Mr X did not do his homework about us. On the same flyer he got my number from, we presented our website — complete with links to videos and newsletters. He reviewed none of it. As such, I had to explain what our core mission is.

I outlined two key foundational components:

1. That the exiting flow of power flows downward from the federal to provincial to local town halls and ultimately down to us – the people — on the bottom rung. I emphasized that this flow of power was backwards and had to be flipped right-side up. And;

2. That the politicians do not have ideas — the people do! I gave him several examples of issues which people have come up with while I was out canvassing.

Mr. X was completely taken aback by those two statements.

In response, he proceeded to lecture me about how “Representative Democracy” works. Basically – that we elect politicians to make our decisions for us!!! My rebuttal was simple: “It is 100% obvious that that does not work!”

I outlined that “Representative Democracy” was, in fact, not democracy at all. Maybe it is supposed to work, but we have to look at the reality of what it has given us. That it has morphed into a dictatorship of politicians making all the decisions for the community and its citizens. That “Representative Democracy” is the very approach that opened all the doors for the lack of transparency (secrecy) we currently experience. It also opens the doors to creating political representatives that can be corrupted (but that is a discussion for another time).

It became apparent that his objective in running for Mayor was to simply replace the existing Mayor with himself installed as the new maker of our decisions on how our community is governed. Basically, merely creating a new person operating the same status quo broken system.

Interestingly, he agreed that most of our neighbours do not even know who our Council Members are! But that begs an interesting question: How does “Representative Democracy” even work when nobody knows who represents them? His argument for sustaining a broken system becomes futile. But - Mr. X is obviously stuck with the status quo! Even though he readily admits it is broken.

I then proceeded to explain how we propose to engage with our citizens to govern ourselves. I outlined our Democracy App to enable everyone to present their ideas, discuss ideas, debate ideas, improve on ideas and actually vote on ideas. To actually allow all of us in our community to provide input and direction on how we are governed – using democracy as the process. From the convenience of their phones or laptops.

His problem with that was swiftly declared: “That is socialism!”

My response was equally swift: “No. That is democracy!”

It is up to the people to decide on the issues; to decide on even what ideology – if any – even applies. And here - in the Front of Yonge Township - our community is actually pretty conservative in nature. Democracy is higher up the ladder of freedom than ideology is. And actually on most issues ideology does not even apply. Common sense and creativity rise well above ideology.

In a nutshell, either case can be termed as “Representative Democracy”. We are offering to represent you by involving you in the decisions you want by having you tell us what you want. Meanwhile, Mr. X is offering to represent you by making the decisions for you without hearing you out about them. That is the status quo we have now. Just under a new Council — new in name only. But, more of just a Council that makes the decisions for you. The status quo.

Both alternatives are “Representative Democracy”. It is the form of representation that is different.

Mr. X also raised another ‘old-school line of thinking’ point: He stated that the Council was required to meet obligations and requirements dictated to us by the provincial and federal governments.

NO! That is backwards to the flow of democracy. It’s upside-down.

Dictates over our community by provincial and federal governments are extortion. Firstly, those ‘dictates’ should be presented to our citizens. When dictates are made, the Council should tell us about them. This is exactly why we no longer trust our government. Because governments at all levels are dictating how our society and communities are built while it is us who should make those decisions. The flow of democratic power should 100% flow in the opposite direction.

“Government for the People, by the People, of the People”. When provincial or federal governments extort us with their demands — our Council should inform us of that extortion and we – together – should address them. It should be up to us as to how we resolve them — or if we resist them — or even defy them. That should always be our choice. These decisions should not be done in secret by Council. We should work together with each other to solve them. We cannot use our power of community if we are not aware of what is going on.

The flow of democratic power has to get flipped right-side up. Provincial and federal dictates need to be addressed by all of us – and absolutely not in secret by our own local Council!!! I am not sure Mr. X actually got my point on this one.

IN SUMMARY

There does not seem to be a fit with Mr. X and our local campaign. While I did not close the door, I did give him some homework. I gave him our website (again) and asked him to view the videos and newsletters. Our platform is clear: Give the power to the people to govern and build their community themselves. Have the confidence that they will get every single issue right (they will).

I left the door open. He has our number.

My final observation is that Mr. X is in the Boomer Generation. He is stuck in the status quo of how things are — even though he himself admits it is not working. He readily admitted that our government, our corporations, our legacy media, and our institutions no longer hold any trust. He agrees that everything is rooted in corruption. Yet — he clings to the status quo of the very system that has failed us on all fronts.

Is his mind open to something new? I hope so, but I am not confident he will see that disconnect in the short term. We all have to continue discussions among ourselves. We must. We all will awaken — and we are all getting there. But let’s respect that everyone wakes up on their own schedules. We will leave the light on for them. And we will embrace them as they do wake up.

The good news is that we all see the problem. And that problem is the broken and corrupt status quo. Our remaining disagreement is about how we go about solving it. I take that as good news — albeit with some work to do.

Ultimately Mr X can run for Mayor. His choice. And it would be healthy if he did. It would give us all a choice. An election choice on the ballot and we can dive deeper into this debate and likely it would improve our outcome no matter what the final result is. That is how democracy is supposed to work.

NEXT STEPS

We have identified a full slate of candidates for all five Council positions. A couple of us are hesitant and hoping others will want to join us so we have five fully committed candidates. As such, our doors remain open for others who want to run for Council with us.

Until then, we are not presenting our candidates (there are some election laws and regulations we have to follow). Our current priority is to keep seeking candidates for our local Town Council. We will keep introducing ourselves to more of our neighbours. Again - every door we knock on, we will continue to keep learning – we will continue to hear what you have to say.

And we keep finding more and more great neighbours that exist among us! We know we can rule ourselves — and do a great job of it! That is getting confirmed by every door we knock on. We have good neighbours here. Many of us are a bit quirky but everyone wants better governance than we have now. A good community with all kinds of skills, experiences, talents, and creativity. And good ideas. Let’s give them the light of day!

If you feel this is something you can embrace, let us know. We would love to have you on the team.

We are organizing meetings every two-weeks between now and election day. Join us. Let’s start by nominating 5 candidates from among ourselves to form our next Town Council.

• Who do you think would be good candidates? Let us know or have them contact us.

• The next meeting will be held on MONDAY JUNE 8 at 7 PM at the Pavillion at the Mallorytown Recreational Park (at the soccer and baseball fields). JOIN US. JOIN YOUR NEIGHBOURS.

• Subscribe to these newsletters. Stay informed. They will be issued every two weeks following each of our meetings. It’s all free, it’s fast and simple to do, and the newsletters will be sent to your email inbox.

Subscribe now

• Visit our website. Watch the videos about democracy and what it means to govern ourselves. Understand the power we actually have. The links are posted on our website OURTOWNHALL.ORG

And feel free to leave your comments and suggestions. Your ideas make our ideas better ideas. Democracy is a team game. Democracy is a community game. Let’s get on the playing field of democracy.

Leave a comment

Power to the People!

May 19, 2026

Below is the second newsletter for our objective to flip the flow of how we are governed. Instead of giving our power to the politicians … Let’s give that power to the people and let the people build their communities and govern themselves. We issue these newsletters every 2-weeks between now and Election Day on October 26.

Imagine the people governing themselves. We can.

It is doable. But we will have to revolutionize ourselves to change that flow. We can do that too.

This mission starts local — from the neighbours in our communities to our local Town Hall. And the more that other communities do the same, the more the power of the people will flow into provincial and state capitals and right into the seats of the federal government.

We are starting it in our own local community … The Front of Yonge Township in Eastern Ontario Canada. Hopefully, we are setting an example for other communities to do the same.

Power to the People!

_________________________

FRONT OF YONGE TOWNSHIP

NEWSLETTER - MAY 19 2026

We have not elected our local Town Council for at least 12-years now. It is high time to change that.

Democracy. That is what it’s about.

On October 26, we want to elect a town council that actually represents what we — together as neighbours — actually want. From that point, we will all build our community together.

Our Council is comprised of five members — a Mayor and four Councillors. Each are part-time roles requiring attending two monthly Council Meetings and some committee work. The Mayor also attends County Meetings and is required to attend local civic events and the like.

What we seek to do is run a full slate for all five positions. Why? So that we can change the actual dynamics of governance itself. So we can elevate democracy — and by doing so, we can empower ourselves, as a community, to build our community together.

None of us have to be experts at governing. Merely having the desire to elevate the power of community will be enough — because we will be empowering our community to do our governing. Democracy is the key to governing. It’s the tool and our role is to bring it to Front of Yonge Township.

Here is a quote from Diana Van Eyk that describes our challenge:

“There’s a lot I don’t know about community building, but something I do understand is the importance of valuing relationships more than our opinions.

“We’re all navigating through the fog of war, AI, and rampant misinformation and disinformation, and through very challenging times. We often don’t know what kinds of pressures people are under. So doesn’t it make sense to establish caring relationships before arguing over who’s right?”

“We don’t know what the future holds, but whatever surprises we’re faced with, common decency and treating each other with kindness and respect will help to smooth some of the rough edges. “

We are not here to dictate rules, laws and regulations. Our goal is to actually give those choices to our neighbours.

What we are aiming for is to facilitate, organize and encourage our own neighbours to chart the course our community takes. We can do that. And we can do it with the confidence that they will get everything right.

Imagine us governing ourselves — instead of having five people making all the decisions for us — most of the time without even consulting us! Democracy would be our tool to accomplish this. To really make this work, we propose the building of a simple online Democracy App. This would be an app accessible to all of us on our phones or laptops.

This app would allow any one of us to present an idea. Everyone deserves to be heard. It would open those ideas up so that everyone can discuss them, question them, debate them and actually improve on them to make them even better ideas. And then to actually vote on them. (Watch our videos for a full explanation and examples.)

Every idea we come together on is then put to our Council — our Town Hall — to make into reality. Our own Council would be linked directly in the app. We would all be working towards building our community together.

The result is that Council would not be dictating the future direction our community takes — we would be charting our own course together.

Just imagine that. We would actually be governing ourselves. We would actually use democracy to make decisions together. There is a bonus too — we would all start to get to know each other. Our community would actually spring into life!

Politicians do not have ideas … the People do. Let’s hear them!!!

Power to the People!

NEXT STEPS

We already have several of us ready to throw our hats into the political ring. We still need a couple more to cover the full slate of all five Council seats.

If you feel this is something you can embrace, let us know. We would love to have you on the team.

We are organizing meetings every two-weeks between now and election day. Join us. Let’s start by nominating 5 candidates from among ourselves to form our next Town Council.

• Who do you think would be good candidates? Let us know or have them contact us.

• The next meeting will be held on MONDAY MAY 25 at 7 PM at the Pavillion at the Mallorytown Recreational Park (at the soccer and baseball fields). JOIN US. JOIN YOUR NEIGHBOURS.

• Subscribe to these newsletters. Stay informed. They will be issued every two weeks following each of our meetings. It’s all free, it’s fast and simple to do, and the newsletters will be sent to your email inbox.

Subscribe now

• If you want to add something to our newsletters, let us know that too.

• Visit our website. Watch the videos about democracy and what it means to govern ourselves. Understand the power we actually have. The links are posted on our website OURTOWNHALL.ORG

And feel free to leave your comments and suggestions. Your ideas make our ideas better ideas. Democracy is a team game. Democracy is a community game. Let’s get on the playing field of democracy.

Leave a comment

Power to the People!

Below is our first newsletter for our objective to flip the flow of how we are governed from the politicians to the people. We expect to issue these newsletters every 2-weeks between now and our local Election Day on October 26.

Imagine the people governing themselves. We can.

It is doable. But we will have to revolutionize ourselves to change that flow. We can do that.

This mission starts local — from our communities to our local Town Hall. And the more that other communities do the same, the more the power of the people will flow into provincial and state capitals and right into the seats of the federal government.

We are starting it in our own local community … The Front of Yonge Township in Eastern Ontario Canada. Hopefully, we set an example for other communities to do the same.

Power to the People!

_________________________

FRONT OF YONGE TOWNSHIP

NEWSLETTER - MAY 7 2026

We have not elected our local Town Council for at least 12-years now. And it is costing us.

Last election, they were acclaimed. Nobody ran against them. As such, nobody voted for them. In the election before that, it was pretty well the same story.

What does that mean? First off, many of us do not even know their names! Most of us don’t even see or hear from them. Secondly, we are stuck with what they do and don’t do. The result is that our lives just get more complicated, restrictive and expensive.

Look at our recent property taxes as a clear example. For the decade between 2012 and 2022 they increased by an average of 1.3% a year. In the last four years they increased by 4.8. 4.2, 4.3 and 4.5%. The increases have tripled.

In 2022 they completed an extension of the Municipal Building. We asked some construction professionals how much they thought it should cost to build. They responded with about $200,000 and - when pressed - up to $350,000 to $400,000 at the extreme level. The actual cost was upwards of $900,000! And the purpose of this project? To build a new Town Council meeting room — when our Council only meets 2 evenings a month. Meanwhile we had and still have a meeting room in the Community Centre (above the Library). This was unnecessary.

Currently, they are actively considering the construction of a new Fire Hall. The projected cost is $3-million which does not even include land as the Township already owns that. We have been told it is only “being considered” yet they already put out a tender earlier this year for architectural designs (those aren’t free). We will pay for it with a 30-year mortgage note. We will be on the hook to pay for this for the next 30-years. Do we really need this?

Has the Council asked us for our opinions on these initiatives? Nope.

We can change this. It is time for us citizens to actively participate in governing ourselves in our own community.

NEXT ELECTION DAY IS OCTOBER 26, 2026

Let’s actively participate in our own governance. And we can do that. Together is how. Neighbours with neighbours.

Let’s participate in this election. Let’s run candidates that we choose for all five Council positions. Let’s run on a platform of governing ourselves.

Additionally, we can build an online platform so everyone can present ideas. So that everyone can discuss and debate those ideas. So that working together, we can make them even better ideas. So that we can ultimately even vote on those ideas. And this entire democracy app can be hooked up directly with our Town Council.

Yes - an actual democracy app - so that we actively build our community together.

And our new Council will be tasked with delivering what we - the people - decide on together.

Politicians don’t have ideas. The people do. We have already talked with many of you — and we can vouch for that to be fact!!!

Such an app can be built. The technology for it has been here for decades now.

Imagine that. We can actually rule ourselves together with our neighbours. We can actually live the promise of democracy. We can actually live the promise of community. And — we can actually set an example for communities everywhere! Right here in the Front of Yonge Township.

NEXT STEPS

We are organizing meetings every two-weeks between now and election day. Join us. Let’s start by nominating 5 candidates from among ourselves to form our next Town Council.

• Who do you think would be good candidates? Let us know.

• The next meeting will be held on WEDNESDAY MAY 13 at 7 PM at the Pavillion in the Mallorytown Recreational Park (at the soccer fields). JOIN US. JOIN YOUR NEIGHBOURS.

• Subscribe to these newsletters. Stay informed. They will be issued every two weeks following each of our meetings. It’s all free, it’s fast and simple to do, and the newsletters will be sent to your email inbox.

Subscribe now

• Visit our website. Watch the videos about democracy and what it means to govern ourselves. Understand the power we actually have. The links are posted on our website OurTownHall.org

And feel free to leave your comments and suggestions. Your ideas make our ideas better ideas. Democracy is a team game. Democracy is a community game. Let’s get on the playing field.

Leave a comment

Why should we let politicians that ignore us make our decisions for us? Let’s govern ourselves and build our community together.

We look forward to seeing you at the soccer fields. Our community’s soccer fields.

Mallorytown, Ontario, Canada

March 17, 2026

It is revolution time.

Some of us know it and it is those ‘some of us’ who need to spring it into life. It is those ‘some of us’ who need to plant the seed so that it can grow. It is those ‘some of us’ who need to light the path so that others can see the path and join us.

A revolution will not happen unless those ‘some of us’ start it. And it has to happen. The consequences of it not happening are dire and dark and possibly fatal. We all know it.

We know what we have to do. That defines us as the awake crowd. I know it and you know it.

I also know that if we start it, we can win it. I feel that in my soul. Because I think the people have it in them. And I also feel that we all know that now is the time. There are enough of us and we need to come together so we can win it.

So let’s get on with the revolution. It’s time.

Here is the entire game plan of the revolution. It is the strategy. It is the path.

Right now we sit in the first panel and we need to elevate ourselves to the second panel. We need to build that team that is represented in that second panel. From there, we will see the third panel.

The only step we need to take right now is to build that team that represents the second panel. And then our revolution will be under way. The seed will be planted. The path will be lit.

Are you one of the ‘some of us’ that panel two needs to spring our revolution into life? It is a personal question and we have to answer it to and for ourselves. It is a commitment and our society may well hang in the balance of that commitment. The destination represented in panel four depends on it. So, be honest and ask yourself if you can make the commitment.

As I sit here — in the first panel — I can see the second panel. I want to go to the second panel. But I cannot get there alone. I need you to step onto the path with me.

I can do my part. My part is panel 1. Here it is.

It is Our Town Hall.

I am not going to outline the details here. All the details are on the website ourtownhall.org . There are two videos on the home page that completely explain it. Commit 9-minutes and watch the first one. If that makes sense, commit 80-minutes and watch the second one.

That is all I ask you to do. It will outline how we engage our weapon of democracy and win the freedom and peace we all seek. There really is only one core message: Give all the power to the people. With that, you have to have the faith that they will solve everything else from there.

That is what I am doing. I am putting my faith in you.

So let’s ask ourselves… what do we need to do to get the seed planted and the light lit? We need that team to come together. For that, we need a time and place to gather together at. Once we are together, our combined energy, talents, skills and creativity will take us to the next steps.

Why not meet up at Our Town Hall?

That is what I present here. A place where we can gather together and move ourselves forward on the path of this revolution. Our Town Hall.

So — as you explore this — you have to only find one answer for yourself. Are you one of those in the ‘some of us’ crowd? If you are — then now is the time and Our Town Hall is the place.

Over the past year I have built what I can. My skills are limited and my resources are pretty well nil. Some volunteers have helped out on various components. But none of it is perfect and it is certainly not complete. But — with a team — we can put it all together and put ourselves on that second panel.

What I present here is a start.

Our revolution is not a sprint — it is a relay race. Now we need a team for me to pass the baton to. Panel two requires a team.

This needs organizers, facilitators, educators, artists, dreamers, and everything else across the board. It needs the energy of a team. Everyone is capable of something. And all of our individual ‘somethings’ add up to everything!

It needs someone just to organize regular team meetings so we can all work together to move this forward. It needs managers and facilitators. It needs technical skills to deal with our online world and to improve our app. It needs administrators to manage the details. It needs constitutional legal expertise because we will get attacked by the 1%. It needs musicians and artists to elevate our energy. It needs social media engagers. It needs everything! Panel two needs it all.

So … this needs you.

I can see the dream of the destination. A destination where the people are free. Where peace surrounds us. Where our communities spring into life and our society embraces our ability to self-govern ourselves.

The oppressors will be gone. The people will rule themselves. Panel four is our destination. The removal will be done and the replacement will be delivered. The revolution will be won.

We have a tool that brings us there. We have a weapon that we can use to remove those oppressors. That weapon is democracy. We have a tool that guides us to self-governance. That tool is democracy. Democracy is both our weapon for the removal and our tool for the replacement.

And the power of democracy is lying right there at our feet. All we need to do is pick it up.

That is what Our Town Hall is all about. I look at this as my gift to the people.

It is up to you to take it to the next steps.

Again — my ask is that you watch those videos and honestly ask yourself if you can commit to walking this path forward. I commit to go with you — revolution is a team game. And democracy is our weapon and our tool that we need to win this revolution.

Are you among the ‘some of us’ that moves this forward? My personal email is dancelovsky@gmail.com. Let’s put this team together. Let’s go to panel 2.

This is your invitation. The time is now. The place is Our Town Hall. Your RSVP is requested.

The path to victory is clear. As soon as we show up we will have placed ourselves on panel 2. Together we will take ourselves to panel 3. And panel 4 is where this path takes us. Freedom to govern ourselves. Peace surrounding us.

We can win this.

Power to the People!

RESOURCES

Website: OurTownHall.Org

Intro Video (9 mins): Our Town Hall - Introduction

Detailed Video (80 mins): Our Town Hall - The Revolution Battle Plan

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August 5, 2025

We absolutely can win the Class War.

And we better get to winning it. The 1% believes they can control everything and they will if we don’t fight back.

Them controlling everything is not how society is designed to work. Ask the fundamentals of democracy. Ask the Constitution. Ask the Bill of Rights. They can take their distorted privileged views of who actually is in charge and shove it.

We did not create this Class War. They created this Class War and infused us with their corruption, greed and evil desire for control. What they give us is total crap. It is time for us to deny them.

And it is time to remove them.

While they created this Class War, it is on us to defend ourselves. We can do that. And we can not only defend ourselves, we can defeat them. We can win it. We can even secure the justice we deserve. Freedom and peace is where our victory will take us. Yes —- we can absolutely win this Class War.

To win it, we need to define our strategy and act on it. It starts by choosing our battlefield.

The key to winning any war — including this Class War — is to show up on the right battlefield. Our enemy — the 1% — is organized and we are not. They have chosen their preferred battlefield and fully organized themselves on it. They understand their weakness and have deployed their countermeasures of propaganda, surveillance, censorship and oppression to ensure we don’t unite against them. They fully know that if we were united they would lose everything. They have to keep us divided because we scare them.

It is foolish on our part to play into their strengths. It is a lot smarter to fight on our strengths. What am I talking about? I am talking about fighting this Class War on our strengths — which we have in abundance. Our strength is our numbers and all we need to do is unite ourselves. We have to rise above their countermeasures and do the one thing that scares the hell outta them: Unite.

I harken back to my favorite quote.

We are not outnumbered. We are the 99%. And 99% is a lot more than 1%. Let that sink in.

We are out organized. The 1% holds the keys to power in our federal government. They own Washington DC. They own Ottawa. They own London. And Paris. And Berlin. And so forth. The federal government is their battlefield — it is where their weapons effectively give them all their power. They own it because they bought it. Let that sink in.

Successfully fighting any war takes some organizing strategy. The 1% is extremely well-organized. They know what their strength is and they are organized around it.

It is time for us to show up on the right battlefield. The battlefield where we win this Class War. The battlefield where revolution takes hold. It is time to remove and replace the 1% with the democratic power of the absolute majority — the 99%. That battlefield is sitting right in our own communities.

WHO IS “THEY”?

We can call them the 1%. We can call them the Ruling Class. We can call them the Deep State. No matter what we call them, they are our enemy. For the most part, they stay hidden from view.

We can see our politicians, bureaucrats, and media personalities because they are the ones standing on the front line — coming into our view on broadcasts, newspapers, magazines and more. But they are merely the corrupted. They are merely bought and paid for tools of the actual ruling class. It is those who corrupt them that actually represent our enemy.

Our actual enemy is the corruptors. And we need to know who they are.

These people are typically equity managers, bankers, corporate executives, the foreign state of Israel, and the billionaire oligarch class. To fully pull the curtain, I recommend this 15-minute video on YouTube by podcaster and investigative journalist Ian Carroll. He clearly presents this evil cabal by pulling back the curtain.

Understand the enemy so you know who they are. We need to know who they are and what they do.

They literally are poisoning us. They put 177 times the allowable amount of lead in baby formula!!! (Check out the video!). They absolutely are evil.

Knowledge is power. That video is worth your time because we all need to know who our enemy truly is and what they do against us.

