It Is Time for A Quiet Revolution.

This is in response to the eloquent post by Beam me Up. Everything that was said on that post I am, for the most part, in agreement with. I have no direct answer to our predicament save one.

Quiet Revolution.

What is a Quiet Revolution? It is a revolution of withdrawal. A revolution of the power of the consumer to effect change. Since this current model of so-called Democracy is based upon the capitalist model of development, expansion of markets, consumer-driven production and the maintaining of markets through political action. We have but one question to ask ourselves, "What is our part in maintaining such a system?" We, as American citizens, share in the creation of the model that is in place. In the southern hemisphere, by virtue of the creation of a needed commodity on the world stage, they have capitalized on their new position and have used it to implement a new model counter to the capitalist model. They have been given a powerful, economic tool to effect change in their region. This is the first shot heard around the world in defiance to the established order. What is the economic tool of those who find themselves within a model that they find distasteful and no longer serves the needs of the common citizenry? Beam me Up said it better than I can put here. And you are encouraged to read the rant that was posted.

The one power we as citizens trapped within a worn out system have to effect change is the use of our economic power as consumers. We need to use the inherent greed that oils such a system as a tool to change. The one overriding principle in the current business model is to make profit. They will go where the money is. It is up to us to decide where that money is. We have to come together as consumers and begin to collectively, consciously and as a body determine how our hard earned money will be spent. Katrina showed us all the powerlessness and cold indifference our governing bodies have in meeting the needs of its citizenry. Okay, lets accept the obvious and begin to become more self-reliant as a result. Let us begin to act regionally and to implement the technologies that are already at our disposal. Let us begin to organize and act in a manner detached from the what we perceive as harmful to our national interests, even if that which is harmful is the governing body of our nation. It is clear they cannot be stopped by the normal means of elections, public outcry or mass demonstration(to a point). We have no help from what used to be the public watch dog known as the press.

What have we learned over the last six years? That we are on our own. So be it. When natural devastation has occurred, haven't we banded together as communities and dug our way out? Do we really need an overblown federal agency mucking up what really works? People helping people. We are Americans. Innovators, inventors and creators of new and better ways of getting things done. Screw making a pile of money for a new design. Do it because it's right for the time and the task at hand. Support and financial gain will come about in the form of those you help and whose lives are aided by what is created. When peoples lives are made better, there is a natural passion to be of assistance to whatever it was that made it so. If we no longer believe in the way things are now, stop supporting it! Detach, withdraw and refuse to waste more energy in fixing what can't be fixed. It has run its course. It has served its purpose in bringing us this far. Keep what is virtuous from it, discard the rest. The transition will be painful. The change will cause many to resist. Let them. Keep your eye on the prize and maintain discipline for the fight ahead. Evil eventually consumes itself. It is its nature to be destructive. In time, as the current model begins to die, it will impose itself on others. It will seek to aggressively control what it needs to survive. It will bring pain and suffering on those who support its demise. Hold fast. Be resolute in your determination to bring about a better world for you and yours. The death spasms of the established system will be violent and spectacular to behold. Much like when Rome finally fell. Help those that seek to be helped. Mark those who cling to the past and encourage and aid those who seek a better way.

Be quiet in your endeavors to free yourself from oppression. Do not bring attention to yourselves. Do not proclaim yourself to the masses. Quietly, invisibly set yourself about doing the task at hand. Reorder your life to fit within a more self-reliant model. Find a way to begin to grow your own staples. Begin to hoard seeds. Study alternative energy sources for what you deem essential to your existence. The sources are there and the technology too. Learn trades or services that can be traded within your community. Discover bartering. With this in mind I will leave all of you with an answer contained within the question.

When the indigenous peoples of this continent roamed freely and unhindered, did they have money?

Wonderful post, insightful, joyful.

Could you please engage in a bit of Dropaganda as described in the link in my sig line and give your neighbor's a fighting chance by cluing them in to the Evil PuppetMasters behind the curtain? The bigger Community of like-minded souls we can build ahead of time, the better off we'll be when the Game finally comes crashing down.

We should proclaim this loudly wherever we go. The corrosive impact of Television on the American political landscape, has infused Politics and money. The Constitution did not envision a medium such as Television, and the effect it could have on our elections. Thus, there must be a demand for a Constitutional amendment. None of this mumbo-jumbo about hording supplies for the coming struggle, lets be realistic!

