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more on Pork feast -- WORTH READING DJF
From: Dave Farber <dave () farber net>
Date: Sat, 29 Nov 2003 19:38:15 -0500
Delivered-To: dfarber+ () ux13 sp cs cmu edu Date: Wed, 26 Nov 2003 16:06:36 -0500 From: Daniel Berninger <dan () danielberninger com> Subject: Re: [IP] more on Pork feast -- WORTH READING DJF To: dave () farber net Dave, Regarding solutions. We should start by blaming ourselves. Abuse of power always requires an uprising of the oppressed. Legislators serving their corporate donors rather than the public interest succeed only where the public remains apathetic. The public deserves nothing and can expect nothing unless it gets engaged in holding government and corporations accountable. Martin Luther King, Jr noted "Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed." Some ideas: 1) Agressive education to increase awareness about misdeeds in the sense of Thomas Paine's "Common Sense" http://earlyamerica.com/earlyamerica/milestones/commonsense/text.html There exists lots of information on all of the bad actors if people care to look. 2) Economic boycott holding the offending corporations accountable. See for example: http://www.conscientiousconsuming.com 3) Use the Internet to drive down the cost of campaigns. This requires getting more people connected and educating people on the use of the Internet. The present seems to similar to rule by a collective of private interests otherwise known as Feudalism. The arrival of the printing press making books more affordable produced an educated middle class that ended Feudalism and produced the Renaissance. The Internet seems a good match for the present incarnation of Feudalism, but things may need to get worse before people feel enough pain to join an uprising. Best regards, Dan http://www.danielberninger.com > What I have *not* heard is any sensible proposal to change the > situation. I think term limits would help, but would not really cure > the problem. Appealing to legislator's altruistic instincts is clearly > a non-starter. Any Congressman or Senator who does not vote > his constituents self interest is very likely to be a one-termer, and > the game is rigged so that only the most senior of members have > any influence whatsoever. > > If anyone has any really good ideas, let them speak forth. > > Bob McClure > ------------------------------------- You are subscribed as interesting-people () lists elistx com To manage your subscription, go to http://v2.listbox.com/member/?listname=ip Archives at: http://www.interesting-people.org/archives/interesting-people/
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- more on Pork feast -- WORTH READING DJF Dave Farber (Nov 29)