Transcript Time to Remake the Economy Into OUR Economy

Time to Remake the Economy
Into OUR Economy
By Kevin Zeese and Margaret Flowers
Co-directors, It’s Our Economy
www.itsoureconomy.us
OBJECTIVES
1. Describe the current economic and political
environments and where they are going.
2. Describe the two-pronged approach to change
economic and political power.
3. Describe what to do to create the new democratized
economy that benefits people and the planet.
US GDP AND PRODUCTIVITY UP
http://www.wealthdaily.com/articles/2012-economicforecast-a-surprising-and-profitable-trend-emerges/3347
http://itsoureconomy.us/2012/11/the-myth-of-u-smanufacturing-decline/
CORPORATE PROFITS ARE UP
http://itsoureconomy.us/2012/12/two-charts-show-how-thepriorities-of-us-companies-have-gotten-screwed-up/
http://itsoureconomy.us/2013/01/corporate-profitshave-grown-by-171-percent-under-obama-highest-ratesince-1900/
JOBS ARE DOWN
The percentage of
Americans with jobs is
at its lowest level in
three decades.
(The shaded areas of the chart
represent recessions.)
http://itsoureconomy.us/2012/10/heres-whatswrong-with-the-economy-charts/
INCOME IS DOWN
http://itsoureconomy.us/2013/0
2/the-collapse-of-america-intwo-charts/
Incomes for bottom
90% of Americans only
grew by $59 on
average between
1966 and 2011
(adjusted for
inflation), according
to David Cay
Johnston. During the
same period, average
income for top 10% of
Americans rose by
$116,071.
RECOVERY FOR WHOM?
TRICKLE DOWN DOESN’T
Higher taxes on the wealthy encourage investment in business
and job creation. Lower taxes on the wealthy leads to hoarding.
WEALTH INEQUALITY IS GROWING
The end of progressive taxation coincided with the beginning of the growing wealth
divide.
http://itsoureconomy.us/2013/
01/history-shows-want-tocontrol-deficit-spending-seekfull-employment/
http://itsoureconomy.us/2012/12/t
wo-charts-show-how-thepriorities-of-us-companies-havegotten-screwed-up/
WHO HAS THE MONEY?
WHO HAS THE POWER?
No Conspiracy Theory — A Small Group of Companies Have
Enormous Power Over the World
A major scientific study
identified a number of
companies with outsized
control over a huge portion
of the earth’s economy. 147
“Superentities” were
found to control 40% of
global wealth.
http://itsoureconomy.us/2012/11/no-conspiracy-theory-a-small-groupof-companies-have-enormous-power-over-the-world/
WHERE ARE WE HEADED?
Recession or worse?
Instead of full employment,
regulation of finance and
investment in social infrastructure,
we see:
 False crises and debates
 Privatization
 Austerity
 Debt-based Economy
SOLUTIONS TO EVERY CRISIS
The people can rule better than the elites
Evidence-based solutions to every crisis supported by supermajorities:
 Tax the rich and corporations
 End the wars, bring the troops home, cut military spending
 Protect the social safety net, strengthen Social Security and improved
Medicare for all
 End corporate welfare for oil companies and other big business
interests
 Transition to a clean energy economy, reverse environmental
degradation
 Protect worker rights including collective bargaining, create jobs and
raise wages
 Get money out of politics
http://october2011.org/standwiththemajority
HOW DO WE CHANGE DIRECTION?
Two simultaneous paths:
1. Protest to expose crises.
2. Build systems that reduce wealth divide
and replace current systems.
Human need, not corporate greed.
BE BOLD!
What do you do in a crisis?
Time for ICU:
Independent
Clear
Uncompromising
HOW DO WE SOLVE THE DEFICIT?
Policy changes that will create real solutions:
“The 99% Deficit Proposal” on October2011.org
 Create a fair tax system/ guaranteed
national income
 Shift military spending to create
economic security
 Invest in CFNF energy economy
 Erase student debt/ free higher education
 End foreclosures and evictions
 Strengthen Social Security
 Medicare for all
 Public jobs program
End the wars and tax the rich!
THE GREAT TURNING
The Great Turning is a name for the essential adventure of our time:
the shift from the Industrial Growth Society to a life-sustaining civilization.
The ecological and social crises we face are caused by an economic system
dependent on accelerating growth. This self-destructing political economy sets its
goals and measures its performance in terms of ever-increasing corporate profits—
in other words by how fast materials can be extracted from Earth and turned into
consumer products, weapons, and waste.
A revolution is under way because people are realizing that our needs can be met
without destroying our world. We have the technical knowledge, the
communication tools, and material resources to grow enough food, ensure clean
air and water, and meet rational energy needs. Future generations, if there is a
livable world for them, will look back at the epochal transition we are making to a
life-sustaining society. And they may well call this the time of the Great Turning. It is
happening now.
- Joanna Macey
WHAT TYPE OF SOCIETY DO
YOU WANT TO LIVE IN?
What are the values? Solidarity, cooperation, sustainability,
democracy?
Organize using those values!
THE NEW ECONOMY: MONEY
Alternative & local currencies/ Time banks/Barter
Free stores
Participatory budgeting
Move your money
Public Banks
http://itsoureconomy.us/2013/03/how-public-bankingmade-the-us-colonies-properous/
THE NEW ECONOMY: FINANCE
“B” corporations
Community banks
Local investment
Taxpayer investment
Progressive taxation
Participatory taxation
End the debt-based economy
THE NEW ECONOMY: HOUSING
Eviction resistance
Incentives to restore property
Housing cooperatives
Collectives/intentional communities
Litigate bank mortgage fraud
Community land trusts
http://blinktag.com/projects/irvinecommunity-land-trust/
THE NEW ECONOMY: FOOD
Community gardens
CSAs
Grocery cooperatives
Farmer training
Farmer markets
Seed exchanges
Local distribution
Buy local campaigns
http://www.cityweekly.net/utah/article-14620-utah-coop.html
THE NEW ECONOMY: JOBS
Worker co-operatives (WSDE)
Mondragon model
Evergreen Model
ESOPs
Guaranteed income
Living Wage
Non-union workers movement
http://www.peri.umass.edu/fileadmin/pdf/publishe
d_study/spending_priorities_PERI.pdf
THE NEW ECONOMY: HEALTHCARE
Non-corporate practices
Healthy San Francisco
Single payer health system
Medical school rural track
THE NEW ECONOMY: ENERGY
Carbon-free nuclear-free energy economy
Public ownership
Energy cooperatives
Feed-In-Tariffs
http://cleanenergyaction.org/learn-more/feed-in-tariffs/
THE NEW ECONOMY:
TRANSPORTATION
Public transportation
Car sharing
Bike rentals
Walkable/bike safe cities
http://blog.oregonlive.com/commuting/2012/05/portland_on
ce_again_nations_to.html
THE NEW ECONOMY: EDUCATION
Reverse privatization
End testing industry
Free college education
Tenured professors
Unionized teachers
http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/12/03/students-seizecooper-union-room-to-protest-possible-tuition/
THE NEW ECONOMY: PEACE
Fund Our Communities
Alternative foreign policy
Real security
REMEMBER, IT’S OUR ECONOMY
Shift the Power, Democratize the Economy
Its Our Economy
ItsOurEconomy.US
Build power and resistance
Occupy Washington, DC
OccupyWashingtonDC.org
Democratize the Media
Clearing the FOG (Forces of Greed) Radio Show
ClearingTheFOGRadio.org