Taking words out of context and misrepresenting what was said. I never said "hoard supplies." What I said was "hoard seeds." There's quite a difference. I'm not some kind of survivalist hiding out in the backwoods in my bomb shelter. I'm a working, tax paying citizen of the working poor class.

Realistic? I think how I spend my few meager dollars IS realistic in the scheme of things. I can't support a system, election or otherwise, that is so heavily invested in by those of the status quo, Republicans and Democrats alike. I'm not of the status quo. The system works for them. Why would they want to change it? They spend millions on devising ways to word things just enough to keep the suckers coming back. I'm not in a position to effect change. I've voted every since legal age. I've served my country and believed in what is sought to stand for. It no longer exists. And since I'm by nature not a violent person, this is my stance and method to work for change. You continue in whatever venue you choose. I applaud your efforts. I will fight for your right to do so.

The problem with the media isn't TV per se, the problem is with consolidation of media.

Btw, don't you think that the biggest capitalists around do hoard supplies, aka accumulate wealth? There no mumbo-jumbo about it, it's quit realistic.

It's the unwavering dependence so many Americans have on the media.

for a democracy to function properly, the people need to be informed. Since most people have a job or school to go to, most people do not have the time to do their own investigations of things that are going on, to be their own journalist, their own media.

That's why we have the media, the "free independent press" - as it once was. But it is no longer independent - it is beholden to corporate interests, which are not the same interests as those of the people. In fact most of the mainstream media are *owned by* a few big corporations. That is what consolidation is, and that is the problem with the (mainstream) media nowadays.

and we shouldn't be quiet about that. Eventually when it becomes, as it almost already is, common knowledge (witness the 60-40% favoring of the election reforms in OH, that got flipped by the machines) some Repubs and Independents and Greens will make such a stink about it something will perhaps be done about it.

I've been doing that for years, as best I can. Bookmarked, K&R



Keith’s Barbeque Central

it may be time to take it the next step. It's the only power I really have anymore.

I just recoil at the word "consumer". I am not a consumer. I refused to be defined by the language of my oppressor. A minor detail in an otherwise superb post.

My feeling is that there is a pervasive stance of passivity and observation among us toward politics. We watch, we comment, we choose our favorite players to cheer for, we compare stats, we track the wins and losses high-fiving or moping on cue depending on the outcome, we decide which team we are going to really get behind....

That all represents a fundamental misunderstanding as to the nature of politics, does it not? Isn't this addressing personal emotional needs more than addressing politics?

Your comment,"Reorder your life to fit within a more self-reliant model. Find a way to begin to grow your own staples. Begin to hoard seeds. Study alternative energy sources for what you deem essential to your existence. The sources are there and the technology too. Learn trades or services that can be traded within your community. Discover bartering. With this in mind I will leave all of you with an answer contained within the question. ",absolutely nailed it. Everyone needs to see this and realize what is necessary for transformation is more along the lines of meaningful manual labor and less in the mode of representative politics.

But I wanted it to get a rise out of the reader. Like it did you. It created enough of an avulsion to being put in the category that you rebelled and already have taken a step to separate yourself from the herd by refusing to allow yourself to be referred to as a consumer. But that's IS how you are viewed by this system. Like it or not.

Thanks for your supportive comments. I especially like what you had to say about, ". . .what is necessary for transformation is more along the lines of meaningful manual labor and less in the mode of representative politics." So true. I'm going to turn that over for awhile in my thinking and glean some greater part of significance from it. Thanks!

I have been talking about withdrawing the Consent of the Governed for quite a while. That is the point of the Voter Confidence Resolution (VCR) adopted by Arcata, CA. Our current election conditions guarantee inconclusive outcomes that will never receive unanimous acceptance. The Consent of the Governed is not being sought. Still there is an assumption that this Consent exists. We must shatter this assumption by adopting more VCRs and explicitly withdrawing the Consent of the Governed, not just with rhetorical declarations but actual non-cooperation and more, as you suggest. Election reform is my #1 issue, but not as its own goal. Instead it is a tactic to the bigger goal of Peaceful Revolution.