We have to remove the 1% from our lives. We will never be free and at peace until we do. In fact, we will never be healthy until they are removed. Remove them and — once they are removed — freedom and peace will be allowed to soar. That is the clear victory we achieve by winning this Class War.

THEIR WEAPON OF MONEY

Their strength is the weapon of money. They have it; and we don’t. They understand their strength and use it. They understand our weakness and exploit it. They are organized. And they keep us divided because that is what defies us from using our strength of numbers.

With money they can buy what they need. They bought Washington DC. Corruption is how their money is used against us. They bought our politicians. They bought our media. They bought our justice system. They bought our regulatory agencies and institutions. Corruption is how they deploy their money.

How did they take control? They chose their battlefield well. They aimed their weapon at one single place: the federal government and its institutions in Washington DC.

Furthermore, they don’t give a damn about national identities. They have used the same strategy across the ‘Western’ nations to capture the global landscape. Ottawa, London, Paris, Berlin and the others are all captured and squarely fit into their global strategy for power and control.

Examine this strategy of theirs very carefully. In a war, it is critical that we understand our enemy. Their focus is on one single battlefield: The federal government.

The federal government is a single node of democratic power that renders their weapon of money effective. And it works!!! We know that because they own the place!!! They aimed their weapon of money at it and fired away. They bought it with their money!!!

But this is also their weakness. And we need to exploit it.

OUR WEAPON OF NUMBERS

There are three basic levels of political power in our society. The federal level (which the 1% currently owns), the state/provincial level, and the municipal/local level (which requires numbers to own).

The bottom line today is that the 1% control and own the federal government. But they do not control and own the local level of government.

Let’s examine a few of the dynamics of the local government level. This is important, because local government is where we can organize and win this Class War. If we are to play into our strength of numbers, we need to fight this war on the battlefield we can win. That is the local battlefield.

First of all, while the federal level of government is centered in one single national location (be it Washington DC in the USA, Ottawa in Canada, London in the UK, etc.) our local governments are centered in Town Halls across thousands and thousands of communities.

Yes, there literally are thousands of Town Halls across our landscape. In fact, In the USA, there are 90,837 local governments including county, township, municipal and special-purpose entities. In Canada, there are 5,162 local governments.

The 1% has no control over them. Their weapon of money simply cannot cover the ground. Local governments are a battleground that renders their weapon of money useless. Local governments are a battleground that plays completely into the hands of the weapon of numbers — which we have and they don’t.

Ask yourself one question about your current local government. Does your local government stand up against the corrupt and oppressive federal government? A healthy community would demand that they do. Ask yourself if you have the right people sitting in the seats of your local Town Hall Council. You likely don’t have that.

Most local/municipal elections have low voter turnouts. Even in my own local Town Hall, many of my neighbors do not even know who our Mayor and Councillors are!

It is time to change that. Local governments should challenge the federal government on behalf of its residents. Power should not flow down from the federal to the local level. FLIP IT OVER. Power should flow up from the local level up to the federal level. There is even a word for it: Grassroots. This is how grassroots power flows. It flows up. That grassroots power is sitting right at our feet and all we have to do is pick it up and use it.

The 1% and their weapon of money cannot flourish at the local level. Our weapon of our sheer numbers can. Let’s play to our strengths!

Local is the battlefield we can win on.

There are natural limits that disallow the 1% to infiltrate at the local level of government. To effect power at the local government level you have to be a resident of the community. The 1% does not live in most of our communities so they don’t even qualify for it. Furthermore, most of us and our neighbors do not welcome outsiders dictating our lives and governance. We don’t even have a place where private jets can land nor a dock that accommodates their yachts. They can’t even park here. We don’t want them here! The 1% is literally shut out.

A second factor to consider is that local governments actually affect our lives more than any other level of government. Most things that directly impact our actual daily lives are represented through our local Town Halls. Positive changes we make actually start to pay off in elevating our lives immediately.

A third factor of local democratic power is the natural ability to develop us into a unified force of people through communities. The more we - with our neighbors - participate in local governance the better quality of life we actually live. It literally is neighbors working with neighbors to build communities.

Local Town Halls literally are a vessel to bring us together. Neighborhood by neighborhood, we become organized together. Our voices rise together and our power rises. Furthermore, there is absolutely nothing limiting communities from building alliances beyond our local communities when communities join forces on issues. The power is additive.

And the 1% cannot touch us. Their weapon of money does not play on the local battlefield of power. We neutralize their weapon of money in every community that we empower. And we engage the power of our weapon: our numbers.

The bottom line is that local governments are our sweet spot. They are the battlefield where our absolute strength of numbers flourishes.

Local governments make decisions that directly affect our lives every day. It goes beyond roads, emergency services, housing, policing and zoning laws. A local government can make laws through democratic agreement of its residents. Local laws are simply determined through the majority rule mechanisms of direct democracy.

These laws can build walls of resistance against the restrictive and controlling actions taken by a federal government. They can disrupt a federal government. And, ultimately, with communities joining together with other communities, they can take down a federal government. They can do it on specific issues and they can do it on actual removal of a corrupt government.

If the federal government places a restriction on our free speech, we can make a local law to counteract their law. We might not ultimately win that issue, but we can disrupt them and force it through the courts. We can do the same with their taxation. Ditto to their support of foreign wars. We can counteract anything they do. We can disrupt them. We can resist them.

A few of my neighbors have already presented ideas that we can do locally. Many of these ideas actually make an immediate direct positive impact on our lives. We can hire our own country doctor and provide health care to our residents. We can create affordable housing. We can even create a local barter system, share tools and equipment, and so much more.

There are ample ways a community can stand united against oppressive and asinine actions taken by a corrupt federal government. Communities are only limited by their creativity.

If multiple communities took actions together, the power of resistance and outright defiance would multiply its effectiveness. These are all possible by communities standing up and standing together.

The way I see it, is that if neighbors stand together in their communities they can decide how their community is governed. And they can embrace the principles of pure democracy. Direct democracy. Participative democracy. We can do all of it.

Our local platform is very simple. It embraces only one single platform issue: Put the power of democracy into the hands of the people. Give them the tools to make democracy work. Give them the tools to present ideas, discuss those ideas, debate those ideas, and - ultimately - vote on those ideas, All in the community. We will build the tools to foster direct democracy here in my local community - and we can share those with any other community that wants to elevate their local power.

My point is — that people standing together can govern themselves. Give them the power and the tools to do it. Let their creativity soar. And I bet they will get every single issue right. Every time.

This may be a Utopian dream more than anything, but it would be disruptive to the ruling class. Simply put, this dream can become reality with a little organizing effort. And, after all, we are in a Class War here and we need to show up on the right battlefield. Local government is the battlefield that plays to our numbers. Local government is the battlefield where we actually can organize ourselves. Local government represents grass roots power. It ties us together with our neighbors. It elevates the power of our numbers.

“We are not outnumbered; we are out-organized”. Local government is where we can out-organize them and engage our weapon of numbers. Malcolm X would be thrilled!!!

I do not know about you; but I am completely fed-up with the corruption and the outright evil demonstrated by the actions of the 1%. I am fed-up with the hellbent notion of the Israel-first policy. I am completely fed-up with the politicians, bureaucrats and media that accept the 1% into our democratic institutions. I am fed-up with their lies and deception. In fact, I am more than fed-up; I am pissed off.

I am hoping that I do not stand alone in my sentiments — or my rage. Because it is by uniting that all the power comes to us. And with that power, comes the removal and replacement of the 1%. What does a revolution represent? It represents the removal and replacement of a corrupt, greedy, power-hungry, and entitled ruling class.

It is revolution time. While there are alternative approaches to revolution, this offers us a peaceful approach to revolution. By the way, democracy only works when we the people actually participate in the process of democracy. It is not just voting — it is standing together — it is presenting ideas together — it is discussing ideas together — it is improving ideas together. Democracy is a community game. And democracy is the power of the people’s voice.

It is time for the revolution to remove this ruling class and their dictatorial crap, and replace them with the voice of the people.

DEPLOYING OUR WEAPON OF NUMBERS

In my township, I am attempting to organize our taking charge of our Town Hall by uniting our neighbors together and selecting our own candidates for our Town Council. In the next local election, we will have a full slate of candidates for our Town Council. We will have our neighbors engaged and vote in that Town Council. By election day, we will merely be processing the paperwork to put our new Town Council into office. We will have already selected our candidates - which are selected by us from among ourselves.

My previous article CLASS WAR: THE WEAPON OF COMMUNITY outlines the details in the approach we are taking here — which can be replicated in any and every other local government community. Consider it for your community. We could share ideas and elevate our energy through collaboration.

Let me re-emphasize that our platform is one basic item. Bringing democratic tools to our community. Allow our neighbors to present ideas, discuss ideas, debate ideas, improve ideas, and ultimately vote on ideas. Give people the power to make their own decisions. With that power, I bet they get every single issue right.

We need organizers to take over Town Halls across our country, and across the globe. Consider organizing this in your community. Talk to your neighbors about it — I bet they are as outraged as you are.

Class War. The 1% has the weapon of money. We have the weapon of numbers. The weapon of money can be beaten. As long as we organize around our numbers. If we do that, we shift the Class War to our battlefield. And I like our odds.

Let’s show up on our battlefield and win it.

Class War. Revolution. People standing together is how we win it.

Freedom and peace is what victory gets us. That is worth fighting for.

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This is our first progress report. Based on my substack post of March 24. “Class War: The Weapon of Community”

Our objectives are to:

1. Let our neighbors know we want them to unite for a better community.

2. Find the others we need to run a full slate of candidates in our next local election (in October 2026). Put it this way, we are seeking a younger crowd than the relics we have now.

3. Let’s hear some more creative ideas to make our community better. Ideas come from people - not politicians. Everyone has a voice here.

4. See if other communities want to work together to share ideas, resources and energy.

We are making progress on all our objectives.

1. Every neighbor we talk to loves the idea of direct democracy that we are offering.

2. We have two out of five candidates - others are considering it and we are getting referrals for more. We will cover the full slate.

3. We already got some great ideas floating around. People know what they need here. And the creativity is beautiful. From big ideas like hiring our own country doctor to small ideas like dog tags for life.

4. We already have two neighboring communities that want to join in sharing the cost of bulding our direct democracy online platform. We remain receptive to working with others who want the same freedom from this corrupt system we are living in. The more the merrier.

Below is the flyer we are personally circulating door-to-door. It fits on one sheet of paper front-and-back.

Guess what? People want change. They want to determine the future of their own community themselves. And they have some great ideas! Amazing how such a simple concept of actual true democracy can actually bring our neighbors together.

We will keep you posted periodically.

Power to the People!!!

______________________________________________

Our next municipal election will be held in October 2026. Together, we need to be ready for it. And now is the time to start organizing for it.

“Local governments form the backbone of democratic societies, serving as the closest level of government to the people.”

• Most government decisions that directly affect our lives are made at the local level.

• Communities that stand together can raise their voice to influence provincial & federal governments.

Our mission is simple: To take charge of our local government where WE - STANDING TOGETHER WITH OUR NEIGHBOURS - make the decisions of our local Town Hall.

RECENT HISTORY

In the last election (In October 2022), all five Town Council positions were Acclaimed. We didn't vote for them. Nobody ran against them.

In the election before that (in October 2018), the Mayor was Acclaimed. Five people ran for the four Councillor positions.

Enough is enough. Our Council is old and takes the approach of changing nothing. It is time to bring in a new generation to Town Hall and to create a vibrant proactive community. Our younger neighbours are the future and it is time to give them the keys to our Town Hall.

OUR PLATFORM

To open up our Town Hall to direct participation of all members of our community. Let the people decide everything. Let them bring in ideas. Give them the tools to discuss these ideas. Give them the tools to debate these ideas. Give them the tools to vote on these ideas. The Council is only there to make them reality. We - the People - rule.

1. Nominate and elect a slate of Town Hall candidates from among ourselves. Select a younger Council that has an interest in making our community thrive.

2. Create an online platform for our community to present, discuss, debate and vote on ideas. Everyone gets a voice. A bonus point: This will eliminate all possibilities of corruption to even take root.

Give the people the power to make decisions for their own community. I bet they get it right every single time.

IDEAS

Already, we have collected some ideas from our neighbors. These ideas are for discussion and will only be implemented with a majority approval by our neighbors.

• Build a local medical clinic and directly hire a General Practitioner doctor and nurse to service the needs of our community. Hire a true “country doctor”.

• Dog tags with lifetime registration for each dog. No more annual renewals.

• Dump ID. If your driver’s licence says you live in the Township, that is sufficient. No extra ID required to access our dump.

• Any expense over $2500 should be open for community approval (preference to local contractors/suppliers). It’s our money, our taxes paid.

• Advance paving schedule of our roads posted online.

• Full review of zoning laws to create freedom of property owners over their own property.

• Petition the provincial and federal governments directly against their actions that defy the wishes of our community. Use the platform of our unified voice to apply pressure.

• Tool sharing facility. Possibly delivered through our library.

Contact us and add your ideas. Ideas come from all of us because we are the people living here. This is our community. Bring em in!!!!

NEXT STEPS

1. Who do you think would be a good candidate for our local council? Let us know. Let’s choose them now. Our next election will merely be processing the paperwork.

2. Add ideas to improve our community. It’s people that have ideas - not politicians.

3. Most importantly, mark your calendar for October 2026 to actually vote. We can do this.

CONTACT: Dan Celovsky

391 Old River Road, Mallorytown K0E 1R0

Email: dancelovsky@gmail.com

Cell/Text: (613) 803-7631

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March 24, 2025

We are organizing locally.

We are in a Class War against a small ruling class elite. We want the power and freedom to chart our own path.

A few of us neighbors got together to share a few beers and discuss it. We explored how to best govern our community ourselves. We want local empowerment. We came up with a plan to take it.

And - in our community - we are going for it.

We are hoping other communities do the same. We are sharing our plan and strategy with you in the hopes that you are inspired to fight for the freedom and power of self-determination in your community.

Unity is the kryptonite of the ruling class. We are the weapon they cannot thwart.

Getting the ball rolling is easy. Gather up a few neighbors and share a few beers. This is something we can all do and actually win the freedom and peace we all want. We can win the Class War.

Your comments are always welcome. Discussion is how we all get better at this. We will get good at it because we outnumber them not only in our numbers, but in our ideas, our creativity, and our passion.

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We are not getting the political leadership we require. By every metric, we know in our souls that we are not moving in the direction we want. The evidence surrounds us. Our levels of trust in all of the institutions of our society has deteriorated to rock-bottom levels. We all know it.

We demand change. And we don’t get it. We have been doing things wrong — and it’s time to change course.

We got into the practice of focusing our political energy (and rage) at the federal level of government. We have been doing it for as long as I remember. It’s gotten us nowhere.

At some point, we need to step back and reflect on what all our energy (and rage) has delivered to us across the decades of time. It’s not much. In fact, it’s even less than nothing because our overall lives are not significantly improving, and the futures of our younger generations are actually deteriorating. We all know it because we can see it.

A few quick facts bear that out. My experience shows it clearly. I am sure that you experience similar variations, reach the same conclusions, and share the same results.

During the period of time my parents participated in the working class (from the 1950s and into the 1990s) to my own kids entering their phase of participating in the workforce, some very serious changes demonstrate the deterioration we are discussing. The results are not at all unique to my family. They are common to us all. We all know it.

My dad worked full time and his wages rendered him capable of affording a mortgage on a home, two family vacations a year, a family car, and to even set aside some money for my brother, sister and myself to pay for college. It was the middle class. His employer offered the benefit of being a long-term gig in itself. He was given a pension plan, healthcare benefits and more. He never had to go to work sick as he was provided with paid sick leave. This was fairly standard in many families.

I can now contrast that to the reality of my own three kids' experiences who have entered the workforce in the last 10 to 15 years. Their employment is tenuous … the need to switch employers is a volatile constant. They are not careers as much as they are “gigs”. Employment benefits are virtually non-existent. Their wages can barely support the basics of life - meaning their partners have to focus on being active in the workplace as well. Home ownership is a rarity for their generation. Paid sick leave? Forget about it; crawl into work if you have to. Family vacations are infrequent and limited.

We all experience the same circumstances. That is evidence of total societal failure.

Meanwhile, we have expended so much energy on discussing, debating and demanding political change towards individual freedom, global peace, and equitable justice. And we see none of it. In fact, the scales have tilted in the opposite direction on all fronts.

Corruption in our government institutions and among our political representatives is rampant. It is standard operating practice. Corporations became monopolies. Banks are well beyond being too big to fail. Somehow our elected officials manage to increase their wealth into the millions on salaries that simply defy such financial success. In 2008, bankers managed to tank the economy through defrauding the public, but were rewarded with public bail-outs. And not a single banker went to jail. Most got lucrative bonuses!

Our overall health has deteriorated with chronic illness being the new normal. Many of us live on a diet of pharmaceuticals. We cannot trust health, food, and agriculture agencies to keep us safe and healthy from predatory corporate interests. We can’t trust anything offered by our governments.

The truth is in the evidence. It’s evidence we can see with our own eyes.

All our energy (and rage) focused on federal politics over the past three or more decades has not improved a single thing. Our kids are not better off. We can all see it. We need to change our focus. And we have to change our strategy.

The bottom-line is that my kids are not better off than the generation of my parents. And all our efforts to change the trajectory have not done a single thing. The demand to change our strategy cannot be more obvious — just based on the evidence alone.

I have tried many things to improve the lives of my kids. Like several others, I tried a run for federal office on a third party ticket that was only futile from the outset. I joined protests that only got me arrested. I repeatedly called out and wrote to my representatives which only got me ignored. None of it changed anything. The evidence proves it.

All this energy (and rage) was spent with nothing to show for it. In fact, the trends of income inequality have only radically widened and the stresses placed on my children have only become more severe. Basically, we got a billionaire problem. When my parents entered the workforce, the top marginal tax rate on incomes over $400,000 was 90% or more. There was no billionaire problem!

We got endless wars which all could have been avoided. These wars are constant - when they finally get to ending one, they just start another. We got corporate power concentrated into the hands of equity managers who own the majority of the corporations representing every industry in our marketplace.

And there is not a single government agency or office that deserves trust. The education system stinks. The justice system is skewed in favor of the corrupt people in power. The media is a propaganda machine. Our universities are controlled by corporate “sponsors” promoting their own interests.

All our efforts to change the direction of our society towards peace, justice, equity and freedom have only resulted in the opposite. IT IS NOT WORKING. We all know it.

It’s time to redirect our energy (and rage). It’s time to change things up. It is time for a new strategy.

I have extensively read and researched the dynamics of societal power in a search to find the levers where actual change could happen. It all boils down to one source of power: That is the power of the united people. Power of the people through unification is the only dynamic that makes total sense.

United people have all the power. It’s been borne out repeatedly across history. We can even sum it up: we face the challenges of a Class War. And the two sides of this conflict can be easily defined as the majority of the people versus the few who thwart the wishes of the majority for their own personal benefit. This is obvious to us all.

The few who have control today have only one weapon: Money. They are the few - but they are organized around money. We are the many - but we are not organized at all. The enemy knows this and they spend considerable amounts of money to make sure it stays that way. Prevent unification by stoking division. That is what all the corruption is about.

My favorite quote:

As such, we need to get organized. We organize around our numbers.

What we cannot do is to continue to repeat the same tactics and strategies that we have been trying for decades. They do not work.

Instead of organizing at the top (the federal government level), I propose we organize at the bottom. Locally.

That is where my focus is. I got together with my son and a few neighbors to discuss this. We shared a few beers and talked about it. We came to one clear conclusion: We are going to organize ourselves to take the democratic seats of our local town hall. We are going to run a full slate of candidates for every position in our town hall. A slate of candidates that we - together with all our neighbors - choose ourselves.

We are going to organize now for our next local election.

This makes sense on more than one front.

First, it involves organizing with our neighbors. We have already talked with many of them. They share the same views and want the same results to happen. The common ground vastly exceeds any of our differences. Perfect! We can organize on the common ground.

Secondly, the elite class cannot cover all the local communities. There are just not enough of them to be everywhere. Furthermore, they don’t live in my local community - there is no place here to park their yachts or private jets. Basically, they just wouldn’t fit in here. As such, their ability to resist our local action is limited. That is a tactical advantage.

Thirdly, local organizing vastly builds up our defences against the ruling class. Organizing on the common ground of our neighbors gives us the power to resist anything they throw at us from their ivory towers and corrupt offices of power. Put it this way, they can’t even see us.

Fourthly, it does not require a lot of money or resources. Their corrupt media has no power over neighborhood common sense. They cannot distort or place a fake narrative over what we together discuss on what we actually see. Furthermore, the rise of independent media is a weapon in our favor. Basically, we immunize ourselves against their most powerful weapon of propaganda (aka bullshit). That is another tactical advantage.

And - fifthly - we can achieve immediate outcomes to make our lives better. We can deliver improvements to our local community and neighborhoods quickly. As soon as we control our own town hall, we start delivering positive change in our community. We can score some immediate wins. The trajectory of power shifts from its negative direction into a positive direction.

We are going to organize around our own local Town Hall. We are doing it here — and we hope other communities pick up the torch of power and do the same everywhere.

HOW WE ORGANIZE LOCALLY

The above diagram demonstrates exactly why organizing politically at the local level is the right approach.

What we have been doing to date - by focusing on trying to change the foundation of political power at the federal level - has only defeated ourselves because we have given the Establishment their one single isolated point of power to isolate us. Focusing our strategy on the Centralized structure of power, we have allowed them to corral us at a single point - which they can easily direct their advantage of money, corruption and propaganda to defeat. We have played right into their sweet spot.

Our change in strategy towards the Distributed model of power thwarts their strategic advantages. Focus on local … and focus on multiple local fields of battle in this Class War. Their weapons of money, corruption and propaganda cannot cover the ground.

As such, a few of our neighbors have united to change the seats of power at our local town hall. We are going for it!!!

Let me paint the picture of our own situation and approach. I am sure we all have variations based on our own personal local dynamics and demographics … but the approach should be generally consistent in all local communities.

Our local community is called the Front of Yonge Township and it is located in Eastern Ontario Canada just across the St. Lawrence River from upstate New York.

The population here (from the 2021 census) is 2,595. It’s even a small decline of 7 people from the census five years earlier. About 300 people live in the only town of Mallorytown — which is where the township’s Town Hall is. There are 1,070 family dwellings of which only 35 are classified as apartments. As such, most people actually own their own homes and pay local property taxes. It’s very rural, covering 125 square kilometers or 78 square miles.

In conclusion, we have a small rural township here. The neighbors all share the same concerns and struggles. And - through discussions - we share the same rage on the political failures of our society in general. We got a lot of common ground. That we can build on.

LOCAL POLITICS

As my son and I shared a few beers with our neighbors, our discussion explored our local political landscape and we noticed something. First of all, many people have no idea who our Mayor even is. Secondly, many have not heard from the town council at all about anything. We just pay our property taxes and accept whatever we get for our money. Hmmm …

So we did some basic research. The last local election was in 2022 (with the next one scheduled for 2026). The Town Council consists of five people (the Mayor and four “at-large” Councillors). Every single one of them was Acclaimed. Not a single person ran against them!

Things were not much better in the previous (2018) election. The Mayor was acclaimed then too. The four Councillors had one person run against them (five people ran for the four positions). Voter turnout was 28.26% with 390 votes being enough to be elected. Total voter turnout was 672 people.

There are also four School Board Trustee positions. Two of those were also acclaimed. The other two won their four-year terms with 145 and 6 votes respectfully.

