Contributed by: Daniel Celovsky, April 10 2022
STEP 1: Unify ourselves into one voice
STEP 2: Organize to grow our voice, to support those voices that are taking action
STEP 3: Amplify, support and add power to those that are taking action
STEP 4: Chart the futures we want community-by-community
STEP 5: Make our futures happen
(This is not a linear process - it is a perpetual system - always keep repeating every step.)
I have been repeatedly asked “If we all join together, then what?”
It’s a good question and I absolutely do not want to dictate our actions. The selection and priorities of our specific actions will come from the majority of us.
Every individual can voice their ideas, and have them heard. There can be constructive debate - which is how we come to a full understanding of each other. But the bottom line is that the majority among us will decide on the actions we adopt. That is how democracy works.
If we do this right, our guiding principles will reflect the principles of democracy. How can it be anything else? Democracy gives us the power we need. Democracy gives us the authority we require. We press forward with the principles of democracy because they give us the power and authority. They give us a leadership defined by the community of us.
Please refer to my previous post about democracy and how it embraces us with its power and authority. All it requires is us to embrace it - which is done when we embrace each other. Every one of us.
The principles are simple. The challenge is to unify ourselves.
There is only one thing that must be our first step forward: It is embracing each other so we activate the superpower strengths of democratic power and democratically-applied authority.
What is the alternative? We have been living in the alternative for decades and it has not lifted us up. The alternative is that we have all these individuals - just like us - surrounding us all. But every one of our voices stands alone and isolated. We have activist groups taking actions that are not amplified and given the support they need to succeed. We have true inspiring leaders - each with their visions and engaged followers - but each standing in isolation. The alternative has fallen flat.
At every single level - the support, the amplification, the effectiveness, the resolve, and the purpose is muffled. If these individuals, activist groups, and leaders all unite with each other, they become one loud and energized voice - and every action gets amplified, gains more energy and resilience, and its objectives get pushed onto the public agenda.
The potential energy of us all unifying is massive - and if we do not unite, it will never be realized nor unleashed - we will just continue to flail aimlessly. We will have turned our backs on what could be. What is the saying about repeating the same action over and over again and expecting a different result? It applies here.
We have our principles to guide us. We are inclusive - everyone is welcome. It is the divisions of our society that keep us divided. Instead, we will focus on the many issues that we are united on - and they far outweigh those we are divided on.
Is democracy perfect where everyone always gets everything they want? No! Democracy is imperfect, but it is the best we have to work with. Democracy is based on the consensus of the majority. The majority rules and each of us individually is required to respect that.
We are focused on our communities. For openers, I present it as the 435 Congressional districts in the USA, and the 338 federal riding districts in Canada. This is just a starting proposal and can be adjusted if the majority selects. Determining the agendas for each community makes the most sense when communities organize themselves (think about monthly Town Hall Meetings).
Local majority-determined actions are then filtered up to the national and global levels where appropriate. Each community will decide among themselves who will represent them on those actions and issues that elevate beyond community implementation.
There is no leadership hierarchy. We stand together. One voice - one vote. Power is evenly distributed. Power and decisions are not filtered through some unelected centrally-defined political party structure. Decisions are filtered and set by each community. True democracy flows decisions up - not down. We immediately switch the direction of the flow of decisions.
There really are no leaders required. Decisions are made by the majority of those among us. People will be selected based on their abilities to execute those decisions into actions. Leaders are not necessary. In the alternative, I propose having facilitators - challenged not to present actions, but to putting actions selected by the people into force.
Let me provide a simple example reflected on the US Healthcare Insurance front. A March 24, 2021 Morning Consult poll showed 68% support for a public health insurance plan. This is an example with common support from both Democrats (80%) and Republicans (56%). Here is how it should work: The majority demands it meaning the politicians are tasked to provide it - to get it done. Any failure by the political establishment opens the door for their removal. The politicians are not in charge. The people are in charge. That is how a democracy is supposed to work. That is how we will make it work - because it is our authority to do so!
We are going to have a lot of work to do. And it will come to us quickly. We need people that can organize, administer, and create. We need people that can focus on recruitment - our power grows as our community grows. We need people that can coordinate us to amplify actions so they succeed.
And we are going to need people that can gather us together to define and set us on the course to the futures we all want - and that all of us have decided upon.
Our first challenge is to build up our membership - to unite ourselves. Our first goal is to bring us to 100. And then set off to 1,000, and then 10,000, 100,000, 1-million, 10-million. It does not end. The challenge is to get it started. Today, is day 3 and people are coming on-board. We have to keep that going. This is the step where we embrace each other - so that the power and authority of democracy can spring to life and embrace us.
Our next challenge is to wield our democratic power and authority to restore our democratic institutions to serve the people - to reset their current course from serving the 1% corporate elite. The 1% is not the majority! They are only 1%. They have no authority to be directing our democratic institutions. That is our authority and we will assume and assert control of our institutions - because we - collectively as the majority - own them.
Our final challenge will be to set the direction for our futures. Decided through discussion and debate at the community level, we will chart the course forward for how our societies, our communities, and our lives are structured. It is our choice to make. Because we are The 99% which is the majority and our democratic power and authority gives that choice to us.
I have attempted to avoid any specific issue or platform item. Because they are up to you to decide upon with your neighbours. But - it is my hope that I have shone a light on the path we need to take to give us the power and authority to make your decisions matter and to make them the reality.
The first step is not the last step - it is just the first step. But - we cannot take any additional steps if we do not take the first step. The first step is to unify ourselves - to reach down and pick up the power and authority we need to take every next step after that first one. We have to move forward together.
Let’s unify ourselves. Subscribe to our Substack site - it is ours. Get the word out and find others to join in. Shortly, we will distribute surveys and gather your input for actions we need to organize around and implement. There will be roles to fill. Your voice will be needed.
Keep in mind that every step of the way - you will never be pressured to take on anything beyond your own personal comfort level. Every one has a role and a voice. Every one matters. Every one of us makes us all stronger.
Welcome to The Permanent Occupy. We are occupying democracy - because it is ours to occupy. And we are here to stay. Permanently.
Let’s take that first step. Let’s unite as many of us in The 99% as we can. Because we need each other to make this work. We are strong together.