Read: Blueprint For Peaceful Revolution.

but I've read many of your posts and I am so behind what you are doing. In truth, I felt at times I had found a kindred spirit in the way we think along the same lines. I'd be interested in perhaps communicating more with you and see if I could be of service somehow. I feel very strongly about what is happening now. But, sadly, I don't believe in the current system enough to want to fix it. It needs to be replaced. IMHO

If we are ever to achieve democracy in the future it will be whatever we create. In first withdrawing our Consent, our cooperation, our participation, our recognition; in establishing an overt resistance to fascism, we must first develop self-awareness as a group. This is the moment when the parameters change from government intentionally dividing We The People, to We The People uniting against the government.

The Quiet approach mentioned in the OP is definitely vital, though not to the exclusion of having an outward message and massing presence. I don't think you implied support for a Quiet-only strategy given that you publicly spoke out about it. So in sum, I'd like to see you develop more about the Quiet approach, integrate it with other more visible resistance, and work toward a whole new future shaped by a consensus vision of "what would be better?"

Please do contact me via PM. I've got multiple projects going that could always use volunteers who want concrete tasks that will produce tangible results. Also, I'm launching a major new campaign on Monday night or Tuesday. Watch the Election Reform and California forums.

Peace.

just skimmed it for now, but I saved the PDF document. I'll get back to you after I've read & absorbed it.



Keith’s Barbeque Central

Work together. As a community.

Where do you buy the land? Or Live in an apt? Work WITH People instead.

How the fuck to 300 million Americans farm on their own? Or even begin to grow crops.

Amongst every other detail.

We don't need empty answers or false hope.

Bountiful Gardens,(707) 459-6410; www.bountifulgardens.org. Ecology Action's nonprofit catalog offers inexpensive seed packets, along with plants, books and tools

- "How to Grow More Vegetables Than You Ever Thought Possible on Less Land Than You Can Imagine" (Ten Speed Press, 2002).

-- "The Sustainable Vegetable Garden: A Backyard Guide to Healthy Soil and Higher Yields" (Ten Speed Press, 1995)

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/1580082335/ref=dp_image_0/103-8466958-5439821?%5Fencoding=UTF8&n=283155&s=books



How to Grow More Vegetables: And Fruits, Nuts, Berries, Grains, and Other Crops Than You Ever Thought Possible on Less Land Than You Can Imagine (Paperback)
by John Jeavons

:hi:

someone would find the Toad.

What you have submitted is exactly the kind of thinking I'm talking about. There's no need to anything on a large scale basis. Individual, small, even window pot or balcony gardens can grow enough for personal use. It doesn't take much room. And thanks for the info on the seeds stocks. I'll use that one myself.

per GliderGuider in the peakoil group
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=266x1681



How about this for a small to mid-scale idea?

You start with two co-located industries - a pig farm and a biodiesel pond. You biodigest the pig manure, and get methane. You burn the methane either to heat the algae-pond water or to generate local electricity. Any additional site electricity requirements is met using diesel generators running on a portion of the biodiesel. The resulting CO2 from the methane and the generators is captured and bubbled into the pond to feed the algae. The digested pig waste is also fed into the ponds to fertilize the algae. Once the algae are processed and the lipids are removed, the remaining carbohydrate from the unused portion of the algae is fed back to the pigs. It's a zero waste loop, where the inputs are some additional pig food and sunlight, and the outputs are biodiesel and pork.

If you want to get fancy-schmancy, add a third industry to the loop: a mushroom farm. Mushrooms grow very well on pretty much any waste biomass - wood, straw, bagasse, whatever. As they grow, they break down the lignins in the biomass and make the residual proteins available. So from that process you get mushrooms and ... pig feed. So with suitable scaling and balancing, you have a zero-waste industrial loop that takes as its input waste biomass and sunlight, and produces biodiesel, pork and mushrooms.

There are some interesting little thoughts in there. Take a look at ZERI (http://www.zeri.org/index.cfm?id=concept) for more on the closed-loop zero-waste concepts, and the University of New Hampshire (http://www.unh.edu/p2/biodiesel/article_alge.html) for algal biodiesel research.

;)

This thread reminds me of the back to the land movement of the 60's and 70's. Which is good, because I was too young to partake in it the first time.

