Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Finsbury Square's Actionable Ideas for Change

These ideas came from a fortnight of conversations with members of the public, and the Occupy movement, in response to the question 'I agree it is all shit, but we can we do about it?'... feel free to add your own in the comments section...


CONSUME LESS

BE THE BEST YOU CAN BE, NOT THE RICHEST. Seek wealth of understanding. Not wealth of money.

Free education and public transport for ALL

DIRECT DEMOCRACY- Decisions made on a community level, like street by street, and decisions filtering UP not DOWN via representatives. And foreign policy? Well, there would be no nation states.


HIGHER TAXES FOR THE HIGHEST EARNERS, e.g. 70% tax for those that earn over 250k. If rich people leave the country as a consequence of this I don't think it is too much of a loss!

Move your money from the major banks into a credit union

Stop watching TV

Stop voting for people who represent the interests of corporations

Occupy/co-operate/join an anti-capitalist movement

Introduce a MAXIMUM WAGE

Limit the amount of money an individual can give to a political party to £1000

MAKE BANKS LIKE ANY OTHER BUSINESS- if they make the wrong investments and gambles, they have to pay, not us. At the moment banks operate privately when they are making a profit and publicly when they are making a loss.

Break up the big banks.

Make nationalised banks lend with better interest rates.

ABOLISH CORPORATE TAX HAVENS and COLLECT ALL THE TAX OWED TO US. It is simple!

LESS PRIVATE TRANSPORTATION AND MORE PUBLIC SPACE. It worked in Bogotá, Colombia!

PLANT VEG IN SPARE GROUND. Guerilla gardening.

KEEP THE NHS PUBLIC, not sold to virgin!

HOUSING SHOULD BECOME A BASIC HUMAN RIGHT, not a means by which doers become slaves.

COUNTING THE HUMAN AND ENVIRONMENTAL COST INTO THE PRICE OF EVERYTHING – Value(s) not profit.

SEPERATE RETAIL BANKING FROM HIGH-RISK INVESTMENT BANKING.

READ ALTERNATIVE NEWS & BLOGS. SPEAK TO PEOPLE. THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU ARE READING.

BRING BACK EMA & LOWER TUITION FEES. Stop stealing our kids' futures!

SMALL SCALE ORGANIC AGRICULTURE. Create forest gardens.

TAKE OWNERSHIP OF WHAT OUR GOVERNMENT DOES.Evolution is revolution!

Proper COMMUNITY LAND, that is communally fun for growing and forging community.

END THE DEBT BASED MONETARY SYSTEM.

Reform the money system. TAKE AWAY PRIVATE BANK POWER TO CREATE MONEY FROM DEBT

BANKS TO PAY BACK THEIR BAILOUT. I bet we wouldn't need top make cuts to the NHS, education system and social services if they did.

ALL PUBLIC SERVICES TO BE PUBLICLY OWNED AND RUN (transport, education etc)

LONG TERM SHELTERED HOUSING FOR PEOPLE WITH MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS

LAND VALUE TAX (#LVT)

INTERNATIONAL CO-ORDINATION- Unilateral regulatory demands will not be implemented and will cause more damage to the country as capital moves elsewhere. But getting international communities to agree is no small challenge... By a 'suit'.

REFERENDUM FOR ANY MAJOR POLICY CHANGE

STOP COMPANIES LIKE TESCOS CUTTING OUT LOCAL SHOPKEEPERS

GET RID OF THE STOCK EXCHANGE! Businesses should grow at a natural rate, not rely on rich people intent on getting more rich WITHOUT PRODUCING ANYTHING

A GREATER DEMOCRATISATION OF SOCIETY, starting with STOPPING BANKS DONATING TO POLITICAL PARTIES.It's a start...

Let's make and use our own local currency... e.g. BITCOMS

INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL SECTOR REFORM towards sustainability.

FINANCIAL TRANSACTION TAX

INVEST IN EDUCATION & NEW, GREENER TECHNOLOGIES. Or, we could all become hippies, that would work too

When the DEPRESSION hits (as it will), buy a 10-acre field & START A SMALLHOLDER COMMUNITY. That's how people coped in the 1930s depression.

NAME, SHAME AND BOYCOTT TAX EVADING COMPANIES

TARGET: The Institute of directors, chambers of commerce, tory HQ, the Adam Smith Institute, the CBI

Make TEACHERS one of the HIGHEST PAID OCCUPATIONS and one of the hardest to get.

PARTICIPATORY ECONOMICS & PARTICIPATORY DEMOCRACY. Google 'parecon znet' for details.

Have people educate themsevles with info other than the PROPOGANDA SHOVED IN OUR FACES BY NEWSCORP (aka Rupert Murdoch). Have an open mind and watch Zeitgeist the movie free on youtube.

Make one of the conditions of any leadership position to be totally accountable and transparent.

Don't waste time and effort bailing out the banks! Build on a solid foundation. IF THE BANKS ARE WEAK, LET THEM GO TO THE WALL. The toughest survive. HAMMER the lying politicians.

GET RID OF DAVID CAMERON

GET RID OF UNNECESSARY JOBS e.g. Hedge fund managers, commodities traders, speculators, stock brokers, tory party policy wonks, quango members, arms dealers, management consultants, advertising copywriters. Put them to work on something that is USEFUL TO SOCIETY.




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