This is a joke! So, we dug into the possibilities of it. When’s the next election? It will be sometime in October 2026. Nominations have to be submitted between May and August 2026. Good. Now we know the basic rules. Given that it is only March 2025, we have 18-months of time to get our act together to take on the 2026 Election! If we started to organize a full slate of candidates among ourselves, we could actually do something here!!!

Our next steps became obvious to us. Let’s expand this discussion with all the rest of our neighbors. Let’s find out what they want for our community and compile a list of issues. Let’s fill up a slate of candidates that we all decide on together.

THE IDEA OF DIRECT DEMOCRACY

It was at that point where our discussion got even wilder and better. (Maybe it was the beer that brought us there …).

What if what we do here (in our small township of only 2,595 people) can inspire other communities to do the same?

Let’s look at that diagram of democratic power again:

We are merely one node in the Distributed chart of power. What if other nodes started taking the same action? We could actually work together. Sharing ideas and resources. Building a positive energy vibe.

We all know that to actually change things, the key ingredient is people uniting. What better way to unite people than through the local political level? There is absolutely nothing stopping us. We aren’t even doing anything radical: We are just following the rules of society that we were given.

Power to the People.

After we shared a few more beers, this idea became an even wilder idea (the power of beer and conversation!). We were feeling the power and the energy was rising. We got creative and let the ideas roll.

It’s like the freedom of charting our own destiny gave us some creative juice. Words like freedom and self-determination became common themes.

Could we build an on-line system that engages everyone in our township to work together to make our community constantly better? We envisioned an online system where everyone could present ideas, discuss ideas, debate ideas, and even vote on ideas. It’s so obviously possible. The technology has been here for three decades! Why has this not already been done?

For a basic simple example to give it a practical theoretical test, we selected the issue of dog tags. (We all just got our annual renewal notices.) Currently the township demands that we get a new dog tag every year. A better idea would be to get one dog tag for life.

If we had such an online local system of democratic engagement, we would float the issue on April 1. We would open discussion and debate for two weeks until April 15th. Those for lifetime dog tags could present their case. Anyone could offer alternatives. Anyone opposed could present their case. Discussion is open and transparent to all. Once discussion is closed, the dog tag issue is put to an open vote for another two weeks (until April 30). The majority wins, and Town Council is required to make it a law.

We could do this on every single issue. Every citizen has a right to raise an issue and to have their say on any issue. And everyone can access it online at their convenience. The votes can also be done conveniently - with two-week long open voting periods.

This is essentially called Direct Democracy leveraged by the online technology we have had for decades now. The only problem being that nobody has done it yet. We can do it right here.

The result is awesome; our Township would be ruled by the people. The elected town council is merely there to process the wishes of the community itself. It’s true direct democracy!!! The role of elected representatives is merely to foster and engage a system of democracy and execute on the democratically decided outcome. The Town Council would have no role in setting the rules of our community. The community itself does it. This should apply to every single issue.

The next logical question is: Can we build such a system? The answer is: Absolutely!!!

Luckily, my working history involved designing heavy-use industrial database systems and platforms. I know how to design these systems, and actually work with programmers to code them. It’s not that complicated or expensive to build. We could build a direct democracy system for our township to actually do it. An online system of direct local democracy.

Geez, we could make that the cornerstone of our entire election campaign platform!!!

A couple of beers later, our creativity just expanded even further!!! It got exciting and you could just feel the creative freedom and power of the people rise and soar.

That is when it got really good. Could we share this system that we will build here with other communities that want the same local democratic power? Damn right we could!!!

Is it the beer talking now? Or do we have something here? That is up to other communities to decide for themselves. But we can certainly offer it. We could cost-share both its construction and ongoing hosting and maintenance. We could also connect all the local communities using it to combine it to cover provincial/state and federal issues. Shazam!!! All of a sudden the power of local organization starts to feed all the way up to the national level.

IT IS DOABLE. ALL OF IT. And the seed can be planted in a community of 2,595 people. Welcome to freedom. Welcome to the democratic rule of the people.

And adios to the corrupt ruling elite class. This Class War is now winnable.

MOVING FORWARD/NEXT STEPS

We have the advantage of time but need to use it wisely. Our next local election is in October 2026 giving us time to do some productive preliminary work.

We need to expand the excitement of our initiative across the township, engaging all of our neighbors. We have some of us prepared to start the process.

The first preliminary steps are obvious:

1. Generate awareness across the township. Let all our neighbors know we are here.

2. Compile and verify an initial list of the issues important to everyone.

3. Find candidates to fill a full slate of the elected offices. We agreed that we should focus on a majority of younger people on this one. (it’s their futures.)

4. Poll the idea of the online direct democracy platform to flush out what everyone wants it to be. Start to design/verify its essential requirements.

5. Seek others outside our community that wish to conduct the same actions in their own communities and open the gates for idea-generation and sharing. Essentially, find other “nodes” in the distributed structure of power as presented in that diagram. Build alliances.

Our approach over the next few months should yield us a full slate of local candidates, an initial platform of issues, and the strength of alliances. The proposed design of the online platform would also unfold. And - most importantly - a positive energy of direction to individual freedom and community empowerment should take hold.

We can continue to present our progress reports on this Substack platform —hopefully inspiring others to share ideas, improve on ideas, and to even initiate similar actions in other communities.

Our deadline to achieve our initial goals is Labor Day this year. That will have us fully organized. Everything else can be expected to unfold from there.

I can honestly state that this strategy for political power is the solution we have been seeking for decades. I feel it - and I feel its positive energy with everyone I discuss it with.

We will present our action to independent media outlets and other organizing groups. This can get as wild as we choose to take it. A small rural community called the Front of Yonge Township with 2,595 people can be the starting point to actually change everything.

I can see this all working. But let’s keep one thing in mind: Our mission here is not to set an agenda based on issues. It is to deliver the tools of actual democratic power to the people - our neighbors. Empower them to take care of every single issue themselves. And I fully bet they will get every single issue right because they will be discussing every issue together. Our role is to give them the power and the tools they need to do their part. They will take it from there.

Another quote applies:

Our job here is simple. Just take the first steps.

Where can this actually go? That is up to us. To do this, we do not need leaders; we just need organizers, facilitators, and educators. Let’s give the people the opportunity to actually have direct participatory democracy. I bet they all want it. And that is where our power is. United people - at the local level - is where our power is. Let’s catch our power and let it soar!!!!

Consider it for your community. Discuss it with your neighbors. I bet your community can roar just like mine can. And - together - we can roar loud enough to achieve the peace and freedom we all want our communities to thrive in. We can change the trajectory we are on.

If you have questions, or if you want to engage your community along with ours, please feel free to comment below or reach out to me via email at dancelovsky@gmail.com . Sharing ideas makes us all stronger. Discussion improves the ideas we share.

Get together with a few of your neighbors and share a few beers. That is how it starts. Let the ideas flow.

LET’S MAKE OUR COMMUNITIES ROAR TOGETHER.

Cheers!

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January 24, 2024

The Democratic Party is run by corruption. They can’t hide it anymore. It’s corrupt and more and more of us see it every day. They continue to demonstrate this publicly by every word they utter and every action they take.

Just because the people who run it are corrupt, that does not mean they are not idiots too. Because they are idiots. They keep peddling bullshit narratives that people no longer accept. They either refuse to see it or simply don’t see it. They refuse to look in the mirror. They refuse to listen to anyone outside of their own bubble. They continue to believe in their bullshit, echoed by their own pundits, politicians, and media celebrities. They can’t change their ways. They just can’t. They are idiotically blinded by their own bullshit and entitled positions.

And that is their downfall. And it’s also our opportunity.

Across elections held over the past several decades, The Democratic Party has proven its complete ineffectiveness and incompetence. In the last three election cycles it has blatantly demonstrated its corruption.

It is a party run by an elite, arrogant, self-centered Establishment of people who defy democracy itself. In 2016, Bernie Sanders had the momentum. He had a damn good chance to win the Presidency. The Democratic Party said, “No. It’s Hillary’s turn.” In 2020, Bernie Sanders again had all the momentum and energy. The Democratic Party said, “No. It has to be Biden.” In 2024, they didn’t hold a primary at all. They didn’t even have to say “No.” — this time they just put their candidate of choice onto the ballot. Face it, in the last three cycles, every candidate they selected (and the people didn’t) turned out to be a disaster.

The Democratic Party has made itself a corrupt farce. They lie about every single issue. They create issues that don’t exist. They ignore issues that we want addressed. They embrace propaganda and weaponize censorship over anyone who raises their voice against them. And they love their donors and the money that flows into their pockets from them.

They can now be taken down. This is a huge opportunity for the people.

In my last post, I outlined our failure to ‘shift’ the Democratic Party to a party that represents the working class. I also outlined that our neighbors managed to unite together and replace the corrupt Establishment of the Republican Party with a new democratic force. The old Establishment guard of the Republican Party has been effectively removed - with the remaining old guard either being shifted out, or are in fear of being primaried out.

The Republican Party has transitioned. It did so by the power of the people rising up against their corrupt Establishment cronies.

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Everyone - even the MAGA Republican crowd - wants to see one more thing happen in the political landscape that is American politics: They want to see an opposition party that also represents the people. They want a check-and-balance put on the Trump Administration. They realize that an effective opposition party is what we all need. It’s what democracy needs to flourish.

On the Democrat front, there are two facts in recent political history that we can reflect on:

1. All our efforts at shifting the Democratic Party to be a voice for the people (the working class) have been thwarted by its own corrupt ruling class. These elitists have their own agenda in supporting corporate interests and wealthy donors. Put a fork in trying to reform the Democratic Party from within.

2. All our efforts at embracing a third party to speak for the people have fallen flat. The election results consistently prove it. There is no third party energy or momentum to tap into. Much of it is due to corrupt influences within the duopolistic system such as the media and the DNC establishment. Put a fork in the third party effort.

American politics is ingrained as a two-party duopoly. Like it or not, that is the reality.

As such, our opportunity is not to create a third party. Our opportunity is not to reform the Democratic Party. Our opportunity is to create a new party that replaces the flailing Democratic Party.

The US political landscape is not open to embracing a third party. The US is a political duopoly. That is the way it has been for a century. It’s the way it is now. And it is the way it will be for the foreseeable future. In this situation, it is futile to waste our energy on fighting the system. Let’s shift our fight onto the battlefield of the system we have.

Let’s swim with the current instead of against it. Let’s give the people what they want: A true opposition party. The Democrats can’t oppose anything. They have nothing to stand on. Absolutely nothing.

Our opportunity is to build a new working-class focused opposition party. Let’s replace the Democratic Party to offer everyone the alternative to the Republican Party. Let’s put a fork in the Democratic Party.

As we are in the first few days of the Trump Administration, we can applaud some of the changes going on. We can applaud the free speech initiatives (and the destruction of the censorship apparatus). We can applaud the new transparency being inflicted on the political powers in Washington DC. We can applaud the re-focus on domestic needs and away from global interests. We can applaud the new focus on diplomacy and peace over conflict and war.

We can also applaud the fact that those who supported Trump are vocally demanding some actions and voicing dissent over other actions. Trump declared the release of all documents related to the assassinations of JFK, RFK and MLK. His supporters demand more. Many are also demanding the release of all Epstein and Diddy evidence too. They stand on their common ground and embrace discussion over the differences they have. We can applaud that entire effort. We can also learn from it.

There are more examples of healthy democratic discussion and debate occurring within the Trump Administration and its supporters. Already, there is a rising internal debate about the Stargate project and there is vocal opposition to the pro-Israel stance. These all demonstrate examples of healthy democracy within the new Republican Party.

And - we can applaud the complete calling out of the Democratic Party’s leadership. Each time the Trump Administration zigs, the Democrats simply have no idea how to zag. They are flailing. Their corrupt idiocy is now on full display on every issue. They are actually making fools of themselves.

Right now - and for the next four years - the new Republican Party will have its moment in the sun to set the political course of the USA. If they deliver for the people, then it is likely that they will be politically victorious in 2028 too. And they should be if they earn it.

The Trump Administration is delivering elements of free speech, a focus on transparency, a demand for accountability, and a re-focus on domestic priorities over globalist priorities. Their agenda is not perfect but it is a necessary pivot from the direction we were on. There is a lot of common ground there. And - yes - we should applaud them. They have moved us towards democracy itself.

However, there is no electoral opposition. Luckily, there is a healthy pressure from its own supporters there. The Trump Administration will feel that pressure to do the right things because the people’s voices in their own party are loud and clear.

But there is no political pressure created by an electoral alternative that risks the Republican’s position of power anymore. There is no voice for organized labor and we have not heard any mention of issues such as a minimum wage increase, universal health care, maternity leave, union rights, or a myriad of other workers’ rights. We have not heard anything about taxing the rich or enforcing anti-trust actions.

The Trump Administration stands unopposed to their seat of democratic power on many issues because we have no organized voice to even raise those issues for discussion and debate. Again - the Democratic Party is so weak and feckless that our voices on our issues are simply not there. We are of no threat to the democratic power of the new Republican Party.

That means there is no democratic pressure because the alternative party - the Democrats - is irrelevant. And we can absolutely bet that they will continue to be irrelevant because they are unable to remove their corrupt leadership. The Democratic Party is a nothingburger in its function as an opposition party to the Republicans.

Democracy requires an opposition party. It needs the checks-and-balances of an opposition party. It needs a voice that drives discussion and debate on issues that will otherwise be ignored.

The Opposition Opportunity

The country needs an opposition party. The opportunity is to fill that need. That is what we need to build.

I repeat for emphasis that the Democrats are not it. They have imploded under the weight of their own corrupt leadership and bullshit messaging. They are feckless, weak and marginalized. Furthermore, they have no impetus to change their course.

We do not need to focus on winning a national office election right now. The Trump Administration has its mandate and we can even welcome its successes on removing corruption from Washington DC, re-focusing government attention to domestic issues and away from globalist imperialistic interventions. We can actually applaud a lot of it - and we should.

What we need to focus on is creating an alternative to remove the Democratic Party from their opposition status. Guess what? Even the Republican supporters would welcome it! They actually would embrace an opposition electoral option just to keep their own elected officials in check. This is about the power of the people.

As such, we need to create and build an opposition party. Even if we don’t like it, we can work within the duopoly that we are stuck with - just replace the Democratic Party. Like it or not, the Republicans did it but they did it internally because they could. We tried to do it internally in the Democratic Party, but the resistance there is entrenched. So let’s replace them as the official opposition party of this duopoly. The demand is there!!!

So … let’s focus on taking second place. Build the opposition party that this duopoly needs so that we keep the agenda of democratic power focused on the people. Democracy demands it.

The Green Party/Workers Strike Back

What do we need to establish an actual political party? Two things:

1. An organized force that focuses on workers’ rights. Workers Strike Back is such an organizing force. It’s effectively new but it is staffed with the right people. Its leadership is driven by Kshama Sawant who has earned her chops and proven her incorruptible character. I urge everyone to research her personal history. She is supported by people who share her strength of purpose and character.

These people know the game, they focus on actual workers’ rights and issues. They have had political successes. They have thwarted organized attacks against their agenda. And most importantly, they understand the democratic power of unity.

2. An electoral system infrastructure. The Green Party has that in-place. They know the challenges of gaining ballot access and on blowing back the Establishment efforts to remove them from the electoral process. They have the legal expertise and experience as well as the infrastructure to capably ensure electoral presence is achieved.

Put them together. If you do it with strength plus strength, it adds up nicely.

How do you build an opposition party that can fit into the duopoly that is the reality of American politics? By combining those two elements into one political force. Put the Workers Strike Back leadership in-place to manage the Green Party electoral infrastructure.

The entire focus for the next 4-years should be to replace the Democratic Party as America’s opposition party. Yes - take over that side of the duopoly!!!!

Take it from the Democrats. They are weak - and even more to the point: they are completely uninteresting. They have actually become boring. For evidence of that, look at the ratings decline of their corporate media outlets such as CNN, MSNBC, and the NY Times. Their corrupt bullshit is our opportunity to take them out. And taking them out should be our number 1 priority.

Ignore the Republican Party as the strategic focus for the next 4-years. They are making some key changes that benefit us all. They have opened their doors for constructive debate. They are not perfect … and that is why there is the need for an effective opposition party.

As such, focus 100% of our efforts on taking the votes from the Democratic Party. Exploit their weaknesses and deliver on what they failed to deliver or even address.

What I am trying to propose here is to essentially ignore the new Republican Party for the next 4-years. Focus entirely on replacing the Democratic Party as the opposition party of the duopoly political landscape. For clarity, I propose we completely focus on winning second place. Win the opposition party position.

There is no reason we cannot applaud what the Republicans do right. Freedom of speech. We applaud it! The draining of the bureaucratic corruption swamp. We applaud it! Initiatives for global peace. We applaud it! Movements towards making America healthy. We applaud it! Limiting the powers of the government to surveil the people. We applaud it! Bringing transparency to Washington DC. We applaud it! Efforts to restore trust in the justice system. We applaud it!

There is another thing that is happening within the current Administration that we should not only applaud; but embrace. Their receptiveness to discuss and debate issues. That we should not only applaud, but embrace and participate in it.

There is no reason the “New Green-Workers Party” cannot bring forth issues related to workers’ rights. Paid parental leave, paid time off, sick leave, minimum wage, health care as a right, the right to unionize, and so much more. Raising voice to those issues could influence the agenda of the current Administration. Working together with the Republicans on common ground should be a pillar of our strategy. That can only improve our lives.

Raising voice to those issues where we do differ should only serve to foster discussion and debate. Find the common ground, elevate the common ground, improve the common ground actions and solutions. Yet, also ensure that debates occur where opposition is warranted. Let democracy do its thing. And accept democracy’s results.

If we foster democracy by elevating discussion and debate we will be meeting our objective: which is to replace the Democratic Party as the opposition party within this duopoly. The people win.

In four-years the Republicans will earn another term because they have moved our society forward. And that would be fine. Or - they will have failed to move our society forward, and the people will have a trustworthy, credible and competent alternative to replace them with.

Either way, the democratic voice of the people will rule. And in a true democracy, it is the people who rule. I bet we can do it. This could be a win for us all. Isn’t that the common ground we all want?

Our strategy should be to replace the Democratic Party. Our tactics should focus on winning the position of opposition. Our role should be to embrace the powers democracy gives us and bring them to the fore. The time to start is now.

Power to the People.

February 22, 2024

It can start next month. There is already an organizing meeting scheduled in Seattle WA for February 22, 2024. Have open discussions, present all ideas, have constructive debates. But - mostly - focus on the prize. The prize is democracy.

I will start the discussion with a couple ideas of my own and some I have heard from others:

1. Start building one clear unified force. Put it together and choose a single name. Stop confusing the voting public. To unify, you need to look unified.

2. Focus on fighting the Democratic Party. To become the opposition party, take steps to earn it.

3. For electoral activity, start finding candidates for every single down-ballot position and build a unified platform that you can leverage in future elections. Build a base to gain experience and find leaders to promote upwards.

4. Build bridges by finding common ground and worker-centric platform issues. Every divisive position serves to alienate someone out. The only alienation that should be fostered is the elite ruling class. Find consensus issues to focus on. This is a Class War. Show up on the right battlefield.

5. Build up the independent media voices into a unified weapon. The Trump Administration is giving us free speech. Let’s use it. The Democratic Party has a media presence. Be prepared to fight them on their battlefield.

Divisive issues tend to divide. Common ground tends to bind. Please give that some thought.

Please feel free to comment. They will all be read.

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November 12, 2024

We united over the past while and on November 5th we met up together.  Some of us do not even realize it yet.  But we did.  

Democracy and its power snuck up on us on November 5th.  It has been building for a long long time.  On November 5th we all came together from coast-to-coast-to-coast and cast our ballots.  It took into the early hours of November 6th to realize that democratic power has shifted into the hands of the people. Only then did we realize it was actually there.  We had it all along but just didn’t realize it.  Sneaky is what this was.  

And it tastes sweeter than we even imagined it could be.

We have - finally - moved to the second panel of our Revolution. Things will move much faster now that we are all on the same path. Because now we are walking this together.

Take a close look at the second panel.  Our voices are rising.  We are standing up.  Now more and more of us are rising up.  And - the Establishment sees it and is getting very nervous.  Us uniting together against them and their agenda is the one thing they did not want to see happen.  They fear us getting to panels 3 and 4. Can you smell the fear coming from them?  I can.

What follows explores how we got to panel two.  We did that last Tuesday (November 5th).  And that means we are on our way to panel three and - ultimately - four.

In my opinion this was the most consequential election since 1960.  We still have a lot of work to do … but we finally picked up the power of democracy that was sitting at our feet.  We have been walking forward for a while now with more and more joining us along the way and we stepped right into panel 2.  It snuck up on us!

As we move forward, more and more of our neighbors will join us.  The taste of democratic freedom and its power for peace and individual freedom is compelling and contagious.  Next step:   panel 3 and we all go there together.   

Democratic Power Through Ranked Choice Voting

The power of democracy is simply sneaky.  I could not see it myself until I actually walked right into it.   Given how sneaky it is, I am going to describe what happened through my own experiences this election.  From what I have heard from others, many of our experiences are quite similar.  

I didn’t even realize what I was doing or how I voted until the day after November 5th.  It just sort of evolved.  Voting day is not the full extent of democracy.  It’s only an event in the process of democracy.  Democracy has come alive in 2024.  We have been doing democracy most of this past year if not longer.

And it’s beautiful now that I see what happened.  The power of democracy is more powerful than the ruling class can contain.  

During the election cycle process, I voted using the ranked-choice voting system.  Given the choices offered, it was the only viable and prudent choice I had open for consideration.  Ranked-choice voting is a process.  After all, it forces us to consider all the options.  It started by rejecting the status-quo we have.  

My first absolute condition was that the status quo has to go.  A broken corrupt system has to be rejected.  With that foundation, my support unfolded across three choices — in rank order which is what ranked-choice voting requires:

First Choice: Independent/Third Party

Second Choice:   Trump-Vance

Third Choice:   Stay Home (I 100% believe that not voting is a voting choice)

I had to go through a lot of personal reflection in my consideration.  There were a lot of emotional twists-and-turns.  But - mostly - I came to realize that whatever choice I landed on had to absolutely reject and ideally change the trajectory we were traveling on.  

It had to be a choice that pivoted society itself to move forward (peace & freedom being the factors) while it also sustained my own personal moral standards (peace & freedom again being the factors).  This was not an easy balance to find.  This was actually the most challenging election I had ever faced.

Only ranked-choice voting offered me the path to resolve my conflicts and uphold my personal moral standards.  Of course, the one hang-up that became the most challenging hurdle to overcome was the system itself.  It simply didn’t offer ranked-choice in it.  How can I rank-choice vote in a system that doesn’t offer it?  Making it work in a restrictive system was the hard part.

But then it struck me.  I resolved to not let the system hold back my democratic voice.  Democracy gives me my one equal voice to use - and I am not going to be deterred because of a technical limitation in a flawed corrupt system.  Liberation ensued. 

To hell with the system.  I rank-choice voted. 

And the outcome actually arrived on the scene.  I am very happy with my choice.

I had to vote against the trajectory offered by the corrupt status quo.  That was the foremost conclusion I arrived at.  The unfettered corruption and evil arrogance that defied democratic freedom had to be stopped.  My three ranked choices reflected that common theme consistently.

This “voting for the lesser evil” crap had to go.  It never works which it has proven election after election after election.  I absolutely resigned myself to the condition that I was going to vote for something this time.  That required a search.

I explored my first choice first.  I found it to have no chance to move our trajectory.  It became obvious early on in the cycle that the third party choice could not demonstrate the skills of leadership and consensus building required to be viable.  I even asked the Green Party to take the lead and offer the electorate a unified option back in February.

