Comments for writing…for social change

Comment on Greenwashing Capitalism Won’t Heal the Planet by Mike Havenar

Mike Havenar — Thu, 24 Sep 2020 18:55:49 +0000

“The second hard truth is that efforts at localised levels are insufficient. Solving the climate crisis will necessitate the end of capitalism and that necessitates action on a global scale through global coordination, planning and regulation. Both of these truths, therefore, make it critical for our governments and leaders to catch up and start working for and with us.”

A fourth hard truth that this article does not mention is that, in order to create “global coordination, planning, and regulation” in order to end capitalism, a workers’ revolution is necessary; a revolution led by the international proletariat, the most-advanced vanguard of the working class. These seem like antiquated words, since everyone seems to have accepted the de facto dominance of capitalism foreverafter, and to mention class is a quaint thing. But Marxism is not irrelevant. Without the workers of the world jamming the gears and taking over the means of production and abolishing the upper strata of the possessing class, that is the ruling class, then “the end of capitalism” is not in sight. Does anyone believe that big capitalists will not fight to the death to preserve their system, or that they can be persuaded to give way?

Comment on Collective 20 Interview: Mary Wareham, Campaign to Stop Killer Robots by Mike Havenar

Mike Havenar — Thu, 24 Sep 2020 18:07:33 +0000

There needs to be pressure on filmmakers who increasingly put drone swarms in their fantastical movies, making such warfare seem ordinary, extant, and inevitable. They are enablers.

Comment on Letters/Replies by Alton C. Thompson

Alton C. Thompson — Thu, 24 Sep 2020 15:23:30 +0000

Here are two related papers of mine that, I believe, express ideas closely related to yours: https://www.academia.edu/41668653/Viking_Villages_for_Today and the much longer https://www.academia.edu/39328067/A_Road_to_Survival_1

Comment on Letters/Replies by Bernarduseta

Bernarduseta — Sat, 19 Sep 2020 22:41:10 +0000

Thank you very much for the information provided
I’m very impressed

Comment on Letters/Replies by Charlie Newman

Charlie Newman — Fri, 28 Aug 2020 01:28:18 +0000

Just read ‘Never Biden? How to resolve the vexing dilemma for many left voters’ on AlterNet.
Sounds like just another call for people on the left to give up their ethics and vote for a corporatist.
If both major parties can depend on voters to sell out their beliefs, we’ll never get the candidates we want.
Voting for lesser evils got us where we are today.
As the—admittedly conservative—cliché says, “If you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything.”

Comment on Dump Trump then Combat Biden by Victoria Wilson

Victoria Wilson — Thu, 06 Aug 2020 18:53:54 +0000

You have hit the proverbial nail on the head.I like it when you say”If elected,beat Trump advocates urge,Biden’s feet can be held to the fire by continued pressure but Trump’s feet would not even notice’.Beat Trump then combat Biden makes perfect sense to me.I am of the school that want Trump gone no matter what.Our dear planet could not stand 4 more years of his hideous treatment of her and I am often times exasperated at those on the left that still want”purity”as if there is another decision in this upcoming election.Get Trump out and fight like hell with Biden to effect the changes progressives hold dear.

Comment on What Would the NHS Look Like if it Took Health Promotion Seriously? by Mark

Mark — Tue, 04 Aug 2020 11:27:05 +0000

In reply to Joe H.

Hi Joe,
In my experience, what you describe is pretty standard.
I also agree that the research topic you outline would be interesting.
I am developing the ideas presented in the article into a campaign proposal.
If you are interested, I could send you a link…

Comment on What Would the NHS Look Like if it Took Health Promotion Seriously? by Joe H

Joe H — Tue, 28 Jul 2020 21:23:40 +0000

I’ve chatted about similar issues with NHS hospital nurses, occupational therapists and others. The nurses were working 12 hours, sometimes with responsibility over 12 post-operative patients, on terrible pay. Consistently, their main complaint had nothing to do with that. Instead, they talked about having to sacrifice patient care to satisfy managerial targets. Their view was that they had a lot of knowledge and ideas about how the hospital could be better run that were never even heard. This did not even mean things that seemed sensible but might have to be traded off against costs under the present system. Examples included blatantly wasteful and flat out stupid practices that managers had no interest in correcting. It is a similar story with OTs etc. As well as tackling internal inequality for the reasons mentioned in the article, it’s worth considering how standards of care would be improved by empowerment of front line staff, and what kinds of practices and ideas this would promote. I think this would be a great topic for research, along the lines of inspiring plans for socially useful transformation that have come out of some other workplaces, participatory budgeting, etc.

Comment on Letters/Replies by Mark Kirkwood Callingham

Mark Kirkwood Callingham — Fri, 17 Jul 2020 00:23:56 +0000

Re: “…is it the stupid economy?”

This recent article of yours shared by Countercurrents.org was a very sweet argument full of beautiful ideas. Hats off to the work and accomplishments of everyone at Collective 20.

I believe the simplest and strongest way “to reorganise the economy on the principles of prioritising the wellbeing of people and of the planet; of sharing resources so that everybody has enough; of conducting production and consumption based on sane and humane need” is to create and then use a publicly owned currency system that carries a code of ethics.

moneywithmorals.org

Money with morals would be a global agreement by most of the Left as well as a good many of the Right to a better way of life and living. A new economy that only comes from one side of the fence would be considered unfair for millions and millions and destined to fail unless it was backed by some serious state enforcement.

Appreciate your time.

Mark

Comment on Letters/Replies by Patrick Fish

Patrick Fish — Thu, 09 Jul 2020 08:00:34 +0000

“How to keep activist movements from burning out”: wonderful.. as i have said for near 40 years.. change starts with the self… 40+ years of progressive politics have gained little because they want their exclusivity.. they fail to understand that inclusivity is how democracy works.. you must compromise.. you must talk in a language of the common person… the notion of using words like Oligarchy and neo-liberal.. and non-inclusive words… to get to the future you can’t count of your enemies in the wealthy right wing to help you.. you must count on people power.. and that requires keeping it simple.. a single message is 100x more powerful than a long agenda… when i broke down bernie’s recent defeat in the polls.. people hated me.. I got lambasted for seeing the simple truth… Bernie was out fire and brimstone preaching revolution… but the people were scared.. and when scared people, want stability and comfort… It wasn’t bernie’s agenda.. ( which i support fully) it was his messaging… you need to speak to the people’s concerns and fears and feeling in the moment in time… what we say is much more important that what we want… KISS.. like in 2016.. I broke down the trump campaign into a single Phrase: “bread and circuses”: he promised them bread.., and provided a circus… Roman Politics 101… worked in 2016.. I don’t have much left in my old tank and old brain and body.. but i am a person who sees patterns well and can analyze information.. I suffer from PTSD.. and was born with a form of autism… but if you need a sounding board on a campaign.. i was a Professional organizer who worked for MN COACT back in the day campaigning on Single payer back in the mid 1980’s…