One thing I've often thought is that the left needs to give serious thought to developing communities of like-minded people. Capitalism has done this, of course, in the form of gated communities. Obviously, I have in mind something different, more like Robert Owens' New Harmony, but updated for modernity. The right has excelled at this. Using Churches as a base for community, they have set up alternative networks of consumption (i.e. Christian stores, Christian rock, Christian television and "Christian business" in general--see, for example, www.christianebuy.com, a site that redundantly labels itself "The Christian Business Directory of Christian Businesses"), so that their dollars only support folks like themselves.

Your endorsement of barter is sound, particularly as the collapse of the world economy will eventually render it necessary anyway.

Politics is still local, and so it might also be helpful to expand into the countryside in selected areas, rather than on an ad hoc basis. Malcolm X noted that the way Jewish people got a better deal for themselves in the US was to establish huge enclaves in Florida (and he urged Blacks to do the same). Wyoming would no longer be Dick Cheney country if 500,000 Democrats moved in.

www.motherearthnews.com

I subscribe. It's got me thinking exactly along the same lines.

The overriding principle in the current business model is to make ever more profit.


I don't see a real problem with "making a profit" as such, a business needs some profit in order to survive. Also in itself it is only natural for people to create a stash to hold over during lean times.

Problems arise when people strive to make ever more profit whatever it takes. The paradigm these days is that a business looks bad if its shares/stocks do not continually increase in value - it is seen as an indicator that the business is not taking full advantage of the endless possibilities for expansion that the global economy supposedly offers. That's why corporations 'have to' cut (labor) costs further by outsourcing, once other aspects of efficiency have been optimized.

Thing is, if they would not outsource and cut costs in any other way they can think of, they would still make a profit, just not more so then previously - which is perceived by corporate owners and share holders to be a huge problem.

Regardless, i think a quit revolution is a realistic scenario.

Seed to Seed : Seed Saving and Growing Techniques for Vegetable Gardeners
Edition 2
by Ashworth, Suzanne

About this title: This is a complete seed saving guide that describes specific techniques for saving the seeds of 160 different vegetables. 80 photos.

http://www.overstock.com/cgi-bin/d2.cgi?PAGE=PRODUCT&PROD_ID=259239&fp=F&kid=129427&cid=51798

We should follow in the steps of a successful program and not be quiet at all. It did not take all that long before the bus company gave in...hence America gave in...Blacks could ride the bus just like whites and Democrats should be able to effect change in the same manner.

I try to "put my money where my mouth is" For a long time I have been choosing to spend my money. Whenever I purchase something say, food I choose organic food and a store that I respect because I am worth it to eat good food rather than highly processed food from a major corp. I buy local when possible.

I choose not to financially support Mobil/Exxon. For one thing the prices at those stations are usually 5 to 10 cents higher than other stations in my area. As a corp. they do not need my little bit of cash to make the billion dollar profit. I wish that other people would catch on to that.

Passive solar works just fine - east/south facing windows bring warmth on a winter day and makes for a cheerful room.

There are so many other areas to choose from when I think about it and I welcome new ideas along this line.

What a wonderful post, and wonderful ideas. I'm currently trying to transition myself to that lifestyle. Responsible consumerism is my number one goal, and it includes secondhand buying, trading, buying responsibly, alternative energy, self-sustaining pursuits, etc.

The sad thing is, it takes a good amount of cash flow to set some of this up. I don't have near the credit, nor the resources to set up some of the alt-energy systems of which I dream. I'm doing my best, one step at a time, though. I had to make a tough choice whether to move back to Seattle, or to bite the bullet, and settle in a smaller, progressive rural community. Lots of liberals want to move to big cities, because that's where the "culture," is, but it's going to take lots of us moving to rural areas, and as someone mentioned, above, "creating our own communities."

That's kind of why I'm against new urbanism -- it just seems like more waste. There are areas of this country that have small towns, with plenty of structures, just rotting, standing empty. Hell, in the small chain of towns where I live, we could probably move 50,000 like-minded people, and set up farms, and produce things, etc. It's a shame that we've gotten away from these types of communities, and that many of the conservatives that live in small towns are letting the box stores come in and buy out their towns. "The modern life" isn't all it's cracked up to be.