The Green Party leadership did respond to me; essentially telling me “it would happen organically”.  They did not lead on it.   But, it did happen organically as they predicted.

It happened in my second rank choice vote.  Robert F Kennedy Jr left the Democratic Primary, switched to Independent and then united with the Trump-Vance ticket.  Tulsi Gabbard also rejected the Democratic Party and also joined the Trump-Vance ticket.  I think they were rank-choice voting too!

Both of these voices rejected the corruption and chose democratic freedom in its place.   I wrote about this in my previous article “The Roar of the People”.

Tucker Carlson and Elon Musk came in.  They rejected the corrupt media influences and brought independent media and the Twitter/X social media platform into the Trump-Vance ticket.   The energy took off from there, with more and more voices aligning with it.  My second choice did what my first-choice failed (refused) to do.  

In summary, my first-choice failed to materialize.  My second-choice grabbed democratic freedom and delivered it.  This avoided my third-choice from being required.  That is ranked-choice voting.  It was not officially ranked-choice voting, but it was ranked-choice voting.  I can vouch for it because I voted using the ranked-choice system and it worked.  It was democracy doing its thing.  And it's beautiful. 

Let me punctuate a final point that makes this more beautiful than I even expected it would be:  The outcome of this election is not about any politician or so-called leader.   The outcome is the voice of the people.  It’s the roaring power of democracy itself.   

Everything about it is the people uniting on the common ground of peace and freedom.  This is an important point that requires illumination which, in turn, explains where we now stand.

The Repudiation of the Establishment

I wanted to see an outright rejection of the corrupt DNC political Establishment.  I wanted to see their arrogance and entitled position of power removed from our lives.  Don’t get me wrong … I also wanted the corruption in the GOP gone!

I wanted to see America choose a totally different path forward.  I wanted to see endless wars end and corporate corruption removed.  I wanted to see the decay of the quality of life across our communities reverse its course. I wanted to see a focus on the health, education, safety, and empowerment of every one of us to replace the evil destruction of those very elements to take place. I wanted to hear free speech everywhere and see censorship criminalized.

So many of us wanted the Democratic Party to either change or be replaced by a totally new political party and vision.  

I came from what many call “the left”.  We tried over-and-over to shift the Democratic Party to democratic principles.  We failed.  The Squad, Bernie Sanders (twice), the Progressive Caucus, Justice Democrats, etc.  They all got consumed by the DNC Establishment and weaponized against us and our very mission.  

We tried to build alternative parties in this two-party duopolistic system to give us the choice we wanted.  Every movement or third party we attempted to form fizzled into mediocrity and demise.  Our good intentions could never match the financial and media resources the Establishment weaponized against us.  We failed.

But none of what we pursued was wrong nor was it done in vain.  The energy of the people for democratic freedom kept rising.  We could just feel it was there.

But something else was going on and we on “the left” didn't really pay attention to it.  While we tried to either replace or shift the moral compass of the Democratic Party, others just like us were busy shifting the Republican Party.  Our neighbors got it done!

They came together as MAGA to start.  People came together to replace the Establishment Republicans with themselves (the MAGA Republicans).  

As the election cycle proceeded, RFK Jr joined them.  He experienced the same stifling corruption we ran into as he tried to change the direction of the Democratic Party from within.  They vilified him.  They ignored him.  They rejected him.  They thwarted and silenced him at every turn.  That didn’t stop him. He created a new movement called Make America Healthy Again (MAHA).  And he consolidated MAHA into MAGA.   Tulsi Gabbard came along.  Tucker Carlson came.  Elon Musk came.  Independent media and numerous other voices came along.  People united.

In a revolution for power, the unification of people is the prerequisite.  Malcolm X knew that. United people will always win because they are the absolute majority over a ruling class that cannot exceed 1% in numbers.  United people is the seed of successful revolutionary systemic change.  Uniting is the first step.

Remember that the 1% has only one weapon that they can use against us:  Money.  They have lots of it.  But, that is also all they got.  

So the people united.  And as the people united, guess what else happened?  The legacy corporate media floundered.  They lost their own relevance (through their own doing and bullshit).  Independent media sprung into life with a new refreshing energy and flourished.   Free speech became our liberating force.   (And that just feels so damn good.)  

Free speech is a lot more powerful than money.  While money can only buy speech in the form of bullshit, united people engage in actual constructive speech.

As a result of this factor, the 1% has lost control.  They are freaking out.  We are taking control and we are doing it democratically because that is where our power is.  (Ask Malcolm X if you don’t believe me.)  It feels absolutely fantastic.

As a humorous irony … Kamala Harris rolled out her campaign under a theme of “joy”.  Her theme was right on-target.  It was the right theme at the right time.  Her problem was that she couldn’t deliver it because there is no joy in the corrupt manipulation of the people. But joy is here.  We, the people, delivered it ourselves.  Ironic, huh?  It generates a smile on my face!  Joy is here!!!!

Legacy corporate media has lost its credibility.  It was already tanking, but now it has almost nothing left and is on its way out.  It’s dying in front of our eyes. We - the people - have bid them adios.  They will never get us back.

Along the way, it’s nice to see that celebrity worship has shown that it doesn’t have much power over us either.  Adios to that empty vessel too.

The MAGA movement has also repudiated the Establishment Republicans from the GOP.  The tenure of the likes of Mitch McConnell, Lindsay Graham, Mitt Romney and others is quickly coming to an end.  They no longer wield power in the new MAGA Republican structure.  They have no voice there.  Many have already fled the ship and joined their like-minded corrupt Establishment politicians in the DNC.  Dick and Liz Cheney, The Lincoln Project people, and others.  The Establishment Republican Party is gone.  Adios to them.

Who Are the MAGA People?

This past September, I went out to meet the MAGA people.  I was curious.  Who are these people?  What are they saying?  What is their mission?  I wanted to see what they were about and what they had to say.  

As a stock-car racing fan, I went to the NASCAR race weekend in Watkins Glen NY on September 13-15.  I camped out among them.  It was a party.  People shared food, firewood and company with each other.  Our kids played with each other.  We sang some Karaoke.  We argued over which race car drivers we liked best.  And we talked about politics.  They want peace, community, justice and personal freedom.  They want the entitled corrupt Establishment out and gone.  They want to be heard.  And they want to be represented.  It sounded good to me!

I explored this further two-weekends later by attending the Peace & Freedom Rally in Kingston NY.  There were about 1,000 people in attendance and half of them were independent/third party people and the other half represented MAGA people.  Everyone was in agreement on the core issues of democratic freedom, free speech, and peace.  We all applauded and cheered the speakers voicing those very values and democratic principles.  They were all 100% against the Establishment ruling class and the evil they conveyed.  Their voices spoke in a language of complete common ground.

As September faded into October, I found myself to be united in the MAGA movement.  I came at this from “the left” as did many others.  Many came at it from “the right”.  But none of where we came from mattered.  What matters is where we are going.  And it has nothing to do with left or right.  It has everything to do with the common ground we share.

We are united people in agreement on the principles of democratic freedom.  We are united in free speech, discussion and building consensus.  We are united in building our own communities together with our neighbors.  We are not united on every single issue … but we are united in the freedom to discuss each and every issue and build democratic consensus on them together.  We agree to practice democracy as the way to build our communities.

United people are much more powerful than the division shoved down our throats by this evil arrogant self-entitled ruling class that has infested our society.  United against them, we can toss them out of our lives. United, we can change everything and live peacefully and freely.  I am all in for that.

On November 5th, we reached panel 2.  The people have proved that they have love in them.  They have proved that we have the common ground we all want and need.  We are now the majority. 

Come and join your neighbors — that is who we all are.  

The Big Awakening is now a force with the energy of the people.  We define the next steps together and we take them together.  That is how revolutions are won.

I do not agree with you all on every single thing. But I don’t have to. I absolutely love walking down this path with you. Peace and freedom is where we are headed. And that is what we do agree on.

Panel 3 … here we come. We are winning this revolution. 

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Come Together - The Beatles

Shoot me
Shoot me
Shoot me
Shoot me

Here come old flat-top, he come groovin' up slowly
He got ju-ju eyeball, he one holy roller
He got hair down to his knee
Got to be a joker, he just do what he please

Shoot me
Shoot me
Shoot me
Shoot me

He wear no shoeshine, he got toe-jam football
He got monkey finger, he shoot Coca-Cola
He say, "I know you, you know me"
One thing I can tell you is you got to be free

Come together, right now
Over me

Shoot me
Shoot me
Shoot me

He bag production, he got walrus gumboot
He got Ono sideboard, he one spinal cracker
He got feet down below his knee
Hold you in his armchair, you can feel his disease

Come together, right now
Over me

Shoot me
Right!
Come, come, come, come, come
He roller-coaster, he got early warnin'
He got muddy water, he one mojo filter
He say, "One and one and one is three"
Got to be good-lookin' 'cause he's so hard to see

Come together, right now
Over me

Shoot me
Shoot me
Shoot me
Ugh!

Come together, yeah
Come together, yeah
Come together, yeah
Come together, yeah
Come together, yeah
Come together, yeah
Come together, yeah
Oh, come together, yeah
Come together, yeah
Come together

Songwriters: Paul McCartney, John Lennon

August 30, 2024

This is not about the politicians.   This is about the people.  This is about the people raising their voices.  This is about the people coming together to build the future we all want.

We are in a Class War.  Their side is the 1% Establishment.  Our side is us - all of us.  

Before you freak out that what follows is about supporting any politician or political party, let me clarify a couple points:

1. Considering any politician to be a hero is not where we need to go. Democratic power is rooted in the people.  There is no hero riding in to save us.  We are the heroes.  You.  Me.  All of us.  Celebrity worship of any politician is cultish at best.  It is simply anti-democratic. Surely, we have learned that lesson by now … 

2. Democracy is not about having everything totally aligned with what each of us want.  It is about coming to a consensus on issues that define our common ground.  With that, we attain the freedom to discuss and resolve the remaining issues where we differ.  

Having a respect for democracy is what this is about.  As such, this is 100% about the people.  This is about seeing and hearing the consensus we have on the common ground that gives us democracy.  We all have to agree to democracy to make democracy work.  It’s pretty basic.

Democracy is not about 100% agreement on everything.  It is about having discussions, presenting all sides constructively, and reaching consensus.  The prerequisite is that we need to be together to actually practice democracy.

We are in a Class War.  The 1% has attacked our democratic freedoms and rights.  They are very well organized and have shown up on the battlefield.  It is time for us to show up on the battlefield to defend ourselves.  

The 1% ruling class is fully organized with its own government officials, its own propagandized media, and its own armed security forces.  It perpetuates and sustains its organized system through the corruptive power of money.  That is what they got.

That is also all they got.  They will never exceed 1% while we vastly outnumber them.  As soon as we decide to come together, their advantages quickly crumble into dust.  Uniting ourselves is what we have to do.

They also have another big problem.  There is no honor among thieves.  They are characterized with narcissistic psychopathy.  They do not know the meaning of cooperation nor the strength of unity.  They will fight among themselves.  And that weakness has arrived on the scene.  It is up to us to exploit that core weakness in them.  If we do that - and unite together - this Class War will end very quickly.

August 23, 2024  Glendale Arizona

On Friday, August 23 2024, a Donald Trump rally was held in Glendale Arizona.  It was a packed house.  This specific rally was notable as it was the rally where Robert F Kennedy Jr threw his support to Trump and spoke to the gathered crowd.  It is the rally where some of the right questions got asked.

I see this as a pivotal point in our revolution; our Class War.  Again, let me state that what moved me at this rally was not the politicians.  It was not Trump nor was it Kennedy.  It was all about the people who attended.  Trump and Kennedy merely asked the questions.  The people provided the answers.  The roar of the crowd for the issues that were raised is what moved me.  I heard them roar in unity and consensus on common ground issues!!!!

A quick review of the issues raised at this rally started before Donald Trump introduced RFK Jr to the podium. Trump declared “I will establish a new independent presidential commission on assassination attempts, and they will be tasked with releasing all the remaining documents pertaining to the assassination of President John F Kennedy {...}”.  The entire crowd cheered loudly!!!

I have written on the assassination of President John F Kennedy previously.  In summary, that was the moment when the Deep State (the 1%) took our democracy from us.  It is when the 1% attacked us. It is time to expose the Deep State and its players.  What we are seeing and hearing is the people finally showing up on the battlefield to take on the 1%.  This is long, long overdue.  

There is considerable validity to the theory that the assassination attempt on President Trump in Butler Pennsylvania last month was instigated by the same Deep State.  That alone should wake us all up to the rift that will destroy the 1% from the inside.  Donald Trump is pissed off - as he should be.  The 1% is tearing itself apart with their own civil war.  

When RFK Jr took to the podium, he asked several key questions.  I will bet we all have the same answers to them.  Don’t we?

“Don’t you want healthy children?”  The crowd roared!

“Don't you want the chemicals out of our food?”  The crowd roared!

“Don’t you want the regulatory agencies to be free from corporate corruption?”  The crowd roared!

RFK Jr didn’t stop there.  He asked a few more questions.

“Don’t you want a President who is going to get us out of these wars and rebuild the middle class?”  The crowd roared!

When it came to censorship, free speech and a free press, RFK Jr asked “Don’t you want a President who is going to protect Americans’ freedoms and who is going to protect us from totalitarianism?”   The crowd roared!

Ask yourself the same questions that this crowd was asked.  Aren’t your answers the same? If you were among that crowd on August 23rd, you would roar too! This is called common ground.  It is the foundation that democracy requires to flourish.

Let me ask a further question:  Why do we not see that our neighbors want many of the same things we ourselves want?  On every one of those questions asked, do we not agree with the crowd?   

What we all want is not perfect nor is it 100% aligned.  But our common ground covers 90% of the ground we all share.  We have common ground.  Together, that unity on the common ground we all share gives us the tools to resolve all the remaining issues we face together.  Democracy demands that we gather together to make democracy function.

We can call the people in that crowd “MAGA Republicans”.  But labels don’t do us any good.  Are you left;  are you right; are you a liberal; are you a conservative.  These are nothing more than labels.  Who cares?  Remember that labels are designed to divide us - they are a weapon used against us.

The only labeling difference that matters in a Class War is:  Are you with the 1% or are you with the people.  Pick a side.

It is obvious that the MAGA Republicans are not the same as the Establishment Republicans. The difference between them is massive.  Remember that the Establishment Republicans tried to promote Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley over Donald Trump in their primary.  The MAGA Republicans rejected the Republican Establishment.  It wasn’t even close.  The MAGA Republicans do not care for the Establishment likes of Mitch McConnell, Lindsay Graham, Ted Cruz, or Mike Johnson.  MAGA Republicans care about change.  They care about equity, fairness, justice, peace and freedom.  Just like we do.

Are they perfect?  No!   But - is any one of us perfect?  None of us are.  MAGA Republicans are our neighbors.  None of us are perfect and they are not perfect.  But they want the same important things we want.  Once again, let me state that Democracy requires us to come together to discuss and work out the issues where we do not align.  The common ground we need is there.  Democracy requires us to embrace our common ground.

November 5th

The November 5th election will be meaningless - unless we all unite and push our agenda forward.  Can we do something on November 5th that sets us on the path towards the destination we all want?  I think so.  

We can ask if Donald Trump is the best possible politician to lead us in the direction we all want.  That is a very fair question to ask.  We all know that we could do so much better.  But Donald Trump is who we got right now.  I am not making the case for Trump - the 1% have made that case themselves.  They have done that in their own corrupt broken system.  

Let’s use it against them.  Let me present my logic here.

I am opposed to the 1%.  I completely see us in the midst of a Class War.  Donald Trump is a member of the 1%.  Robert F Kennedy Jr is a member of the 1%.  But, the 1% has a character flaw that has come home to roost.  They are not cooperative people and have a glaring division among them.  Re-read the questions that everyone roared the same answers to in approval.  We are on common ground here.

The Establishment Democrats (the DNC) represent one faction in the civil war within the 1%.  They just concluded their convention in Chicago the very day before this rally.  Their message was so convoluted that they had Bernie Sanders speak about the ills of the “billionaire class” while placing multiple billionaires around him on the podium.  One of them was so arrogant to even declare out loud “I am a real billionaire!”  That is hypocrisy placed right in our face.  Their arrogance is abhorrent.  That is so insulting that it should generate rage in every one of us.

The DNC presented zero policies. They didn’t hold a primary and simply crowned an empty vessel in Kamala Harris as their puppet to present to us.  When just a month ago, Kamala Harris polled horrendously in favorability ratings, they created a vibe of joy around her (whatever their idea of joy actually means is anyone’s guess).  And - worst of all - they declare themselves to be the protectors of democracy while they obfuscate every single principle of democracy.  

They despise Donald Trump.  They impeached him twice.  They tried to jail him.  They even went to the point of trying to assassinate him!  The Establishment is very obviously at war among themselves.  In this Class War, we need to exploit their weaknesses.  And this is a very obvious weakness to exploit. They do not want Trump.  Hmmmm … 

Personally, I support the presidential candidacy of Dr. Jill Stein.  She would deliver the right solutions on every one of the issues brought up at that August 23rd Trump Rally in Arizona.  And she would deliver a lot more.  

However, we all know that we remain stuck in the duopoly politics between the Republican and Democratic parties which primarily operate as a uniparty.  The election system is as corrupt as the rest of the overall system.  On November 5th, we are stuck with it.  

What can we do right now given what we have to work with?  We can stoke the internal division within the 1% - exploit their own weakness. Make them hurt.  Class War it is.  And tactics are required.

We need to change the direction to move forward to the full change we all want.  That means we need to change the course of the trajectory of our futures.  We need to pivot the direction.  What the Trump candidacy offers us is that pivot point to move our path in the right direction.  It does not take us to the ultimate destination we want, but it moves us onto its path.  

The election is just over 2-months away.  I will support Dr. Jill Stein and the other independent and third party candidates in my heart.  But - facing the duopoly of our current political reality in place - I will hope that Donald Trump carries the day on November 5th in my practical mind.  We need this pivot point in our trajectory forward.  Once again, this is not our destination, but it is a step that places us on the path to our destination.

We are in a deep, dismal and dangerous hole right now.  We really dug ourselves into a mess.  We all know that the first step to take when you dig yourself into a hole is to stop digging.  This is how we stop digging.  This is how we pivot the trajectory going forward.  And tomorrow we can move further down the path we want.

We cannot let corruption continue to win.  Let’s stop digging and start climbing out of that hole.  Trump is merely the step of putting down our shovels.  That stops the digging.  Then there is more work to do to liberate ourselves from that deep hole we find ourselves in.

Beyond November 5th

We need revolutionary change.  We have been given the seeds of revolution by the internal division that the 1% has given itself.  Beyond making this key initial pivot, I see two next steps we can take right now.  

First, we need to unite ourselves.  The MAGA folks share a lot of common ground with us.  They are our neighbors.  They want many of the same things we do - at the foundational level as presented by the questions they roared up in approval with.  That is common ground baby!!!

Unite.

Secondly, trust is earned.  Trump has not earned anything yet.  We need to make sure the platform items now placed on the table by Donald Trump and his team are followed through on should he be elected.   We need our independent media to keep vigilant tabs on actions taken and to keep us informed as to their progress. Our independent media is our eyes and ears.  They keep us informed.  The legacy corporate media is no longer tolerable.  

Vigilance.

We need to unite ourselves and we need to be ready to stand up to ensure that our elected representatives (including the new President) are delivering on their promises.  

Israel/Palestine Comment

Trump and RFK Jr have steadfastly stood behind supporting Israel.  This is totally unacceptable.  We need to sustain pressure on them.  

However, there is a potential bright light on this issue.  Trump has declared his willingness (and even eagerness) to open diplomatic discussions globally which he also did during his first presidential term.  Russia and China (among many other countries) completely stand with the rights of the Palestinian people.  We can be confident that these nations will pressure Trump to peaceful resolution within those diplomatic talks.  

Here is a clear example of this point.  When was the last time that Joe Biden had a discussion with Vladimir Putin?  John F Kennedy had regular personal discussions with Nikita Krushchev.  Those discussions kept the peace during the tensions of the Cold War.  They both knew what was at stake, and that dialogue for peace was the right course to take.

Between ourselves keeping up the domestic pressures at home and those international pressures, we hold a much better chance for the peaceful resolution of this genocidal atrocity than we do with the other alternative in this corrupt duopoly.

Yes.  A Presidential choice that offers open discussions with Russia and other national leaders is the lesser evil choice in the November 5th election.  For that alone, Trump is the lesser evil over Harris-Biden.

Keep the pressure up.   

We are in a Class War.  The enemy has stumbled by stoking their own infighting.   Let’s exploit it and grab the advantage that has given us.  Let’s unite and win it.  The common ground among us is very obviously there.  We have been presented with the opportunity of a pivot point to move the trajectory into the direction we all want to go.  

Let’s take it.

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References

Jimmy Dore’s great take on the August 23rd rally 

Full August 23rd rally

A very interesting interview (RFK Jr with Tucker Carlson) 

We can unite together at a Peace & Freedom Rally that has been organized by Occupy Peace (https://occupypeace.com/)   for September 28th in Kingston NY.  I will see you there!

Daniel Celovsky

The US has another one of its precious elections coming on November 5th. People seem to like them. The politicians all come out and meet their constituents. The donors pour money into them. The pollsters go nuts. The media brings out their pundits and analyzes them to no end.

But - at the end of the day - nothing changes. This election cycle is just another broken corrupt component of the broken corrupt system we have.

Let’s step outside of their rules, and build our own rules. Let’s start building our new system. That new system we want.

This open letter calls on The Green Pary to take the first step to do just that. Revolution is in the air. Will they seize the moment and lift us up to where we want to go? Will they light the path? Well, it’s worth asking them to.

Please share this post with your local Green Party candidates. Let’s see if they can seize the moment and light the path we can unite on. Together we can walk the journey to our freedom and build the communities we all know are possible. Let’s get this revolution rolling.

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OPEN LETTER

TO:  Dr. Jill Stein & the Green Party Campaign Team

Dear Dr. Stein et al:

We implore you to seize the moment and lead.  We ask you to step up your game, seize the moment, and light the path.

Many of us are not inspired about the forthcoming election.  The electoral system offers us nothing.  If we do not change the dynamics in this election, the result is only going to be a continuation of exactly the same system we do not want.  

Many of us are not inspired.   Election cycles do not deliver the change we seek.  They are nothing more than a component of a corrupt broken system.

There is nothing new in that.  We all know it.  So, let’s recognize it and explore an alternative.  

As The Green Party, are you simply another component of the broken system we have or are you a catalyst for change?   That is up to you.  But the same game-as-usual approach does not cut it.  Many of us see you showing up every four-years, being satisfied with a single-digit vote result, and then disappearing until the next election.  Hardly inspiring.  There is no shining light to it.

If “voting Green” shone a light on the path we all want, that would be an incentive for us all to rally behind it.  That is what we are all waiting for.  Someone has to shine the light. 

Be the inspiring light.  So we can add our light to it and make it shine brightly so even more can see it and add their light so it shines even brighter.   Shine the light on the path that takes us to the new system we all want.  It all starts by shining the light on that path. We implore you to shine that light.

As the Green Party, you have done excellent work in terms of getting ballot access.  All the more reason to now take the next step to get that ballot access to actually deliver change.  Light that path.  Even if our efforts do not add up to delivering electoral victory results — they can be used to build the foundation for a movement to change.  Just light the path.

