Waterstones Wages of Rebellion

Author: Peter Watt

Rating: 5

Review: Hedges writes beautifully. This book is terrifying because Hedges has the courage and spirit to tell us what we don't want to hear. And yet it is book which gives hope, reminding us of the importance of rebellion and of refusing to submit to injustice. Everyone who lives within the empire should read this wonderful book.

Author: Karl Ortmertl

Rating: 5

Review: If Americans are to support true change in the way things are currently being done, there needs to be a concrete plan that they can rally around. Something that they can see will get them from A to Z. Below is an outline of such a plan. Without one, we'll never get support for the change that is needed. But first: I support a full scale revolution in this country, but a peaceful one. A peaceful revolution is the only one that could have a lasting affect, anyway - otherwise, its just the guy with more guns winning. How do you get a peaceful revolution? When the military and the police fully realize that they are backing the wrong horse. Until then, a revolution will be a bloody mess with violence winning, no matter which side. A peaceful revolution occurs when we're all on the same page - and then it will just happen, without a shot being fired. Therefore, the idea is to get the miliary and police to recognize that they are backing their own enemies. They're fighting their brothers and sisters to keep a vulgar, greedy, immoral, selfish, uncaring Ruling Class in power against their (police & military's) won interests The police and military, as well as everyone else, will need concrete goals to commit to - or they won't commit - a list of those goals follows below. But second: The general goals are what we've all been taught to want since we wore knickers (presuming we did wear them) It's the goals that we're told the American government (the good guys) have been championing against the forces of evil in the world (which, in reality, are anyone who threatens oil company profits at this point) Liberty/Freedom. Equality and Justice. As anyone who has been paying attention knows, we haven't had any of these in this country for a very long time - with the acceleration of the process coming with the election of Reagan A good set of operational definitions of these terms would help people focus For example, freedom is the ability not only to speak, but to be heard. It is also ability to not be under another's yoke (like an employer or a banker). Equality would mean having a good shot at achieving the American dream not the American nightmare (the nightmare, for example, being thrown into prison for nothing as is happening to so many now) Equality would also mean getting rid of a super wealthy ruling class - you can't achieve equality from only the bottom end of the spectrum Justice means just that, justice. You can't (or, to put it better, shouldn't,) be able to buy justice. Now for the plan: By the way, if this were really a free country, we would make coming up with the ideal plan a project for every single school child in America - as it is, this is a subject that is avoided like the plague in our schools I won't say that I would etch the following plan in granite, but I think it's pretty close to what it would have to be if we are to achieve our three goals. Government - Money cannot be a factor in elections - equal time in all media for all candidates, period. Cheaters are automatically disqualified - Two levels of goverment only - Federal and County. One Federal legislature, one county legislature per county, period. - Keep it simple folks - Four election days a year, all Federal hollidays - you get a tax credit for each vote you cast - let's not be naive about what will motivate many to vote . Also, everybody, including felons, vote. We won't go down the path of excluding a whole swath of people from voting because we throw them in jail. . And, of course, we will make it convenient for folks to vote. Anyone who obstructs, in any way, gets severely penalize - we're talking about real democracy here, not the sham creatures like Republicans try to distort the voting process into - Hear me out on this - I believe that we break down all of our laws into 36 categories (the number 36 will become clear in a minute) . Every six years, we vote on a competing group of full slates of all law pertaining to a given category - there will be three categories to vote on at each quarterly vote + There is a one page summary of the gist of the law followed by pages of t crossings and i dottings + You vote for the slate that appeals to you the most in that category - whichever slate wins is the law in that category for the next six years . Please note that three years earlier you voted for a candidate that will write up the law slate. He's got two and a half years to develop his version of the law - with the help of a bunch of assistants provided by the taxpayers + The top twelve vote getters get the privilege of writing the complete law for that category. + Two and a half years later, his/her proposed law gets published + Six months after that, the dozen proposals are voted on, you don't have to vote for the proposal created by the guy you voted for, but you probably will ==> Every four months, on your election day off, you will vote for a full slate of laws in three different categories, vote for proposal creators in three other categores, and get to review, for the first time, laws proposed in three other categories It's a busy day, but that's why you've got the day off And, by the way, no campaigning other than the totally equal media coverage that was afforded all of the candidates and proposals and that are available, in full, on line for your perusal ==> Also note, that we'll have to come up with a set of auditors of the process to make sure what's voted for gets implemented in a reasonable amount of time And, we'll need auditors of the auditors - Severe pentalties for those that don't comply - we're not fooling around here Taxes - We tax wealth, not income. . No one has an individual wealth greater than $25 million - this is not negotiable, it is impossible to have any degree of equality and justice in a society skewed by huge wealth inequality - for example, look at America as it sits now . Impose a sales tax to provide for ongoing government support - with the rate low for necessities and rising as the item falls further into the luxury end of the spectrum . Inheritance tax capped at $25 million per individual. If it puts the inheritee over $25 million, the excess will be taxed away at the end of the year . Everyone gets a $250,000 stipend from the government at age 25 - why should only rich kids get an unearned windfall in their lives? Basic Righs - "Free" Health care for all, co-pay based on ability to pay - Free education thru college for all - Affordable housing for all - Work for all - note that all will work - work will be available for all and workfare will be a requirement to get public assistance - those disabled will be obligated to contribute in what way they can - Food for all - no stomach left behind - Food stamps are a way to get this done Financial Institutions - No private financial institutions - State run banks, state run Insurance, state run Exchanges - It may be an overreaction, but I've had enough of private financial institutions Public Utilities - These will function pretty much as they do now - Power - Water - Postal Service - Internet - Roads - Police Departments - Military - Fire Departments - Sewer Services - Public Transportation - Prisons - Coast Guard Small Businesses - Businesses under 1000 employees will stay as they are - grandfathered in - No new business will have owners/employees - co-ops only Large Businesses As we've unfortunately seen, large businesses are a plague - size matters - the bigger you are, the more you distort everything around you - No business over 1000 employees, period . Either you break them up into smaller companies or, if that's not practical, turn each one into a co-op . When a small grandfathered owner/employee business gets successful, it will need to break up because it won't be allowed to exceed 1000 employees - or it can go co-op - It will be an official policy of the government to encourage entrepreneurism as opposed to now where it's discouraged (no one who owns the government wants more competition is why it's currently discouraged) - Incredibly enough, we'll teach students how to be entrepreneurs in schools rather than teaching them what's needed to work for others - The Government, which is our banker, will look favorably on providing loans to those with an entrepreneurial spirit (unless they repeatedly screw it up) Environment - Top priority - zero pollution - resource renewal - huge tax incentives to companies that help the environment, huge tax penalties to those that negatively affect the environment - no fooling around on this one Military - We'll have a draft - no exceptions The best way to stop the heinous activities of this country - at continual war with anyone who is any kind of a threat to oil company profits, is to put everyone at risk, not just the lower classes Incredibly, in World War II, rich guys like John F Kennedy were on the front lines - how far our country has devolved from those times! ==> Hopefully, this gives us a concrete foundation of what the future will look like with a peaceful revolution - it's been proven that the above cannot be accomplished with the current governmental and financial systems in place . Radical change is required - and a concrete plan is a must for getting Americans on board.