We ask you to take that extra step and inspire people into a movement.  We ask that you look beyond this election cycle and the usual single-digit results.  Use this election as a springboard to change this system.  

We want to see leadership.  We want to be inspired.  We want a future.  We want a new system.  We want leadership to step up and lead us to that new system.  Together, we will do the work.  Together, we have all the energy we will need.  Just set the stage for that work to get done.  Light the path.

Do you realize how much energy we have to offer?  Among us we have experts, knowledge, talent, skills and creativity.  We have people willing to promote and amplify it all across every community.

Together we can build anything and everything.  We have independent media voices.   We have labor organizers.  We have artists.  We have organizers. We have facilitators.   We have energy.  We have everything we need.  We just need  to put it together.  That is why we are asking you to step up your game.  Be the catalyst.  Light the path.

We are sure you have seen the polls. 

What are you doing about the polls?  Are you continuing to conform with the status quo by playing the ‘standard’ politics that have failed us election cycle after election cycle after election cycle?  Let’s focus:  We do not want to continue with the system we have.  We want a new system.  

This existing system is corrupt and broken.  We want it gone.  We see no path to what we want by conforming to the existing system.  And that includes the circus of the existing system’s electoral process.  We need to go beyond it.  We need to go beyond the confines of the box it has put us in for decade after decade after decade.

If you stay your current course, this system is going to resist you every step of the way.  We all know it.  They are not going to give you media coverage.  They are not going to even mention you.  They are not going to invite you to debates. They are going to marginalize, ignore and vilify you.  This existing system does not work.  We want a new system!

We do not want to support a participant in this corrupt rigged  system.  We want a new system.  Together, we can build a new system. Starting with a new electoral system. New rules. Light the path.

Get out of the confines of the very system we want to replace.   There are no rules or procedures that stop you from building a new electoral system.  What does it take?  Leadership!  Show us the path forward to combine the power that we have.  Light the path.  

You can seize the moment and lead us to a new system.  We will show up and deliver the energy.  Light the path.

Show us you can lead.  Show us you can think outside the confines of the box that the existing system is.  Do it not through words and promises —— do it by doing it.   Light the path.

Here is what we propose.  

By the way, that is just active voters.  Many have totally left.  At least a third of all eligible voters have left completely — because they are not inspired at all.

We ask that you call a meeting of all independent and third party candidates and build one unified ticket. That would offer us an entirely new system.

It’s not as complicated as it sounds.  Call the meeting and invite every single candidate to attend.  Many of them will attend.  Some will not, and that is okay.  You are leading, and those that choose to continue to play in the existing system are clearly not leading, but following.  We want leaders — not followers.

The mission is simple:  Come out of the meeting with a unified ticket.  There are ample positions that need to be filled beyond just President and Vice-President.

There are key administration positions (Chief of Staff, Communications Director and more).  There are Secretary positions (Transportation, Agriculture, Defence, Labor, and so many more).  There are House and Senate seats (535 of those).  There are numerous down-ballot positions. There is nothing stopping us from creating a full ticket right now and unifying our energy and our voices.  Build and present us a new system.  Actually offer us what we want.  Light the path.

Go into that meeting, close the doors, and stay there until you have a full unified ticket that presents us with a clear independent option.   Lead the discussion, let everyone present ideas, facilitate the debate and lead us to a solution.  Yes, a new system of electoral politics.  You can build its foundation.  Light the path.

The meeting itself can be held at a central venue.  It can be supported with remote meeting options so all can attend.  If it takes a week or longer, invest the time.  Deliberate until the unified ticket is agreed to and come out of it as a team. Go into that meeting and do not come out of it until the job is done.

Consider this meeting to be similar in format to a trial jury deliberating on a case. Go into it and get the job done.  You are the jury foreman. All the candidates are the jury.  Deliver us a verdict of freedom from the corrupt incompetent choices the existing system offers us with a new system you create.  A full slate of diverse individuals and voices. A clear alternative.  A new system choice.  Light the path.

Will you have differences among you in terms of platform issues?  Absolutely.  But the common ground will vastly cover the wide majority of issues.  You don’t need a detailed platform.  We all know what we want. A new system free of corruption, incompetence and failures is the platform we can all agree on. 

Make the platform pure democracy to cover all the issues.  Offer the people democratic power to make decisions themselves.  We are confident that they will get it right every single time.  The platform is to just put the power into their hands.  That is what underpins the new system we all want. A move to community-based direct participative democracy covers all the issues.

The election is on November 5th.  Will this action succeed in delivering the change we seek?  Absolutely it will. 

It will present a much better choice at the polls yet might not put us across the finish line in itself (we only have six-months left).  But — it will unite us into a movement which will deliver the change we seek.  United people can do anything and everything.  We might not win on Nov 5th; but we will win.  Our energy and our voices will be united.  We will be organized.  And that is what we need.  Together is how we change everything.  Light the path.

BUILD THE MOVEMENT

Do you remember the Occupy Wall Street movement?  Millions of people rose up together and scared the hell out of the Establishment.  Most of us are still here.

Do you remember the Bernie Sanders Campaigns of 2016 and 2020?  Millions of people rose up together and scared the hell out of the Establishment.  Most of us are still here.  

The people, the energy, the passion, the support, and the voices are still here.  Waiting for what we all know is possible.  We are waiting for someone to light the path.  Don’t make us wait any more. Light the path. The moment is now.

The Occupy Movement was not permanent.  We can learn from that.  This time, build a movement that is permanent.  Go beyond the election cycle.  Together, we can change everything on our schedule — not theirs.

The Bernie Campaigns died out because they played inside the Establishment game and the Establishment game is rigged.  We can learn from that.  Go beyond their system. We don't need a single leader … we need a team of leaders (like a unified independent ticket).  Together, we can start building our new system.  Light the path.

This is your chance to rise up.  Not to simply play the politics-as-usual game (which is clearly rigged against us from the get-go), but to build a new political system.   To build the actual choice people crave.  We do not want to play in this broken, corrupt game any more.  We want to play our game.  Put us in the game we want.  

We want to reject the divisions.  The left-right differences give us nothing.   The progressive-conservative differences give us nothing.  We don’t want it.  We want to embrace the freedom and liberty of our communities to self-determine our own futures. Light the path.

We want the people to have the power of self-determination.  That is the promise of democracy. The legacy parties do not offer it.  The current system does not offer it.  Why continue to play in the very system that does not offer what we want?  Build a new system. 

We call on you to take this step.  Deliver us a clear united choice with a kaleidoscope of varied but passionate individuals who have shown the courage it takes to stand up by putting themselves out there.  Let them have their differences and let their voices be heard.  They are all united in wanting a new system.  Unite them … and you will unite us.   

Embrace this opportunity to unite the people who have the hell-bent passion to build a new system.   Take the first-step which is to unite us.  Just light the path.  Don’t worry about the next steps.  The people will bring them.  They will bring all the ideas.  All the energy.  All the discussion.  They will create the next steps together.  They will refine and enhance those steps together.  And — united together as one voice — they will bring all the energy required to get them done.

The first step is just to organize the energy.  That is what we ask of you.  You can take a big step right now and lead the effort of uniting us.   You can meet this moment and seize it.  Together, we will get everything else done.  What are we asking you to do?  Light the path.

Please move out of this broken corrupt box and lead us to the freedom we seek.  Reject their confines. Seize the moment.  Be the foundation of the new system we are here to build.  Together, we can build it.  And — together — we absolutely can live it.

We implore you to call that meeting.   Seize this moment.   Show us what leadership is.  Create a clear choice we can unite around — not only on November 5th, but on November 6th and beyond.

Light the path.  If you do that, we will add our light and walk that path with you. Together.

Solidarity, Freedom,

The Majority

Edition:  3                                                                                       February 13, 2024

Are you ready to change everything or not?

If you are, we can do it. But nobody can do it alone. Together, we can do it all.

In this issue, we propose a step to organize ourselves for power.  

The system we have now is corrupt.  It is so corrupt it is broken.  Actually, when we look around, we see it is actually toxic to us.  Together, we can change absolutely everything.  And that is what we have to do.

What we need to do is organize to fight this corrupt broken toxic system and replace it with the one we want.  We can do so much better than what they give us.   

Review this Open Proposal to all organized groups among us.  Can you see this approach working?  Can you improve on it?  Can you advocate for it?  Feel free to add your comments and ideas at the bottom of this newsletter.  Add your ideas.  Make this action better.

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If we pull together, we can organize ourselves into actually delivering the freedom and liberty we all want.  We can define the futures of our communities.  We can deliver better lives for us all.

The key to it all is to organize ourselves.  

“We are not outnumbered; we are out-organized”  Malcolm X.

Let’s capitalize on our numbers.  Let’s organize!   Let’s change absolutely everything!!!

OPEN PROPOSAL

TO: All political, labor, issue-specific activist groups

TO: All independent media outlets

TO: All independent and 3rd party electoral candidates

TO: All of us.  Let’s organize!

We are proposing one thing:  We are asking you all to unite together as one force of democratic power so we can change absolutely everything.  Can you see a path to actually achieve victory for your cause?  Together, we can elevate all our missions.

Standing alone we fail.  Standing united we succeed.

We implore you to unite together into one voice.  To be that one voice for all of us.  Together, we can change absolutely everything.  We call on you to organize for power.

We present our case for a unified effort below.  Please consider it.  

POWER IN UNITY

What if … we united everyone together to change absolutely everything?  Could we create one united loud voice that demands the change we need to elevate our lives, our communities and our society?  

What if … we unite all the wonderful activist groups into one voice?  Sure, each stands for their own cause, yet they all face the exact same roadblock - a corrupt government system that refuses to act in the public interest.  Together, we create the power necessary for overall system change.

What if … we unite all that great independent media that calls out the corrupt broken Establishment system?  They all spend the bulk of their time reporting on the failures of the corruption; yet they could also unite to report on - and amplify - a movement focused on removing and replacing that corruption.

What if … all those courageous independent and third party electoral candidates united together into one electoral voice?  They could come together under one electoral ticket and offer the independent choice the majority of us are calling for. 

What if … all of us united into one voice and one mission?  

Face it, all of us are fed up with this system that is corrupted to the point of showing no interest in moving our lives forward.   Every one of our driving missions on issues runs smack dab into the same wall of refusal.  

We stand here today, isolated in our own silos and go nowhere.  This isolation approach is not working.

What we each advocate for is not only not taking us in the direction we need to go … it is continuing to hope for some miracle of enlightenment to take hold on the political powers where they act.  But those powers are not ignorant of what is right and what is wrong.  Those powers are not merely off-course and simply in need of our persuasion to change their course.  They REFUSE to act on the wishes of the majority.

We need to adjust to the situation we face.  We need to accept that their stand is a stand of refusal.  They will not change in the direction demanded by the majority of us.  They refuse!

That means our ‘polite’ efforts of conventional protests, petitions, boycotts and general strikes are not going to take us where we want to go.  We have tried them all for decades, and the situation has only gotten worse.  Those actions have taken us nowhere.  We need to re-calibrate our approach into one that works.  

Uniting together would be the approach we need.  The corruption is used to repress and defuse those tactics; they have countered them and rendered them ineffective.  They have dug into their power and mission to elevate themselves while repressing us all.  All our current efforts are nothing more than nuisances to them.   They continue to win while we continue to lose - and the price of our loss only gets increasingly expensive.

We are in a class war and it is time to change our strategy.  It is time to show up on the battlefield of power.

Frederick Douglass is right.  We are way too polite.  We are asking them to do what we want.  Let me emphasize the response we have received:  “Request Refused!”  So much for being polite.  Politeness is a dead-end to change.

It is time to demand what we want.  We need to change our strategy from requesting the changes we want to demanding the changes we want.  And we can do that.  All we have to do is unite together into one loud voice that demands complete system change.  And that strategy culminates into the actions we want by actually removing and replacing those who are holding us all back.  We can do that!

We all stand in our silos.  Politely.  Isolated.

Let’s tear down those silos.  Let’s put us all together and demand the change we all want.  No more being polite about it.  No more standing in silos of isolation.

Let's remove those who refuse the changes we want.  Let’s replace them with ourselves.  We can do that. 

We can do that by shedding ourselves of the silos that keep us isolated by joining together for our united cause:  To change absolutely everything.

Let’s take all the issues we advocate for and unite them into one solution.  Let’s elevate our power through combining our energy.  Let’s add to our energy by amplifying our message through independent media which we already have.   Let’s make it all happen by uniting the power of our vote which is already pointing to a clear electoral victory.

Let’s do what we have to do to make it happen.

Let’s rally together as one voice with one demand:  To change absolutely everything.

Let’s rally together as one voice and amplify it:  To change absolutely everything.

Let’s rally together as one voice and make it happen:  To change absolutely everything.

We rally all our voices together.  We amplify it through independent media.   We make it happen through electoral power.

We need all the labor organizations to unite together - not with their political leaders who endorse the current establishment - but with the wishes of their membership.  

We need all the political issue advocacy organizations to unite together - not on single issues, but on one broad issue to reject and remove the corrupt feckless political leaders currently in power.

We need all the independent media outlets to unite together - to elevate our voices and declare our demand for total change.

We need all the independent and third party candidates to unite together - as one voice combined into one electoral option that gives us the alternative choice democracy avails to us.

We can do that.  That requires us to meet together and cobble an effort that brings us to where we need to be.  It requires the conversations that lead us to a coalition of power.

OUR TOOLBOX

There is an election on November 5.  We need to get ready for it - we need to get organized for it.  We need to get united for it.  If we can do that, we can finally win what we all want.

The Establishment is going to offer their usual pre-selected candidates.  They spend a lot of time and money to select who they offer us.  They do that because they are organized to do just that.  But … they will offer us no change from the corrupt broken course of power we have had for the last 60+ years.  They will have themselves ready for November 5.   That is guaranteed.

Let’s get ourselves ready for November 5 and take them on.

We do not have a lot of time to get ourselves ready … but we have enough time if we get the ball rolling now.

The first factor to consider is whether or not we have the support required for victory.  We have it.

We have  enough support to win it.  And it’s not even close.  

The Establishment has two parties that split the Establishment vote.  And it’s perfectly split between them.  25% for the Blue Team.  25% for the Red Team.  Our 49% stands victorious.  We just have to put it together into a ballot choice.  Organize it!

Remember that the Blue and Red Teams are organized.  They got their ballot lines set.  We don’t - as ours is fragmented into hundreds if not thousands of pieces.   We need to combine it into one choice.  Organize it!

Election day is November 5.  But let’s make one thing perfectly clear:  Democracy is not just about voting.  It is about getting together, raising all our voices, laying out the alternatives, and working out differences into a consensus.  Organize it! 

Here is what I propose:  Organize it!  We organize ourselves into holding our own election one week prior to the November 5 election.  We hold an election on October 29.  There is no rule that says we can’t.

In democracy, there is one simple rule:  The majority wins.   That does not mean everyone gets the choice they want … It means everyone accepts the choice the majority wants.  We all agree to the majority.  As such, we agree to accept the majority decision and - then - on November 5, we all vote for that majority decision.  We create our power to be one organized voter bloc.  We organize those voters.  We organize us.  Together, we will win the formal election and change absolutely everything!

We have between now and October 29 to organize all the steps required to hold our election.  

What does that require?  It requires us to all unite.  It requires us all to present our issues.  It requires us all to discuss those issues.  And it requires us all to arrive at a consensus by October 29.  And … on November 5 … we will change absolutely everything.

We will be organized together as one voting bloc to win what we want on November 5.

ACTION STEPS

We will take the effort to unite everyone into one organized action.  It starts by inventorying what we have to work with.  We will do what we can to put your voices together, amplify them all, and get us the consensus we all need to make them the reality.

It starts by inventorying what we have.  

For those of you who represent a political or labor cause:

Please let us know that you are in.   That you are willing to declare your mission and present your case to everyone else for inclusion.  We will offer a summary of each and put them out for our October 29th election as a “ballot initiative”.  If the majority consensus aligns with your cause on October 29th, it becomes a platform item.

You are advocates that give us the agenda our communities need.

For those of you in independent media:

Please let us know that you are in.  That you are willing to amplify this mission to unite us all to your audience.  That you will devote a commitment to unifying us together as a community to change absolutely everything.  Share your ideas to elevate this overall mission.  

You are the voice we need to bring this all together.

For those of you running for electoral office:

Please let us know that you are in.  That you are willing to state your candidacy with your key reasons for running for office.  That you are willing to work with other candidates who all focus on the same goals and mission.  That you can work as a team and narrow electoral choices down so that voters can combine their votes into a bloc of power.

This focus is on all elected offices from POTUS to Dog Catcher.  Elevate your voice and let’s cover as many elected office positions in one united force that stands for individual liberty and freedom, and focuses on elevating the vibrancy of your community.

Unite together by offering one candidate per electoral office.  Work things out so that we offer an Independent choice and do not split our vote.  And then - all together - let’s unite our energy behind them and win this.

You bring the courage and passion we need to deliver what we all want.

For those who are just citizens:

We need you to amplify our mission.  We need you to push those activist groups, labor groups, independent media outlets, and independent candidates to band together in one united force.  Push them.  Push them hard!

We will need you every step of the way to help in the work of uniting everyone.   Together is where our power is.  Together is where our victory is.  Together is how we roll.   

If we do this right, we will be organizing ourselves across the nation and reflect our power to self-determine the direction of our communities - which we start our focus across the 435 House of Representative districts.  Complete the Join Us form on our website.  Bring your voice to our party.

Add your ideas and suggestions in the comments below.  Together, we can make this into what we all need and what we all deserve.

You are us.  You are our neighbors.  You are what makes our communities.

ADD YOUR VOICE.   ADD YOUR MISSION.  

We will elevate the power of democracy.  We can hold our election on October 29 and - together - we will absolutely change everything on November 5.  

Let’s organize for power.  Democracy is our weapon - let’s pick it up and use it.   Let’s free ourselves of this corrupt broken system that is strangling the life out of us and our communities.

We can do this.  There are more than enough of us.  All we have to do is organize it to win it.  

Let’s get to it.  We all have to take the next steps together.  Only together can we live the lives and invigorate the communities we all want.  Unite.

Edition:   2          January 29, 2024

In this edition:

1. This is Your Movement 

2. Our First District Is Organizing: New York-22

3. Join In & Add Your Voice

4. Culture Corner

These newsletters are issued twice a month. They are designed to keep you up-to-date on our progress together and to outline events and challenges we face along the way.

Your comments are welcome. You can add your comments on the bottom of each newsletter. They will be read.

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Share this newsletter with your friends, family and neighbors. Only by uniting together do we embrace our power.

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We are in a class war. We know what the 1% is up to. It is time for us to come together and determine what we are up to. Our first step is to get ourselves together. From there, we will work out every single next step — together.

This Is Your Movement

How many people are fed up with the broken corrupt system we exist in?  Are you one of them?

Ask yourself those two questions.  And give yourself honest answers.

You should be outraged.  And — at this point — we have to fight back against it.  We do that by organizing ourselves together.  

But, there is another reason to organize.  It’s the only way we have to build the communities and society we all want.  Let’s get real — these people who have created the broken corrupt system have zero intention of changing course.  They do not represent us — they represent the moneyed interests of the 1%.  They have zero intention to change course.

Together, we will change it. Welcome to The Permanent Occupy Movement.  

You wanted a peaceful action that would change absolutely everything.  That is what this is — a peaceful action.  We are organized to unite people across each of the 435 Congressional House districts.  The mission is simple and it is peaceful.  To unite people together to call for, and build, the new system we all want.  Together, we can do that.

It is peaceful.  Our weapon is democracy. Our venue is local.  And it is completely legal and completely authorized.   In fact, it is so legal that democracy itself demands we take this step so that our democratic power is fired up.   

We cannot predict what the 1% will do.   They have proven that they feel free to erode and remove our rights.  They may dig deeper.  I sure as hell would not put it past them — they will not give up their power wilfully.   Should things transcend into a more physical approach — at least we will be united and organized to deal with it.  We will be together.  And together we will take the steps required.

But — our approach is peaceful and it is designed to stay that way. 

Let me make one thing clear.  This action is for you.  There are no leaders in this.  We are each organizers, facilitators, coaches and participants.  Some of us will participate more than others — everyone has their comfort level and they will be respected.  But the leadership is you — it is you standing with your neighbors in your community.  All decisions are created by you, discussed by you, and decided by you.  Democracy is a participative tool.  Bring your voice and send your community in the direction you want it to go.

We present no platform beyond elevating democratic power and placing it into your hands.  We believe — and trust — you will make every right decision from there.  As such, here is our platform — in its entirety.  

That is the entire platform of The Permanent Occupy Movement.  Make it happen in your district and we are there to help you make it a reality for you and your neighbors.

We endorse no political party.  In fact, we do not believe in political parties.  Who are they to set a platform for you?  Standing united with your neighbors, you can do that yourself.  

We present no politicians.  Again, choose your representative from among yourselves.  You choose who represents you.  We will call out and monitor the actions of whoever represents you.  Accountability to your wishes is important.  Holding them accountable is an action we are designed to take and we will take.

We do not exist for election cycles. We exist continuously and permanently. The work to chart your community forward is ongoing. There is no dependency on election cycles.

This is your movement.  Add your voice to it.  Consider organizing your district.  We are here for the sole purpose of having democracy delivered to your community.  You have to take it from there.   This is your movement.  Your weapon is democracy.  Your strategy is to create regular ongoing Town Hall meetings for your neighbors to gather at and wield your democratic power.  Your destination is to build the community you want.  Your mission is to change absolutely everything.  You can do it.  Together we can support each other to get it all.

We built The Permanent Occupy for you.  Now it is up to you to accept it.  Join us because it is through our unity that we will win this class war.

The nefarious 1% has used their money and power to corrupt all of our institutions to meet their ends.  This includes our political representatives, our justice system, our media, and our institutions from schools to regulatory authorities and everything in-between.   

They fail to deliver on democracy — while they are there to deliver democracy.  They take oaths of office to uphold our democratic interests - and then act to thwart our constitutional rights.  

None of this is a new revelation.  We all know it.   We all know they are corrupt and complete failures in their representation of us.  But let’s be honest with ourselves.  They tell us they are giving us democracy.  They tell us they exist to “protect our democracy”.   While they steal it from us.

Let’s get to the bottom line here.  To hell with them.  We will embrace democracy ourselves.  Together.

Our First District Is Organizing: New York-22

Our first district’s organizing effort is underway.  New York’s 22nd Congressional House District is having their first Town Hall meeting on February 6th.  The agenda has been set.

The first meeting’s agenda includes performing the required organizing resolutions to register as a local non-profit entity.  It also includes approving an open letter to their current incumbent House Representative and the local media outlets to notify them of this organizing effort.

The agenda also includes three platform issues which will be opened for discussion — and ultimately will lead to votes for that district.  Each district will create their own platform on issues they decide to discuss.  That is how democracy works.  Anyone can add issues to their district’s agenda.  Everyone can have a say.  And — ultimately — everyone will get a vote on its outcome.

Consider that this same approach can also be taken to select candidates for office.  Candidates for elected positions that run the gamut from President of the United States to local Dog Catcher and everything in-between.  You decide what issues are important to your community and who should represent your interests in elected office.  This is 100% authorized.  It is democracy.

Following this first meeting, regular Town Halls will be scheduled for the first and third Tuesdays of each and every month.  Permanently.  This is how democracy comes to life.  

In between meetings, effort is taken to canvas and grow participation.  The dynamics of power rise quickly — and they continue to grow until everyone in the district is participating.  The mission is to make the residents of the district the only authority.  

Each district may not agree on the same issues as other districts.  That is expected and welcome.  Each district may not reach 100% consensus on every single issue — they are not expected to.  But — everyone agrees to accept the majority consensus.  That is how the community attains their democratic power.  That is how a community determines its course going forward.  

The people will work it all out.  And — you know what — we believe they will get it all right.

Join In & Add Your Voice

The people in New York’s 22nd Congressional District are embracing their power.  They have picked up the power of democracy that was sitting silently at their feet — waiting for them.  They chose to reach down and pick it up.  They now have regular Town Halls where they can meet up and chart the course for their community together.

Consider organizing your district.  You are not alone in this.  The Permanent Occupy Movement is here to help you with a detailed step-by-step organizing guide. Contact us and we will send it to you.  We are here to amplify your effort.  We are here to coach you.  We are here to build coalitions across organizations that all seek to dismantle the corrupt failed broken system and to build a system that works for us all.  We are here to engage independent media.  We are here to work with you.

Together — we will change absolutely everything.

Did you know?   That there is a wonderful bonus to this effort.  As we build our communities, we actually start bringing our communities to life.  People start to know their neighbors.  People start engaging with their neighbors.  Your community becomes alive.  This is a beautiful bonus.  

Power to the people.  Visit our website and Join Us.  You can add your voice to ours and — together — we are united to change absolutely everything.

Power to the People!

Culture Corner

Edition:   1                                    

January 9, 2024

In this edition:

1. UNITE!!! Shine the Light

2. The Occupation Tote Board

3. Join In & Add Your Voice

These newsletters will be issued twice a month. They are designed to keep you up-to-date on our progress together and to outline events and challenges we face along the way.

Your comments are welcome. You can add your comments on the bottom of each newsletter. They will be read.

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Share this newsletter with your friends, family and neighbors. Only by uniting together do we embrace our power.

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We are in a class war. We know what the 1% is up to. It is time for us to come together and determine what we are going to do. Our first step is to get ourselves together. From there, we will work out every single next step - together.

UNITE!!!   Shine the Light

Today we announce the launch of our movement:  The Permanent Occupy Movement.

United people have all the power to change absolutely everything.  We are here for one purpose:  To unite us all so that we elevate our power.

This is your movement.  This movement takes all the power and places it into the hands of the people.  It has to start somewhere … and it is time to get it started.  This is a movement to feed what democracy requires to engage its power … which is a united people.  Each person adding their voice adds to our overall power. Together we are strong.  

We start now.  Those of us that see the light need to come together and shine our light.  We need to shine it so others can see it, join us and add their light to ours so our light shines brighter.  So more can see it and add their light to shine it even brighter so more can see it.  Together we grow our strength and power.

Bring your voice and move us forward.  Bring your light and add it to ours.   Let’s fire up our light and let it shine. Together.

What are we occupying?  We are occupying democracy.  We are embracing the power it gives us.

The system we have has been corrupted to the point of being broken down.  We are here to unite you with your neighbors to build a new system to elevate our lives, our communities, and our society.  Together, we will change absolutely everything.

What does permanent mean?  Just what it says.  We are here permanently.  This is not one of those movements that just puts people together and then shuts off.  It is permanent.  We will never again all be gathered together enticed by the promise of change only to be left scattered into the wind because a leader abandons ship or a reason to unite folds up its tent and disappears.  Permanent is a feature built right into the design.

There are two steps to changing everything.  Nothing happens without the energy of the people standing together united for change.  The steps to changing everything are fundamentally simple.

Step 1:  Unite the people for power.

Step 2:  Get out of their way, and let the people make every single decision to create the communities and society they want.

We are here to make Step 1 the reality.  Together, we will take every next step from there. Together we are united and have all the power necessary. Together we are rich with ideas, and diverse with talent and skills. Together we stand strong alongside our neighbors and each other. Together we can change absolutely everything.

Is this a movement that creates the new world we all want?  Is this a movement that delivers freedom and liberty to us all?  Is this a movement that infuses vibrancy into our communities?  Is this a movement that creates a society of equity, justice, compassion and fairness?   It can be.  That is up to you. Our mission is to unite the people for power and give the people the tools granted by democratic authority to wield that power. 

How are we going to do this?  By creating the venues for people to unite together, across the communities that we live in.  We believe locally-based is how it can work in the logistical sense. Our mission is to create the time and place for us all to come together.  We are here to help the people build the venue.  We are here to organize the party that delivers the powers of self-determination into the hands of the people in their communities. 

We had to find a place to start.  What is practical?  What is a format that everyone can understand and embrace?  The most logical format is Congressional House Districts.  There are 435 of them.  We are here to organize them all.

From those districts, the people have all the flexibility to tackle all political offices.  The flexibility to organize around Senate seats, the White House, state legislatures and local offices are all there.  Every elected office position (and even more so—access to every rule and law-making institution) is in our hands.  From dog catcher to President.  

We can occupy them all from this organizing base.  As such, our focus is on the 435 House districts.

How wild is this effort?  It’s totally wild.  We are here to organize 435 organizations to start and to let it roll into whatever direction the people want.

The Permanent Occupy Movement is not here to lead you.  The Permanent Occupy Movement is here to organize, facilitate and even to coach you and your neighbors into taking all the power that democracy gives you.  We are only here to bring you together.  It is up to you to take it from there.

All power flows up.  It flows from you.  The 1% Establishment repeatedly tells us that we are a democracy.  How many times have you heard them say:  “We have to save democracy”.  They tell us every day.  Well, let’s call their hand; let’s give them what they say they are giving us—yet never do.  Let’s take away their power and put it into our hands. After all, in a democracy, all the power flows to the people. That’s us!

While they tell us they have to save our democracy, they give all the power to Wall Street bankers, corporate executives, and an entitled elite.  They embrace lobbyists who have outnumbered politicians by over 4-to-1.   They have delivered a system so corrupt, that we face threats of nuclear catastrophe, a climate that will be uninhabitable, and communities that are left to wither and die without them even blinking an eye. 

The politicians are controlled by their un-elected party officials and the donor class.  The politicians grift themselves into wealth and power.  They rule by money instead of by the will of the people.  Their concept of democracy is a fraud.

Let’s quickly review democracy and its power.  It is the foundation for our movement.  This is our platform (in its entirety).  

It is the definition of democracy.  Anyone that disputes it is left to argue with the dictionary.  The 1% can tell us they are here to give us (and save) democracy all they want.  We are here to call them out!   Give them exactly that.  Give us exactly that:  Democracy.

We are here to deliver democracy into every House district by creating the venues that democracy needs to fire up its power.  We call them Town Halls.  

We are here to organize each and every district.  Each district will hold regular Town Hall meetings twice a month on the first and third Tuesday evening of each and every month.  Permanently.  

The locations of Town Hall meetings will rotate around districts so everyone has equal opportunity to attend them.  They will be promoted with bi-monthly newsletters, published on-line that reflect their upcoming agenda, and follow-up minutes of the previous meeting.  They will be circulated to local media outlets to keep them informed of what you and your neighbors in your community want.  Copies will be delivered to your local politicians (until you replace them) to inform them of what you want and expect from them.

We are here to help you grow your Town Halls so that your entire community participates—at minimum, to elevate the awareness to everyone so that they realize they have a choice above and beyond what the Establishment offers them.  You will be offering them a good choice; while the alternative choices only offer them despair, division, hate, and misery.  You will offer them vibrant communities; while the alternative choices only let our communities erode and decay.

We are here to amplify the voice of the people, so that the power of democracy elevates into the change you and your neighbors want.  

We are here to create the tools that support your creation of these Town Halls in your district, and to help them function for democratic power.  We will build a technology platform that expands the reach of your Town Hall meetings with online tools that allow you to add agenda items, expand participation across your district, to discuss and debate each issue, and ultimately to decide on the outcome of each issue through voting in-person or remotely. It is the power of direct participatory democracy - and we are organizing to put it directly into your hands.

These Town Halls will each have an agenda of issues and topics that your community deems important.  Everyone will have a voice in setting the agenda and speaking to every issue on it.  Those who have specific ideas, those groups who are organized around issues, will all have a voice.  Nobody will get any endorsements, but they will be granted a platform to present their ideas and to make their case for those ideas.

Decisions on each and every issue are made through discussion, debate, weighing the options, and—ultimately—through voting.  On every single issue.  The majority defines the decision and we all agree to accept the majority decisions made.  Selecting delegates to represent you in political offices, are chosen together from the best candidates among yourselves.

There are no political parties standing between you and your decisions.  There are no issues or platform items shoved down your throats.  The crazy clown show election cycle events become meaningless and pointless.  You make community decisions on everything with your neighbors.  That is what democratic power gives you. You are firing up that power.

Everyone gets a voice.  Everyone gets one equal vote on the outcome.  Everyone participates in the direction their community takes.

There is a bonus. As your Town Hall grows in levels of participation and awareness, you will not only be growing your democratic power, you will find your own community springing into life.  Grocery shopping trips will take longer to get done as you run into more and more of your neighbors and discussions start to happen.  Your community will spring into life.  That is a wonderful bonus.

Existing politicians, their political parties, and their media outlets all tell you—over and over and over again—that you have a democracy and that they are there to save your democracy.  It is time to call out their bullshit and show them what democracy is.  They asked for it … we will give it to them.

We will give them so much democracy that they will find out that in a true democracy, the people rule—and they don’t.

We are here to organize a party for democracy.  Not a political party; but a party party.  A party to embrace our power.   A party of community.  You are invited.  All your neighbors are invited.  Everyone is invited.  (Except the 1% … they want your power for themselves.  They have proven themselves to be void of community interests.  They made that choice.  They are excluded).

Let’s party.

The Occupation Tote Board

The dynamics of political power call for you to engage your power.  Your individual power adds to our community power. We need you.  We need me.  We need us.  And —together— we can change absolutely everything.  The power is ours.  The Permanent Occupy Movement is about each one of us picking up our power and combining it into the force of democratic authority.  That authority is ours. And we are taking it!

As of January 9, 2024 

The numbers sound daunting.   But they aren’t.  In a short span millions joined in the Occupy Wall Street Movement.  Millions joined in the Black Lives Matter Movement.  Millions joined in the Bernie 2016 campaign; and again millions joined in the Bernie 2020 campaign.

While each of these movements came to an end, they put us all together.  We are all still here.  Let’s get together one more time.  In the millions.  And let’s change absolutely everything.

Join In & Add Your Voice

Register your voice.  Join your neighbors and start building the community we all want together.  Take the first step right now - it only takes a minute.  And let’s go build the communities we have all imagined that they can be.  Only by uniting together do we get the power to do it.  Let’s unite and embrace the freedom and liberty that the power of self-determination gives us.

Join us by taking two simple steps.  Complete the simple form on our website at the99occupy.org .  Keep up-to-date with the newsletters by subscribing to this substack account.

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Democracy requires that people unite for it to give us its power.  It’s sitting at our feet, waiting for us to pick it up.  Let’s pick it up.  And let’s use it to change absolutely everything.  Together is how we get it done.

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October 19 2023

I apologize for the length.  However, I felt it is absolutely necessary to explain the dynamics of the power we have available to us.  If we are to change the system, then we all need to unite on how we go about doing just that.  We all need to be on the same page.  And - most importantly - we need to be focused on the destination.  After all, that is what matters.

We have to unite.  Why not hold a party and invite everyone? Would that not put us all together?

We have to unite so we get what we all really want.  And that is a complete and total system change.

Let’s get real here.  We all know what we have to do.  We have to change the system.  We have to put the people in charge of it.  That is done by the people uniting together and building the new system we all want.  United people have all the power.

Yes, we have to remove those currently calling all the shots.  But - I can assure you - that will get done by simply shifting the power to the people.  The 1% will no longer have any power.  As soon as we unite, the power will have shifted from them to us.

This is a proposal to organize the people for power.  This is a proposal to build a new system.  This is a proposal to unite us in a structure that gives the people the power to change everything.  This is a proposal that elevates individual freedom, and creates vibrant inclusive communities that we share with each other.   

This is a proposal to unite us into a system that lets people make all the decisions for how their lives and communities flourish.  This is a proposal to deliver power to the people. Yes, a new system of governance.

The key to it all is to unite so that we can be together to make the decisions we all need to make.  We can no longer tolerate - nor afford - to allow those making our decisions for us to continue.  They not only cannot handle that responsibility; they are completely off-track from what we want.

This is a proposal to shift the power into the hands of the people.  And by building a system of power to the people, we will automatically be removing the power from those currently holding it.  It’s a 2-for-1 deal.  

We all know what we have to change.  Instead of further explanation on what has to be changed, I will just share this image someone circulated on Twitter (“X”).  It pretty well sums up what we all know.

This image represents what we currently have in terms of the power to make the decisions of our society.  These are not amusing clowns.  They remind me of the clowns in horror films.  Nefarious clowns.  

We need better decision-makers to guide forward our lives, our communities and our society.  In fact, we do not need clowns at all.  We need ourselves to make all the decisions on everything.  I still trust the people.  And I trust them to make the right decisions.  

Let’s put ourselves into the seats of our law-making institutions. Yes, they are ours.  We own them.   So … we get to populate them.

To make this change our reality requires power.  The power to determine the directions we take.  Where is that power?  All of it resides in the hands of the people.  Yes, it resides in our hands. The power we need is already there.  It is resting at our feet.  What is required is that we unite so that we pick up that power and put it into our hands.  

Democracy, freedom, liberty and even basic humanity will not come to us until we unite.  Because each of those elements require us to have the power necessary to make them our reality.

It is people that come together as a united force that have all the power.   We all know this.  So, we should all recognize that we need to organize to unite the people.  Uniting is the first action step we must take.  We unite for power.  

I propose a solution for how we unite for power.  

Let me first state that this is not my idea.  It was actually presented by Ralph Nader in his 2016 book “Breaking Through Power:  It’s Easier Than We Think”.  What I have done is modified it to reflect the current landscape and expanded it beyond solely political power.  Nonetheless, without Nader’s work, I would likely still be searching for a solution.

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Democracy works when people make decisions together.  Democracy is about communities allowing everyone to have their say, discussing issues together, weighing all the options, and then accepting the consensus decision of the majority.  Everyone does have to agree to accept the decision of the majority even when it does not always reflect our individual choice. Democracy requires unity or it does not work.  But when it does work, it can cover every single decision a community requires to flourish.

The key is to unite the people.  Democracy requires participation.  United people participating in the decisions of their community brings democracy to life.  United people embracing democratic actions is the most powerful organizing mechanism available to us.  And it works because it has all the power a true community can provide.  

Right now, we are not engaged with democracy.  We all see the deficiencies and horrors our absence from democracy is giving us.  We are living in the hell of an autocratic class that is wielding all the power over us.  It is our failure to engage democracy for ourselves that is giving this 1% all their power.  They are organized; and we aren’t.  

We put these clowns in charge by giving them our power.  But—it is our power.  Which means we can take it away and put it back into our hands.

Even the 1% knows that the dynamics of power only work through being organized for power.  So, they are very well organized.  And we aren’t.  That gives them all the power.  

How do we know this to be true?  Look at it from the 1% point-of-view.  The 1% has one overriding fear that can thwart them completely: That we can take them down.  

To make sure that they retain their power, they have to ensure that we fail to engage our power.  They feed us a steady stream of propaganda, they take actions that silence our free speech, they criminalize our right to gather together and protest, and they even form domestic militarized forces to keep us in-line.  Every one of their actions is designed with only one thing in mind:  To keep us from uniting together.  They know that they are defeated if we join together and engage our power of unity. 

If the people unite—they are finished.  And they know it.  And it scares them.

What do we have to do?  We have to make their fears their reality.  We have to unite.  

United we call all the shots for our future direction.  When the people are united, the 1% has absolutely nothing.  Once we are united, we don’t even have to take any further action to remove them.  We have replaced them.  Sure, they will not leave quietly.  So we will likely have to issue a few eviction notices. No problem—we will issue them.

They are defeated by our action to unite.  Our uniting is a 2-for-1 deal.  We unite for power and that automatically generates their removal.  Buy one; get one free.  Sweet, huh?

THE POWER OF A UNITED PEOPLE

By uniting together, we make everything possible.  There are so many great action ideas out there; but do you notice that none of them have the impact to change anything unless they are backed by the power of a united force of people?  

Some people are calling for a general strike.  But—a general strike will not happen unless there is power behind it to actually shut down the system. That power is a united people.

Some people are calling for boycotts. But—boycotts will not inflict pain on the system unless there is a power behind them to actually boycott the targeted product or entity.  That power is a united people. 

Some people are calling for protests and demonstrations.  But—protests and demonstrations will not happen with full force unless there is a power to drive attendance behind them.  That power is a united people.

Some people are calling for electoral actions to displace the corrupt politicians currently in office.  But—electoral actions will not displace the corrupt actors unless there is a power behind them.  That power is a united people.

We can all see the consistency to everything we are calling for.  They are all wonderful ideas.  But they are pointless if they do not work.  A united people is what is required on every single action item—because we need those action items to actually work.  Otherwise, what is the point of any of them?

We want the entire system to change.  We want to remove the 1% from power and replace that power with us—the 99%.  We know where we want to go.  We want the entire system to reflect our values, elevate our lives, and invigorate our communities.  

I have gone through this at length.  I have done so because we really need to understand the dynamics of power.  Because we absolutely have to shift that power into our hands.  It is sitting at our feet and we have to pick it up.  We do that by uniting together.

Most of us know that we have to unite.  But, we have been doing it all wrong.  The evidence is right in front us—the 1% is still holding the power.  It is time to do this right.

Many of us have been waiting for a “hero” to rise up and lead the way.  Bernie Sanders did it twice.  We are captivated by others arriving on the scene.  Dr. Cornel West, Robert F Kennedy Jr, Marianne Williamson and others.  But … we quickly see that no individual can sustain a movement on their own.  They disappear.  They disappoint.  They fade our hopes.  And we end up deflated every time.  We have to break that cycle.  We are looking for a hero to unite us.  But, we do not need a hero to do that.  Uniting is all of us.  It is us united that is our hero.  Our hero is us.

We just need to organize it.  We are all there.  We are just not united.  So, what is it that we are really missing?  Let me throw this out there.  We are missing a place and time to all gather together and become one community of power.  

Let me reiterate this point.  We need to create a venue for us all to meet together at.  We need to organize a party for power.  A party where we can all attend at the same place and time.  

We have to organize a party for ourselves.  We need to set a place and invite everyone to it.

Once we all start to attend this party we plant all the seeds we need to change the very system we no longer accept.  We are the best party out there.  Everyone else will want in on it.

Consider this.  What general strike, boycott, protest, demonstration, or political action will we even need when we build the system we actually want?  We won’t need to take further action.  We will have the power to create the system we actually want.

ORGANIZING TO UNITE

What we have to do is organize the people.  Organize to give the people all the power that they need to chart the future of everything.

Step 1 is the step we are missing.  We are not organized into a united power.  Step 1 is putting fuel into our tank so we can get to the destination we want.  Tossing little flairs of action into the mix has gotten us nowhere closer to our destination.  We need to unite together so that we can actually get to where we want to go.  Let’s fill up our tank so we have the energy behind every single action item so that they succeed.  After all, we are in this to win it.  Right?

We can do it.  That only requires us to organize.  The people are already there.  We are there.  There are enough of us to make every action we choose to take succeed.  

We know there are enough of us.  We know that from the millions that supported the Occupy Wall Street movement.  We know that from the millions that engaged with the Black Lives Matter movement.  We know that from the millions who rose up (twice) for the Bernie Sanders campaigns in 2016 and 2020.  

We are all still here—by the millions.  We just need the venue—the place—where we can once again all rise up together to embrace the energy and the power that standing united with each other gives us.  By the millions!!!

And—this time—we need to make our movement permanent.  Lesson learned:  We need permanency built right into the design

How many of us are going through an emotional roller coaster ride these days, thinking we might have a venue unfolding under the leadership of a Cornel West, or a Robert F Kennedy Jr, or a Marianne Williamson?  Each of them rise up and place a stake in the ground for us to rally around.  But then those stakes quickly vanish right in front of our eyes.  We are left spinning on a ground that gives us no stability under our feet.  We end up being disappointed for one reason or another as we discover that the unity we need to engage our power is nothing more than an illusion of what we really need.  We keep placing our hopes into individuals.  And these individuals are as flawed as we are.  It’s deflating.

Let me state an observation on these hopes.  We have put ourselves into a pattern that just ends up in repeated disappointment.  We are waiting for a hero to unite us.  But that fails us every time.  Our hopes are dashed because we are placing our energy into individuals.  We are seeking a hero.  Yet, every time our selected hero-of-the-day ends up deflating us because we find that they inevitably come with flaws just like every individual human ultimately has.  

The bottom line is that we are seeking a movement.  Not a hero. Seeking a hero will never get us to the destination we actually want.  WE WANT CHANGE!!!  Massive, total system change.  We want everything changed.  We want the corruption out.  We want freedom and liberty and to have a say in how our lives, our communities, and our society move forward.

Here it is folks.  We already have our hero.  Our hero is us.  We are just not organized.  That is the problem we have on every single front.  We are not organized to engage the power that our unity actually gives us.

We are here.  We are united in the destination we seek.  We all want the same things.  And we number in the millions.  We have all the power we need.  We just need to join together and take every next step together.  The only thing we are really missing is the venue to gather at.  Where and when do we meet up?  That is merely a venue issue.  Where’s the party?

We need a place and time to unite together.  All of us.

That is the first step we have to take.  To unite.  That requires a place and time so we can all get together.  It’s like organizing a party.  A party of freedom.  A party of liberty.  A party of self-determination.  A party of power.  

As for every next step beyond setting the venue—we will figure them all out together.  We already have some good ideas out there.  We will propose ideas, we will discuss ideas, we will debate options, and we will come to a consensus through the democratic principle of majority consensus.  And then we will execute those ideas we together selected.  And we will win every one of them because we will be united and have the power necessary to make them work.

Right now, we just need to focus on the first step.  All the rest of the steps leading all the way to our destination will be decided by us together.  Martin Luther King Jr saw this dynamic clearly and he is right.  He saw the power of unity, the necessity of taking the first step to ignite that power, and then letting that unified power chart every single next step necessary to bring us to our destination.  Is that what MLK was thinking?

THE FIRST STEP

Organize the place for people to unite at. Where are we going to have our party?

That’s it.  The people will take it all from there.  

I recommend we organize ourselves across all of the 435 Congressional House Districts.  This will require organizing 435 local, grassroots community groups.  Organizing neighbors with neighbors and doing it coast-to-coast.  

In each district, we will hold Town Hall meetings that rotate locations around the district boundaries so everyone gets a chance to participate.  These can be scheduled in people’s homes, libraries, pubs, coffee shops, or any place where discussions can flow.   That covers the “place”.  Everyone in the district is invited.  

These Town Hall meetings will be held on the evenings of the first and third Tuesdays of each month, giving people the notice they need to schedule their attendance.  That covers the “time”.

These Town Hall meetings will be ongoing continuously and permanently.  That makes this movement permanent.  Which covers off that limitation that previous movements have failed us on before.  Our movement never ends.  It becomes part of our community.

The operating procedures and conduct of these meetings will be through the principles of democracy.  Everyone will have a voice on any and every issue.  Everyone will be able to comment or speak their position on any issue.  All voices will be heard.  Debates can be had.  And—ultimately—each issue will be voted upon with the rule of the majority being the deciding factor.  

For this to work, there is only one requirement.  It is that we place our trust in each other.  We trust our neighbors to come to the best right conclusion on every issue.  It may likely not translate into everything we want individually, but any mistakes we do make we will make together.  And we will have the power to quickly correct those.

The agenda will be on any and all issues that anyone in the district wishes to raise.  

There will be no platform to this movement.  The people will make their own.

There will be no political parties or politicians.  They are not needed.  The people will decide on their own delegates to represent them from among themselves.  And this will be on every single elected office position ranging from Congress to Dog Catcher.  Every political office works for the people, so the people will be who hires them.

There will be no focus on elections or election cycles.   The people will make their own choices for all elected offices.  There are no political campaigns required.  Election day will merely be an event where the people hire the candidates they have already selected by checking the ballots. Election day is merely a bureaucratic paper-pushing event. 

By the way, this is called creating “voting blocs”.  We do not rally around a candidate that a legacy political party throws at us and a platform they dictate in some back room (which is usually phony in terms follow-through once they are elected anyway).  We are not organizing around a political party at all—we are merely organizing the voters.  Sweet, huh?

There will be no leaders.  The people make all the decisions.  What will be needed are organizers and facilitators.  After all, it is only the venue for communities to conduct their own democracy that needs to be organized.

Each of these district organizations (Town Halls) will be created as an organized “District” with the sole purpose of delivering a democratic process to each district.  Here is the platform:

That is the platform.  In its entirety.  There is nothing else to add.

By the way, item 5 is the item that scares the 1%.  They have no special powers.  Their corporations are not people.  Their entire organizing structure that is holding them in power over us today simply collapses.  They are not invited to our party.  They are excluded.  And the people can determine how they are dealt with.  Justice is in the hands of the people.

The objective is to bring the principles and the process of democracy to each district.  The result is an organized community.  It is grassroots (by definition).  It is locally-based (because it is).  And it is powered by democracy.

One person = 1 vote.   And every single vote is as equal as every other vote on absolutely everything.

ORGANIZING TO ORGANIZE

We need to create 435 of these organizations.  There are 435 districts to cover.

What we need to do is to organize 435 districts.  Do you see any other path forward to get the change we all want?

I don’t.  And I have looked.  If you do see another path, absolutely share it in the comments or reach out to me directly.  But, in all honesty, I have not seen one.

435 organizations to build sounds like a big lift.  But I do not believe it to be as daunting as it sounds.  

If we organize a team to start this process, I am confident it will build quickly.  The people want change.  Give the people what they want!   Give them a party! 

We can deliver a template for each district to follow  We can amplify the overall movement this creates under one umbrella and give it exposure.  We can build alliances with independent media outlets to amplify the movement both in each district as well as an overall movement.  We can build alliances with existing activist and labor movements that elevate their mission with ours.  These are natural win-win alliances.  

We can build a central support infrastructure for fundraising initiatives.  We can build legal support resources for them. (We can expect the 1% to put up a fight.  These are not people that will leave quietly.  They will need eviction notices.)   We can amplify and promote local democracy everywhere.

We can build a technology platform that emphasizes direct democracy in each district—actually allowing people to vote on every local issue.  And deliver it directly to them in their homes or workplaces via the Internet technologies that currently exist. The technology available today can make this happen.  Imagine voting from home—on every single thing!

There is a lot to this—and I have some ideas on many of the details that can move it along further.  I am absolutely certain that others have even more ideas, and can add improvements to some of the existing ones.  

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There is one thing I am completely certain about.  We will get absolutely nowhere if we do not unite together to move in the direction the majority of us want to go.  If we do not take the step to unite ourselves, every other step would be skipping the unity they require.  And they would fail to deliver the system change we all want.  Let’s recognize that and corral our energy where it needs to go.

We just need to start it.  We need to light the spark so that we shine a light on a movement that builds our power.  With that light, others will see it and they will feel it shining on them.  Giving them a positive course to take for their futures and the futures of those around them.  They will join in and add their light so it all shines even brighter.  And then even more will see it.  And they will add their light to ours.  And more will then see and feel our light.

Can we change everything?  Of course we can.  Because we have each other.  And together we are everything we need.  

Do people want this?  Absolutely they do.  Over the past 10-15 years, they have confirmed it in the millions several times.

A survey showed that 44% of the people supported Occupy Wall Street.

In June 2020, two-thirds of the population supported Black Lives Matter.

Among Democrats and leaning-Democrat voters, a Gallup Poll on February 1, 2016 showed Bernie Sanders with 53% support.

A Politico poll released on February 18, 2020 showed Bernie Sanders with a “double-digit” lead in the Democratic Party primary.

All of those people are still there.  Would such a movement as I outlined here gain significant support?  I have absolutely no doubt.

What we cannot do, is wait for some hero to come riding in to lead the movement we need.  This movement is on all of us.  It is us—together—that is the hero we need.  Look in the mirror.  And then look around at the rest of us.  You will not walk this alone.  Someone will be walking with you to your right.  Someone will be walking with you on your left.  Your neighbors will be walking with you everywhere around you.  Together we go.  We are our solution.

What is the next step?  We need a small team to start the organizing effort.  Light that light.  And, as others join us on our path, we will welcome them with open arms and add their light to ours.

Let’s go and change absolutely everything.  Uniting the people will take us there.

Comments are welcome.  Volunteers are welcome.  Ideas are welcome.  Comments can be posted below.  

There are already a few of us ready to move this forward.  We have already taken the first few steps to organizing this.  If you can help us build this, please email me at dancelovsky@gmail.com  We will welcome your light and add it to ours.

Imagine what our futures can be.   And let’s go and make them our reality.  Together, we can do anything.  And everything.  Let’s light that light.

Meet you at the party.  

Solidarity. 

August 31, 2023

This election cycle has shifted from being very predictable to being absolutely crazy. And in a good crazy way!

In January, the 2024 election line-up was predictable and virtually certain. The Blue Team was going to field Joe Biden (not really … and we will delve into that further) and the Red Team was going to field Donald Trump. A combinaton of two candidates representing a repeat of the 2020 election.

The two legacy political parties had plans to duke it out in a repeat match. We were headed for a circus event that would result in the people heading for another loss in a broken and corrupt electoral system. The Establishment had things nailed down. It was all rigged up - polished nicely enough - to sell this election as a “democracy event” and coast all the way to finish line.

Joe Biden would take the power of incumbancy to rally Team Blue. Donald Trump would carry the water for Team Red. The people would lose and the corporate elites would gain another four-years to plunder, destruct and plot their way forward.

How things have changed. Since January, both legacy parties no longer have their ballot line-up set anymore. The 1% have lost control of their own self-ingratiating narrative. Their well-laid plans are collapsing.

The Planned Democrat Ticket

The Democratic Party (Team Blue) had plans. They would tout Biden-Harris right up to their National Convention in Chicago next August. At that point, their primary process (a corrupt process in itself) would end and they could coronate Joe Biden as their nominee.

But, they already know Biden is not viable as he cannot campaign nor hold events or rallies, and would falter in the general election debates. They would simply ride out the coronation to the convention, then have Biden step down for “health reasons” or some other plausible story and they could install their back-room desired replacement. That will not be Kamala Harris (as her appeal is even worse than Biden’s). But they could pick anyone of their choosing with California Governor Gavin Newsom and Hillary Clinton (it’s her turn - it always is) being possible selections.

Sure, Robert F Kennedy Jr and Marianne Williamson are nuisances to the Democratic National Committee (the DNC) as they have forced them into an actual primary campaign they did not want. But they can ride out that storm by virtually ignoring their presence and playing down the primary process to the convention which would effectively eliminate them as contenders. Corruption works that way.

They would just ride the primary process out, let Biden carry the nomination, and replace him at the convention with someone of their own choosing (the weapon of their “super delegates” can be readily deployed into action). And they can cobble together a plausible narrative to validate their selection to the general public.

No matter who they coronate, “Vote Blue No Matter Who” and “Trump Is Bad” would be the tried and true narratives to carry their water to the finish line on November 5, 2024.

That was the plan. Easy peasy.

But they have run smack dab into four big unforeseen problems that have completely derailed this simple plan to corrupt the nomination process. Joe Biden is a more flawed candidate than they expected and cannot make it to the convention event next August.

1. His physical and mental deterioration is worse than they expected. He cannot cobble sentences together. He gets lost on stage. He struggles even with teleprompters. The people see it. This deterioration can no longer be kept hidden and explained. He is quickly becoming a joke relative to the demands of his office. He cannot ride out another year as being a valid candidate for another term. He ran out of gas.

2. The next in-line is Vice-President Kamala Harris. There is completely zero enthusiasm for her in any scenario. Selecting her for the VP role is a mistake that has now come home to roost. Attempts to re-brand her are taking place, but are falling flat. She cannot fulfil the role. She is not a viable alternative - even to bridge the time between now and the convention date. She never had any gas in the tank to start with.

3. Joe Biden has corruption problems that have come to light much earlier than is convenient. His direct involvement with his son’s international activities, bribery, and interference in other countries’ governance is gaining rapid traction and exposure - much more quickly than was expected. This is fatal to retaining him up to the planned-for convention date. Biden is leaking gas from a broken fuel line and it is spewing out all over the place.

4. The DNC could fall-back to actually undertaking a primary selection process to select a replacement for Biden. But, they only have two candidates who they completely reject. Robert F Kennedy Jr and Marianne Williamson are clearly anti-Establishment and have already gained traction. Actually holding debates and publicizing them on the corporate media outlets would only elevate them and likely lead to a nominee that actually opposes the corrupt Estalishment. Parachuting another candidate into the primary process would likely fail in a complete collapse (we only need to recall the roll-out of Michael Bloomberg in the 2020 primary campaign to discount that strategy).

The Democratic Party has a very big problem. Essentially, they have lost control of their own corrupt process. They are very well aware that a sizable portion of their supporters are receptive to third party alternatives. Exposing thier corruption to the full light of day would only cause them to quickly erode their base and guarantee a general election failure.

The corrupt Democratic Party has a big problem. And their plans have collapsed under the weight of their own hubris and corruption of democracy. The people scare them. Their own supporters scare them.

The Democratic Party has put themselves into a box that they cannot escape from.

The Planned Republican Ticket

The problems with the Republican Party (Team Red) are similarily rooted in their own hubris and corruption. Things are just not going according to plan.

Unlike the Democratic Party, the Republicans are actually holding a primary process to select their candidate for 2024. However, instead of seeking to retain their front-runner candidate, they are seeking to replace him with a candidate of their own choosing. A candidate they can control.

Removing Donald Trump and replacing him with the preferred alternative of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is falling flat. Removing Donald Trump was expected to be simple and the Democrats would help them in their efforts. Simply indict him multiple times and have his supporters reject him outright - and they would support DeSantis as the logical altenative. Again, easy peasy.

Oops.

Donald Trump’s supporters are rock-solid behind Trump. Every indictment only solidifies and expands his support. His supporters are so turned-off by the corruption of the Establishment that they see through the corrupt ploys to have them fall in-line with DeSantis, and have rejected this preferred alternative. Fiercely. It appears that the majority of Republican Party supporters are not really Republican Party supporters at all - they are Trump supporters.

Efforts to propel DeSantis as the front-runner in the Republican outlets of the corrupt media (Fox News) has failed to move their supporters in the desired direction. In fact, even Fox News’ audience is hemorraging away from them as Trump refuses to even participate in their charade. Ouch.

Should the legal prosecution of Donald Trump result in his conviction, his supporters will revolt by rejecting his chosen replacement (DeSantis). Just like the Democrats, the support the Republican Party requires will erode as a result of their own manipulation efforts!

The only gas in the Republican tank is Donald Trump. In 2016, they created the Donald Trump ticket and now they cannot shed themselves of it. This is a big problem for the corrupt Republican Party. Their only path to victory is a path that has Donald Trump on the ballot.

The Third Choice

Decade after decade after decade the corrupt corporate-derived political landscape was set. Two legacy political parties held the monopoly where - no matter which one succeeded - the Establishment would end up victorious. Team Red and Team Blue both played their roles for the same owners. That was working so well.

There was the occassional resistence against this two-party electoral duopoly but it was effectively contained within that two-party duopoly where it could be easily managed.

The Bernie Sanders DNC primary campaigns of both 2016 and 2020 clearly demonstrated the popularity of an electoral choice that represented the vision the people wanted.

But that was nothing more than a little problem for the Establishment to squash. Since those two “Bernie campaigns” were contained within the Democratic Party, the DNC could thwart them before the general election and then carry the “Vote Blue No Matter Who” banner into the general election. It worked out and the Establishment maintained their stranglehold on the Oval Office. Yes, the Democrats lost in 2016 but the 1% still had their interests shored up for the most part by the Republican victory that cycle.

But for 2024 things are different. Much different.

In 2024 there is a rising third choice. And this choice is not created and curated by the ruling class elites. It is not rooted in corruption. The ruling elites cannot control it nor can they manupulate it.

They do not want it. But it is here. And it does not belong to the 1%.

Democracy still has a breath of life left in it. It is a third choice.

Dr. Cornel West has entered the political circus that previously was the sole domain of the moneyed interests of the corporate boardrooms, the military industrial complex and the Wall Street banks. On November 5, 2024 there will be three choices on the ballot:

• The coronated candidate selected by the Democratic Party Establishment;

• Donald Trump (or some alternative who will not have any support) representing the Republican Party Establishment; and

• Dr. Cornel West running under the Green Party banner with no 1% Establishment support whatsoever.

Dr. Cornel West will be the alternative choice that actually offers all the democratic power to the people. No corruption involved. No special interests to pander to. No pre-selected words placed on prepared scripts to follow. No narrative designed to withhold the truth from the people.

Cornel West is offering what the majority wants. Leadership reflected in humanity, unity, peace, justice, and harmony. Even more critical to true democracy - he listens to the people and reflects policies that are derived from consensus. Cornel West is literally offering power to the people - the freedom and liberty that underscores actual true democracy itself.

On November 5, 2024, the people will finally have three choices. A corrupt candidate in a blue jacket, a corrupt candidate in a red jacket, and a candidate that reflects democratic values, freedom and power and wears a green jacket. This time, people have a real choice.

Does Cornel West Stand a Chance?

At time of writing, there are 432-days remaining until election day. If the Cornel West Campaign Team can use this time wisely, they can propel this third electoral choice to victory.

The challenge is basically to inform the people that they have a third choice. A choice which is to choose themselves. To choose democracy. The challenge is to change the two-party habit that has been ingrained into the population over the decades.

The two legacy parties are drowning in their own deception and deceit. Let them drown. They will use their copious quantities of cash that is thrust upon them by their sponsors to smear and defame each other - that is how they always operate: through negative ads and rhetoric. They will continue along that path as it is the only path they have to offer. Let them burn up their cash to demean and weaken each other.

The sole focus of the West campaign should be on informing the voters of the choice they actually have. A candidate to vote for. The information effort is critical as the public is just not used to it. Positive campainging is completely backwards! We better get good at it!

41% of registered voters are declared Independents. That base already exceeds the Democrats and Republicans (with 28% each).

45% of declared Democrats state themselves to being receptive to voting for a third party alternative - and the Democrats show no signs of holding them back as they persist in their corrupt practices and tactics. They cannot add to their base - they can only try to slow its exodus.

In the Republican base, should they manage to replace Trump with DeSantis or some other candidate, the result will be their own fatality. Even with Trump, one out of eight Trump voters previously voted for Bernie Sanders in the Democratic Party primary. Either way, just like the Democrats, the Republicans cannot add to their base - they can only try to slow its exodus.

Beyond that, one-third of eligible voters have not been voting at all - completely turned off by the duopoly choice of the Democrats and Republicans. Many of these can be re-engaged with an active on-the-ground campaign effort.

With an effective campaign effort, there is no reason that Cornel West cannot be competitive and even victorious. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to hear the pundits and experts try to explain what happens in a three-way race where no candidate actually has a path to electoral college victory? It would throw their entire narrative out the window! Good riddance to them too!

On November 5 2024, we can change absolutely everything. We can show the corrupt 1% the door and shove them out of it. Democracy still has life - let’s lift it up and restore it. And - by doing so - restore and elevate our lives, our communities and our society.

Let’s get to work. We can do this!

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July 23, 2023

We can change everything.  And things are lining up for us to do just that. We have a path. The light has been lit on that path.

Let’s take a quick look at what this path gives us to work with.

As I write this, there are 470-days until the US general election. We have some time to work with. Awesome. Let’s use those 470-days wisely.

The two legacy political parties are struggling to keep their false legitimacy afloat. It’s collapsing.

On the Republican side, Donald Trump is proving to be resilient to all efforts to thwart him. The Establishment does not want him, but they cannot shake him. On the Democrat side, their corrupt ship is springing leaks all over the place. Their chosen candidate of Joe Biden is collapsing and their back-up Kamala Harris just cannot be salvaged as a viable replacement. No credible alternatives are on the bench. Their desire to run an uncontested primary contest is failing.

The establishment’s corrupt media is losing its grip through its own hubris and by holding to narratives that are now so obviously ludicrous that they expose the lies of their propaganda. Independent media outlets and podcasts are quickly replacing their role as trusted sources of information. The propaganda machine is losing its ability to influence.

Most of all, the policies of the corrupt establishment have become so painful to the majority that the desire for complete and total change is being energized across a widening population. Increase in support for legacy political parties is simply no longer possible to attain; only attempts to slow the exodus remain.

Political action groups and labor unions are springing up. These efforts no longer embrace the illusion of convincing the Establishment’s institutions to alter their course - but are focused on replacing those failed institutions. Independent and third-party political options are forming to fill the political void. Workers are organizing independent of their out-of-touch privilaged and corrupt leadership through efforts such as Workers Strike Back. Independent media outlets are leveraging social media to extend their reach and audience.

In the past couple of months, we have seen Dr. Cornel West enter the political fray with what is essentially an independent run for the White House. His vision is not a ‘candidacy’ but a movement.

Dr. West is very rapidly gaining support and building the critical force of an emerging united energy. Chris Hedges quickly initiated the effort to get Dr. West the infrastructure support of the Green Party. Jill Stein signed on as his campaign manager. Independent media outlets and podcasters - and even corporate media outlets - are giving Dr. West the critical air time to introduce this movement to the people. This has energy to it. We can embrace and elevate that energy.

What I like best about Cornel West is that he is non-partisan and his beliefs are rooted in decades of consistent advocacy for the poor and working classes. His foundation is solidly set on the right side of the class war we are in. He is an idealist. An idealist with the courage to act on his ideals to make them the reality. And that is what we desperately need.

He is not running to carry the banner of some political party platform. He did not seek out the Green Party. The Greens recruited him (a structural primary nominating process notwithstanding). I ran for the Greens a few cycles ago. The Greens did not demand an adherence to their platform. It is Dr. West’s own political agenda that is carrying the day - an agenda rooted in equity, justice, peace and humanity. Specific policies are merely a reflection of his morality. Which is all they need to be to get them right.

Put it all together and one thing is undeniable. We have the makings to change absolutely everything. The path has been lit.

As it stands today, the consensus is that the electoral option of Cornel West can generate possibly 10, 15 or even 20 per cent of the vote. It can generate the power to shift the electoral results within the two party duopoly. That power alone scares the Establishment. The Establishment is cracking.

But we have 470-days to work with. And we have a failed establishment to clearly contrast against. We have a media propaganda machine that is hemorrhaging its audience (once you see it for the propaganda it represents; it is impossible to go back to it) and independent media is rising to fill the void.

To hell with 10, 15 or 20%. Let’s go for it all. Let’s win it outright!!!!

But if we do this right, we do not have to just settle for a chance to take the Presidency. We actually have enough time to change not only the Executive Branch, but also the Legislative Branch. We can remove and replace the power dynamics in Congress while we are at it. I have written on this extensively in previous posts and the path we have now makes it absolutely possible.

There is only one ingredient we need to focus on to make this all happen. Energy. Our own energy. The energy of the people coming together in a common cause to elevate our lives and communities into a brand new world.

The tool we have to engage is unity. Standing alone you have no power. Standing alone I have no power. When we unite together our power springs into life. When others join us, that power elevates us all. Our power is in unifying with each other. Let’s unite and feel the energy of our community.

We do not have to even sell our mission to anyone. The majority we need is already sold. We just have to unite the majority under one organized umbrella. We are in it to win it.

Most people are now politically affiliated as Independent. And it’s a trend. When you reject a legacy political party (be it either Democrat or Republican), it is pretty hard for them to get you back. Face it - you left for a reason and that reason is never resolved. Based on this poll alone, we already can win it all.

People are leaving the legacy parties. Younger voters are avoiding them at the outset. We just need to make the light shine so every one of our neighbors can see the landing strip of where to land. Show them the option they have. Shine the light on the path - and welcome everyone to walk this journey with us.

It gets even better. Even those who declare themeselves to be Democrat or Republican supporters; many of them are receptive to considering a better option. Let’s give them one! Light the path so they can contrast their options and join us.

Do you need even more convincing? Consider that the 2020 election achieved historically high voter turnout. Yet, that still left a third (33.3%) of all eligible voters to pass on voting at all.

They even conducted a survey to explain the reasons these voters stayed home. 53% of them do not vote because they are not inspired to vote - they believe nothing will change under either of the options being offered. We can inspire them!!! By the way, the other three cited reasons for not voting were difficulty in registering; apathy/burnout; and the belief that the two legacy parties do not give them enough choice.

The two legacy parties have nothing to offer. That is a weakness we can exploit. All we have to do is light the path so our neighbors can see it. Our path is one thing: It is inspiring. It shines a light on the destination where lives are free and communities are vibrant and inclusive. Isn’t that what we all want?

How did things go so wrong? It got this way by the corrupted policies driven by the desires of the ruling class. The ruling class is comprised of billionaires who embrace a belief that more wealth and power is all that matters. Instead of peace; they deliver war. Instead of equity; they take more wealth than they can ever need. Instead of justice; they create a set of laws that oppress the many while exonerating the few. And they use corruption and extortion to exact their nefarious desires that are fueled by greed and oppression. They fit the definition of narcissistic psychopaths.

We all know this. And people have simply had enough of it. The greed and lust for power has exceeded its own sustainabilty. The time is right to change absolutely everything.

I will give the 1% one compliment: They are organized. We aren’t. So, let’s organize. We don’t have to sell anything. We only have to unite ourselves to embrace the power we actually have. We only have to shine a light on the path we all want to take. So that all our neighbors can see it and join us on the journey to peace, equality, justice, and humanity. We all want the same things for our lives, our communities and our kid’s futures.

Dr. Cornel West’s courage to enter the political fray has opened the door for us. The light on our path has been lit. Chris Hedges sees it. Jill Stein sees it. Numerous independent media outlets see it. I see it shining and I am going to join them on that path. And you see it too. Let it guide you. That is where we all meet up and travel this journey together. We are going together to the destination we all want.

That light shines a path for us all. As we add our energy to that path, that light shines even brighter and more people can then see it, find it, and walk that path with us. One path with a light that shines brighter and brighter and brighter with every one of us that joins us on our journey.

That light is our power. It is the sum total of each of our own energies when we add it all together into one force. It is a power that keeps adding with each of us joining together on the same path - all traveling in the same direction to the same destination. It is a road that is traveled together.

Let’s make it shine so bright that every one of our neighbors sees it and can feel it shining on them. We have 470-days to welcome all our neighbors on our path. Some will join sooner and make our light shine brighter. Others will join later - but we all go together and we all chart our futures together.

Every one of us can contribute something. Some more than others. Some in different ways. But every one of us can travel it in clear support of each other and all of us as one community. Simply declaring your support gives us all more energy. We need you. We need all of us. The power comes to us because we are together. In unity.

We do have work to do. Of all the thousands of groups that have organized to change things on one cause or another, they have all run up against the Establishment’s brick wall. They all know their only path to success is to remove and replace the corrupt system currently in-place. They all face the same common enemy and nefarious corrupt forces. Uniting to defeat that common enemy is the path forward. Coalitions need to be made. Coalitions for power.

Dr. Cornel West took the first step to light the path. The path has been lit.

All each of us needs to do, is step onto that path and make that light brighter with our own energy. See that light on our horizon: it is our light created by each of us standing with each other.

Feel the light shining on us. Every next step we take, we take it together. We define the path forward together. We combine our energy together so others can see the light and walk this journey with us. We all want to go to the same place. We all want to live lives that are fulfilled. We all want communities that are vibrant. We all want a society that is rooted in humanity.

An energy of love, compassion, inclusiveness and peace. That is our energy that we ourselves create by uniting together.

November 5, 2024. It’s the day we change everything. We can do this. How? By walking the path together.

Power to the People. Solidarity.

“Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.” Martin Luther King Jr.

Your comments and ideas are welcome. Uniting is the first step. And each next step will be defined by us all. Every step of the way. We all want to go to the same place. Let’s travel together and get there.

June 27, 2023

This article is the second of a two-part presentation.  

The first part described the path for how we take the power of the democracy that we own—all we have to do is use it.  

This second part presents the execution—which is to build the organizational structure this requires.  This part is our call-to-action, so that we place all the democratic power into the hands of the people. Where it belongs.  Your participation is necessary.

While we are watching, maybe we should be doing? 

Let’s do.

Across social and independent media outlets, we have been spending a lot of time describing instances of corruption by corporations, bankers, media outlets, politicians, government agencies, and more.  We all know corruption is rampant and vile.  There is no longer any benefit to describing it further.  We all know what the problem is and we know it is time to act and solve it.

We cannot fix the system.  That would only be spinning our wheels while solving nothing.  Calling out the corruption does nothing. Seeking moral and humane action from those running the show does nothing. They are absolutely aware of their corruption so it is not happening by mistake, stupidity or ignorance. They refuse to change.

We have to remove and replace it.  What does remove and replace mean?  

It means we have to remove and replace the corrupt system that is pushing us ever deeper into despair.  We need to build a new system that moves us to creating the lives and communities we all imagine they can be. We need to embrace the freedom and liberty to self-determine the direction our futures will go. We need to build ourselves the alternative path that is just, moral and embraces our will.

Removal and replacement are not sequential events—it is a single event that leads to the removal of the corrupt and delivers the replacement that lifts us all up.  It represents an organizing action designed to concurrently remove and replace what causes us our despair.

This is a call to organize the replacement system we all want.  By building this replacement, we will be removing the corrupt system.  Let me repeat this point:  Removal and replacement are not two separate events—it is a single action that delivers both.  It is a two-for-one deal.  If we build that replacement, the removal comes along for the ride.

The foundation that we build our replacement on leverages our democratic power and authority.  As we embrace that power and authority we are taking all the power away from the corrupters and their enablers.  As for their authority—they never had any to begin with.  Democratic authority was always ours to take.  It’s time we take it.

We embrace democracy by delivering it to the people and we end up replacing the corrupt system.  That is “remove and replace”.

Our mission is to create a democratic option that gives all the power to the people.  Our principles respect everyone’s voices, fosters community discussions, and operates solely by consensus.  Basically—we give people democracy.  They will take care of everything else and deliver the lives, communities and society we all desire and that we all know is possible.  

Deliver democracy and just let it work its magic.  

YOUR PARTICIPATION IS A MUST

Democracy has only one condition it places upon us.  We have to participate in it.

We have, for one reason or another, all retreated into our own little bubbles of existence—our own “comfort boxes”.  One-by-one those comfort boxes we are existing in are being filled with toxins and will threaten our very lives.  This toxic threat can manifest itself by polluted air, water and food, by economic hardship, and even by nuclear annihilation.  Regardless of the method of the threat itself, you are not safe in your comfort box.

Those running our show thrive on exploitation which involves creating “sacrifice zones” that are direct attacks on your “comfort boxes”.  Some of our comfort boxes are already compromised and it is only a matter of time until yours is attacked with dire consequences to your safety.  It is already happening—and it is only a matter of time until it happens to each and every one of us.  None of us is safe.  The greed of the corrupters knows no end point.  They will go after us all until there is none of us left.  That greed is so severe, that once all of us are left with nothing or worse, they will ultimately continue by going after each other.

Those currently wielding their unauthorized power over us are narcissistic psychopaths.  They have no end-point.  They will exploit and extract until every penny of profit is fully exhausted.  You can run—but you cannot hide.  They will come for us all.

Let me illustrate this critical threat to us all by two actual examples (although there are numerous others).

Flint Michigan

The city of Flint has been torn apart by a water system that is literally poisoning its citizens with lead.  This situation was revealed some nine-years ago and it remains unresolved by government agencies to this day.  

It is pretty well ignored by the media while the citizens of Flint suffer the consequences daily.  This is now almost a decade later.

Flint Michigan is a sacrifice zone.

East Palestine Ohio

The town of East Palestine and its surrounding area in both Ohio and Pennsylvania experienced a railway derailment on February 4th of this year.  This derailment included the release of hazardous chemicals, including five freight cars of vinyl chloride.  The government not only failed to act, they left the responsibility for remedial action in the hands of the very corporation that caused the toxic mess; namely the Norfolk Southern Railway.  

Almost five-months into the aftermath of this event, the citizens in the town and surrounding area are experiencing a vast array of serious health issues.  Testing of the air and water quality has been mediocre at best.  The five freight cars containing the vinyl chloride were deliberately burned off into the air to quickly re-open the rail line so that the flow of profits to the corporation could continue.  

East Palestine Ohio and its surrounding area is a sacrifice zone.

There are numerous other examples of sacrifice zones.  The above two are environmental sacrifice zones.  Those affected are your fellow citizens.  They are just unlucky to be early on the list; but we are all on that sacrifice list. 

There are economic sacrifice zones too.  How many people are homeless?  How many are living with food-scarcity?  How many have no access to the health care they need?  How many are one event away from financial disaster?  Nearly 40% of Americans cannot cover a $400 emergency expense.  Think about that.  

It gets even worse. The corrupters are stoking a nuclear war. They are willing to sacrifice us all in their pursuit of imperial expansion, lust for power, and the massive monetary gains derived from war. None of us are safe in our comfort boxes.

It is time to step out of those comfort boxes we cling to and change everything.  There should be no sacrifice zones whatsoever.

How do you step out of your comfort box?  By participating in democracy and removing and replacing the system that is creating sacrifice zones in the first place.

That is your decision to make.  But, we will all go with you because democracy requires that we participate together. Democracy is an inclusive force.

LIGHTING THE PATH

Our path forward is to embrace democracy and give its power to the people. With the people in power, they can chart the course forward for themselves and their communities.  We can move all the power to the people.

Is that path charted out for us?  No. We have no idea what each step forward will look like.  All we have defined is that first step—which is to start organizing the venue for people to unite within each of their communities.  Create the venue for people to unite and then run with the faith that you and all your neighbors will work out the next steps together.  

Let’s just take that first step.  Every next step will unfold in front of us.  We will be walking this path together.

We are already there. We are just not organized. The majority of us no longer have any faith or confidence in our current system and those that wield power in it.  The majority of us declare ourselves to be politically independent or don’t even bother to vote at all.  We have rejected the destructive corrupted clown show of the established legacy political parties. 

We are just not organized. We are just not unified into one voice that can change all of it.  That is the only limitation we face.

Enough of us are already united in rejecting the Establishment. It is time to take the next step. Let’s put ourselves together and decide where we go from here.  That is what we have to do; we have to create the venue for us all to come together to decide where we go from here. 

Let’s take that first step which is to create the venue that unites the people. The people will define the next steps. If we can take faith in that, we can change absolutely everything.

If we take this first step, we will be lighting up the path so others can see it. Let them see the choice they have which is to choose themselves. Let them realize they actually have an option.  Then they will know where to join us.  Let’s just light up that path.  And then let’s just focus on making the path shine brighter and brighter so everyone can see it.  

Our job is to unite the people; to shine a light on the path forward.  Give them the place to unite together.  Our task is nothing more than being ‘venue-builders’.

We will do it by uniting the people.  Because it is the people who own their democracy.  Part 1 of this article outlined how we do it.  In its pure essence, we are creating a new political party that is not a political party at all.

We are creating a venue that delivers power to the people.  Based on its substance, we can even name it The Empty Party.  It is empty of a platform on the issues.  It is empty of political candidates.  It is empty of leadership.  It is empty of any focus on election cycles.  It is not even a political party that will be registered for ballot access.  There is nothing to register because it is empty. 

But our Empty Party is very full.  It is full of people. It is full of positive united energy.  Creating the venues for people to come together is all we need to do - because the people will decide on every platform issue, every leader, and every political candidate.  The people will deal with election cycles.  They will do it themselves.

Our Empty Party has only one mission:  To create the venues where everyone can participate. The venues where the people can gather, discuss the issues, and arrive at consensus on everything.  The people will lead themselves to where they need to go.  Yes—we are creating a pure direct democracy of the people.

Do we have the authority to do such a thing?  Yes.  Even more so, it is our duty and obligation.  

It is our right, duty and obligation to alter or abolish a destructive government and to replace it with ourselves.  We are at that point.  And it is time to do it.

There is only one requirement placed on each of us.  We have to have faith in our neighbors to come to a consensus on everything we live by.  We have to respect the consensus of the majority among us.  It may not be perfect but it is just. And it is the best we have.

While the corrupt seek to maintain power by fear and division; we focus our efforts on respect and unity.  I can assure you that the power of mutual respect and unity has a lot more energy than their fear and division can ever hope to achieve.  

The venues we need to create are formal, regular and permanent places that people can congregate at to put democracy into action.  There are 435 of them - each representing the Congressional Districts across the nation.  Canada has 338 federal districts covering their Parliament.  We will create these venues in each of them - Town Halls.  Permanent functioning Town Halls across every district across the land.

And we will elevate power to the people with them.  We will join with our neighbors and chart our futures and the future direction of our communities. We will put democracy into action.

This part focuses on creating this Empty Party of ours.  As you read this, consider how you can participate.  We have a lot of organizing to do in front of us. 

We have to organize 435 (plus 338) Town Hall venues.  We can do it—and we are going to enjoy it and have fun doing it.  Our effort is nothing more than bringing us together with our neighbors who share the same desire for freedom and liberty that we each have. We are on common ground.  This is merely the call to action to organize our power.

We will institute our new Government—a Government of, by and for the People.  

That is doing.  And we are doing it.

435 TOWN HALLS

We need to organize regular and permanent Town Hall venues in every one of the 435 Congressional Electoral Districts.  We need to organize my district.  That falls on me.  We need to organize your district.  That falls on you.  

Part 1 explains how they operate.  They do not have to be led—they will lead themselves by their participants.  But they have to be organized and facilitated.  What Congressional district are you in?  That is where you organize. Don’t worry—we will ensure you get all the support you need.

Can you take the lead to build a team in your district?  One person technically can initiate it.  However, I suggest you create a team.  At least have two of you to start - solely because there is considerable more energy by not working alone.  So, find a friend or neighbor to start this alongside of you and embrace the energy of going as a team.  You will need to canvass your neighbors—and that is so much more effective and easier if there is a team with you.  Once you start, you will be surrounded with even more positive energy in very short order.

We will need to coordinate this activity on the national level for several reasons.   One, to avoid duplication of multiple people organizing the same district.  Second, to amplify the national effort as loud as possible which leverages the entirety of every one of the 435 districts.  And thirdly, for efficiency where we can nationally combine our overall reach, share good ideas that work and avoid duplicating efforts that fail to work.  We will work smart and capture the overall energy of people uniting everywhere.

So, can you gather a team in your district to bring democracy to it?  Can you be the spark that ignites the flame?

We will organize a national organization to support all 435 district efforts to bring democracy to us all.  This will need to be created very carefully - the line between becoming an authoritative central body as opposed to a supporting body is a very thin line.  We have to learn from the mistakes made by those very nefarious political party establishments we are here to remove and replace.  We have to proceed with that caution in every possible way.

LEADERSHIP

This is a personal struggle that I have been wrestling with.  I was asked by a few people to lead this effort.  I reflected on this extensively and will share my thought process with you as you will likely need to undergo the same thought process.

Since I am the one voicing this action, the rationale is obvious—lead by example.  However, I do not perceive myself to be a leader—finding that I tend to be most effective as a ‘lone wolf’ in my activism activities.  I prefer to support, participate, amplify and find improvements in the actions taken by others.  But, here I am; facing this personal predicament.

It is not that I am not dedicated nor passionate about this effort.  I am.  It is merely a personal struggle with the recognition that I am more comfortable in a peripheral supporting role.  

I had to ask myself why I am doing this.  I had to question myself deeply.  I waffled between presenting this or just doing nothing.  On that decision point, I could not live with myself by choosing the latter (and I tried to).  Is doing nothing the future I would choose to leave for my kids and grandson?  I can’t do nothing.   I am sure each of us has to undergo the same personal thought process and struggle. Well, it is time for each of us to go through it.

I think we all have to undergo our own personal assessment and find our own comfort zone for our role in participating in this effort.  I am confident you will conclude that the only unacceptable option is to do nothing.  That means we have to participate.  But—as we reach that personal conclusion—we can then take each of the next steps together.

We do not have to participate at levels that go beyond our own capabilities.  Yes, maybe beyond our own comfort zone. We each have to do our part.  Democracy does not just grant us power.  Democracy is based on a participatory power foundation.  Democracy requires participation.  But then it gives us all the power to change everything.

We need to consider our own skill sets, talents, and experiences—and assess each of them for where we can best provide value to the overall effort.  Adding all these skills, talents and experiences we each have adds energy to what everyone else brings to the table, and we end up creating one helluva positive force.  There is a lot of power in that—and we should maximize what we have to start this and then keep adding to it until we have removed the scourge set upon us and replaced it with the freedom to determine our own futures.

So—following considerable personal reflection and assessment and having numerous conversations with people I trust and respect—I came to a leadership conclusion.  I will share that with you.

We do not need a leader.  I am convinced of that and the democracy rule book confirms it.  Nobody has any more than one equal vote over anyone else.  Technically, we need organizers, facilitators and coaches.  That is what this is about. 

But—yes—somebody has to carry the torch.  This is a race.  But it is not a sprint—it is not a 100-yard dash.  This is a marathon race.  I cannot run a marathon.  But I can certainly participate in a relay marathon.  I can carry the baton briefly for the first stage and then pass it to someone else for the next stage.  And then it goes to the next stage after that.  

I will be the leader today.  And pass the baton to you to be the leader tomorrow.  And you can pass it along the next day.   We can be heroes just for one day.  I can accept that.  I even welcome it.

And we keep that process going until we cross the finish line.  And what do we have at that finish line?  We have pure democracy engaged across 435 districts (and 338 Canadian districts) with a central organization that facilitates it all.  We have liberated us all.

The mission we have is to deliver direct democracy to every community.  Which delivers direct democracy across the nation.  Ultimately, direct democracy has no leader.  The people lead themselves. 

It all fits.  I will accept my temporary leadership role to start the process of organizing this effort for democratic freedom.  Then I will pass the baton and enter my own comfort zone as a participant.  And I will enjoy the freedom we have achieved together with my neighbors and my community.  

SUPPORTING 435 TOWN HALLS

We have to organize that national support group.

We need volunteers with specific skills and talents across nine functions to create the magic that elevates and supports all 435 Town Halls (and 338 more in Canada).  We are working with a clean slate so that each of these functions can evolve and improve as we move forward.  I start with the basics of each function which builds a team with the combined talent to deliver to our mission.

Do you have the skills to build up or contribute to any of these functions?  We need you.  How and where can you best fit in?

Imagine a national support team coming together with an abundance of all these skills, talents and focus.  We can do this.  Power to the people starts to appear on our horizon.  Our first step can brightly light up the path for others.  So they can see it and join us.

TOWN HALL COORDINATION.  This is an administrative function.  It will need to interact with individuals in every district to ensure each district is building a Town Hall for themselves.  It needs to bring people together.  It needs to be the coach required for them to succeed.  Communication channels will need to be opened.

SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATION.  Social media platforms are our initial organizing tool.  They cost little to nothing and give us access to a broader community.  We do not have any resources to work with to start.  Social media platforms is what we have.  Let’s maximize their effectiveness by coordinating our presence and amplifying our message to grow our collective voice.  This function can be split across each platform and it can leverage people to amplify our energy and reach. 

VIDEO PRODUCTION.  Videos can be a powerful organizing tool.  I consider this to be more of a wish list function to have on our team than a requirement because I believe we could really amplify our efforts with some videos.  I envision some comedy element to them.  There is absolutely no rule in organizing this effort that says we cannot have fun and humor as we move forward.  Let’s leverage fun and humor—and videos would be a creative outlet for it.  Creative people are needed and welcome.

INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS.  I am not sure this is the correct term for this function.  We need someone to organize our own internal meetings.  We will need to decide and deliver on a meeting platform to use, and to ensure everyone is equipped and trained to use it.  Meetings need to be scheduled and administered.  Notes need to be taken.  Discussions need to be fostered. 

Focus needs to be maintained (avoiding rabbit-hole discussions).  And follow-up circulation of notes needs to happen.  We need this function covered asap.  It is the function that manages the team itself to be productive, focused and effective.  (I personally lack these skills. I am a technical dinosaur).

MEDIA OUTREACH.  This function is all about leveraging our voice and building momentum. There are a lot of independent media voices out there that we can connect with, elevating both their and our voices.  We need to make a dedicated effort to reach out to them—navigate through gate-keepers they have—and get the coverage we need to succeed.  

There is a lot of positive potential energy in this function. Let’s fire it up.

ORGANIZATION OUTREACH.  Once again, this is a function geared to leveraging our voice and building momentum.  There are literally thousands of activist organizations out there all raising voices on specific issues.  Some of them are broad in scope such as labor organizations and political movements.  Others are more narrowly focused such as on specific issues advocating for environmental justice, social justice and economic justice.  

While it is not our role to issue platform endorsements on any movement or action (the people will do that themselves), we can offer them a platform (Town Hall meetings) to present their messages to the people so the people can decide on them.  Meanwhile,each of these groups consist of memberships in the thousands who can all embrace our action for democratic empowerment.  

Let’s face it—these organizations are all being thwarted by the same wall of disinterest and corruption that fails to address the needs we all face.  We share a very common enemy. 

Once again, there is a lot of positive potential energy in this function. Let’s fire it up.

WEBSITE PRODUCTION.  We need to create a website presence for us.  It can start as a simple website, but I can visualize it evolving into a platform for pure direct democracy.  We will need a data-centric platform to manage our membership across all 435 and 338 Town Hall venues—acting as a tool to support membership evolution and to enhance fund-raising activities (which we will need).

Ultimately we can build an application for people to join their district’s Town Hall meetings remotely—and even to engage and vote on issues remotely.  The Internet gave us the promise of enhanced democratic power when it arrived on the scene.  We have to capitalize on that promise ourselves because the Establishment will never want the power of direct democracy to be placed into our hands.  (To hell with what they want. They zig - we zag.)

FUNDRAISING COORDINATION.  We are absolutely going to require some financial resources to work with.  Let’s put a dedicated effort on it.  We need platforms and methods for people to donate.  We will need donation drives.  We will need ongoing fundraising activities both on the national level as well as on the local district levels.  

FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT.  Along with leadership threatening the corruption for power, finance can threaten the corruption for money.  We absolutely have to avoid any such risk from the outset.  Budgets need to be developed and then adhered to.  Every penny donated has to be transparently accounted for to the entire membership—with monthly publicly-issued reports.  We need a vigilant cop to be on top of this task.  This function also needs to develop similar vigilant transparent systems to be put into place across each of the districts early in their organizing efforts.   

So, we need talented and skilled people to fill roles across these functions.  And we need these people to function as a team with each other.  This is a big lift—and a critical step that will likely define our success. 

While each function needs to be filled with a dedicated manager, each one also will need support.  So, if you cannot lead any of these functions because they extend beyond your available time or any other limitation—please consider playing a supporting role in them.  Skills, talent and experience will go a long way to driving our success.  We need all we can get.

I have already been asked if we would have paying jobs.  I am not really the one to make that decision—although I can see the merit of it.  So, discussion regarding compensation should be had.  I will leave it to the team to have such discussions.  But—as I write this—we have no money to work with.  I have already been offered some donations; but we have no mechanisms organized to accept them yet.  No bank account, nothing.  One of the first tasks of our Fundraising and Financial Management functions will be to resolve this limitation.

YOUR PART

Imagine having the power of a team with all these functions filled.  Can we achieve our mission to deliver ongoing Town Hall venues across 435 US districts and 338 Canadian districts?  Yes we can.

I know we can do it.  But we have to do it together. Nobody is going to do this for you.  We all have to do it together.  It really is up to each and every one of us. Our power only comes to us through the sum of all our parts.

Whether you have interest in participating in the national supporting effort or not, please consider initiating an effort to organize or offer to participate in a local Town Hall venue in your district.  That is the key to this effort.  We need to get them all engaged.  Even those of us that participate at the national level should consider organizing their district - at least to start the effort.  I make that commitment for my district.

Every one of us is different—and that difference extends to what level we are able to participate in our effort to democratize our communities.  But everyone can participate at a level they are comfortable with.  It can range from full-time active engagement to simply amplifying and committing your support to it.  This is a team game and it is likely the biggest lift we have ever faced.  But, we can do it if we do it together.  

What we need to do is organize into the largest group hug in history.

Let’s remove and replace the system we have.  If now is not the time, then when is the time?  This is a revolution.  The biggest fear the Establishment has is us unifying together.  It is time to scare the hell out of them.  We are at that point in time.

The Establishment wants you to be afraid.  Let’s turn those tables.  You can choose the continued path of tyranny or you can scare the hell out of the tyrants.  You can choose to be liberated.  If you choose liberty—I will go with you.  Let’s all go.

NEXT STEPS

1. Below is a brief questionnaire.  What are your skills and talents? We need them all. Please complete it and email it to dancelovsky@gmail.com   I will get back to you.

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2. If you have not already done so, subscribe to this substack account.  The99.substack.com   It is set-up for this effort and is our initial platform to keep you posted as we move forward.  A progress report will be posted on a regular basis.  And your comments are always welcome.

We can do this. We can change absolutely everything. Democracy gives us that promise.

But we have to participate together. Democracy requires it.

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THE PERMANENT OCCUPY

Join Us & Let’s Embrace Our Freedom & Liberty Together

We need you and you need us.  Please email us with this information to dancelovsky@gmail.com   You can use this form if it helps. I will get back to you.  Let’s go!!!!

Name:  ___________________________________________

Your Electoral District:  (for the USA https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative )

(for Canada https://www.elections.ca/scripts/vis/finded?l=e&pageid=20 )

_____________________________________________________________________

How to reach you:      

Email: _____________________________________________

Phone:  ___________________________

Other:  ____________________________

How You Can Help

Local Organizing

ロ   I want to lead or participate in organizing my district

National Organizing

ロ   Town Hall Coordination

ロ   Social Media Coordination

ロ   Video Production

ロ   Internal Communications

ロ   Media Outreach

ロ   Organization Outreach

ロ   Website Production

ロ   Fundraising Coordination

ロ   Financial Management

Comments (other interests):  ____________________________________________

_________________________________________________

_________________________________________________

_________________________________________________

_________________________________________________

“Every one of us is different. But ony together can we create the communities we all dream of.”