Socialism: It's just the beginning.

[Ron Green]

If life on earth for humans is to continue, we're going to have to make some bigger changes than what Bernie Sanders is talking about. The Cold War and the rise of the American Empire have so skewed the nature of the political economy in this country and around the world that we are trapped in a dysfunctional operating system that rewards violence and exploitation and punishes attempts to nurture human values.

For one thing, economic growth, as measured by GDP, should cease. The consumption-based model, as perfected in post-WW2 America and now being emulated in "developing" countries around the world, overshoots the regenerative capacity of the planet. It's not sustainable. Check out www.steadystate.org for more information.

The Big Picture is of course a whole new political economy, one that supports people rather than platitudes, widely distributed wealth and opportunity rather than concentrated wealth. See Gus Speth's important new report at www.thenextsystem.org for a comprehensive picture of what it looks like and how we might get there. I hope you'll download this piece and consider it carefully, because it's truly the most important thing there is.

There are lots of posts on here today about Bernie's brand of Socialism, what it means for the primaries and what it might mean for his administration and for taxpayers. I suggest that his election is not sufficient to bring about what America and the world need, but it is absolutely necessary. The takeover of our political life by corporations, the security state and their media groups cannot be reversed by half measures; their mechanisms are in place to stay ahead of any such threats. Only the kind of political revolution Bernie is talking about can provide a start on the road to a peaceful and prosperous world.

[link:http://www.steadystate.org|]

[link:http://thenextsystem.org|]

[Cassiopeia]

1. It's a start

And a hell of a lot more than business as usual.

We either start changing now or we tank it all the way.

[Go Vols]

2. Spot on

[in_cog_ni_to]

3. We must do something and Bernie will get the ball rolling.

I honestly see this as our last chance to stop the Oligarchs and their Corporate takeover. We won't have another Bernie for generations to come.

THE TIME IS NOW.

The perfect example is as recent as last week. We all saw what Corporate Owned CNN and their Corporate Owned talking heads did to Bernie. He won every poll, every focus group and won the Twitterverse and raised the most after-the-debate money. What did the Corporate Owned network, CNN do? Erased all evidence of Bernie's overwhelming win and proceeded to push Hillary!

THE TIME IS NOW. It's our last chance.

[Ron Green]

4. Here's a great quote from Paul Raskin of the Tellus Institute:

"Deep change is a pragmatic necessity; the fantasy is to think that we can continue with the status quo."

[jwirr]

8. That is a great quote and I agree but the problem is how do

we get the Hillary lovers to see that there is more at stake here than a woman in the WH?

[7962]

12. they dont care nt

[in_cog_ni_to]

26. And THAT is just sad.

They are politically aware. They know what's happening. They know this planet has only 10 years left to reverse the damage of pollution AND THEY DON'T CARE. They know we aren't a Democracy anymore, but won't vote to stop the Oligarchy. One can only surmise, they're one if them and are part of the problem. They support Fracking. They support Wall St. Greedy thieves, they love wars, they support the MIC and Prisons for Profits. They support Big oil, Big ag, Big Pharma and Monsanto.

It's the only conclusion one can draw. If that's so, they aren't Progressives and they hate our planet and the people on it.

You're right, they don't care.

[MisterP]

10. everyone knows it: the status quo IS the fantasy

[Bernblu]

25. I agree, This might be our last chance!

[Catherina]

5. K&R. Thank you n/t

[Rosa Luxemburg]

6. I was brought up in a country that was more 'social'

[Todays_Illusion]

7. What a misleading title and sure keep that scary name "socialism" in the dialog when his policies

are like FDR and LBJ.

[Ron Green]

11. I'm committed to making the name less scary

by not running from it, but by saying that it's the best framework for enterprise, human connection and well-being.

[Pharaoh]

18. ^^this^^

[Cheese Sandwich]

9. K&R

Bernie's "socialism" is a much needed step in the right direction.

Great post thank you

[zentrum]

13. Heard a progressive

…pundit laughingly say Bernie is no more socialist than Harry Truman was. He's really just for fairness, a genuine democracy that represents people and for raising the quality of life for all working and middle class people.

It's a fine beginning. And it's all we have.

[padfun]

14. I dont see this happening

I don't see people using less carbon fuels
I don't see people using less paper bags
I don't see people caring about the environment

I see a major calamity of this planet happening within the next few decades
I see major loss of life eventually.

People never react until it is too late.
And I think it is too late for us to save the planets resources.

Too many people. Just too many.

[Ron Green]

17. You may be right; so what do we do?

And as Raskin's quote above points out, the fantasy is the status quo.

[padfun]

19. I dont know

I know that many alcoholics need to hit rock bottom before they even start recovery. And in my case, I hit rock bottom several times.

You all know that there always will be those who think like Republicans, and many of those people will deny any crisis until it is too late. So many of them kept denying that the economy was in the tank until AFTER Bush left office. And then they started to blame Obama for the crash.

Those people, and there are many, will continue to rape the planet and gobble up resources until they die. Their greed holds no bounds. You would have to make obsessive consumption illegal to curb their greed, and even then I don't think it will stop them.

I think those who are bugging out have a good idea. It is too late for me to live like that, but those people might be the ones who repopulate the planet after a near die out. And the way this planet is warming, I do think there will be some major catastrophes in the next few decades. I think there will be a crossroads for the survival of humans sometime around 2050. Maybe even sooner.

I hope I am wrong, but I see too many people just over indulging and not caring about depleting our resources.

[Ron Green]

21. Thanks for a thoughtful, if somewhat pessimistic, post.

I hope you'll take a look at the Next System website (in the OP) and post your thoughts about it. The latest Gus Speth report, from just this month, is very comprehensive and reasonable.

[padfun]

23. I will look at it.

I like to read thoughtful idea's. I like your OP. And yes, I am an optimistic pessimist.

I once read, "An optimist believes that this is the best of all possible worlds. A pessimist is afraid that this is true"

[MasonDreams]

22. I see and don't see the same stuff.

I thought, on 9/11/2001, well, I can, not drive; so I didn't. Laundry on the bicycle thru 2 winters. People looked @ me like i was homeless. Even the people I knew didn't validate, and I wasn't askin' for much. But I still wasn't down, it felt good to chill in winter and recycle and bicycle. I was doin' my part! Eventually, It hit me. Major loss of life. Just too many people.

I drive now, but I still minimize some stuff. Hope lies in the fact that, the sooner we change, the less drastic a calamity our species will need to suffer. Same for the flora and fauna. If I try to leave behind a less bleak future, maybe I'll get reincarnated on a better planet.

[RobertEarl]

24. That's my idea

Karma. The meek shall inherit the earth. You can't hit nirvana unless you are reborn.

So, in light of the fact that that life as we know it, here in the US, can't keep on keeping on, and with realization that many, many people had very happy lives with far less than our society 'needs' to survive, it with great compunction that I live correctly today, so that I may have a future life tomorrow.

I've been saying for sometime that we need leaders who grok this so that when the times come we will be in good hands and the suffering is greatly minimized. Bernie fills that order, and so, he gets my diehard support. It is the least I can do.

And I ain't riding no bicycle up and down these cold mountains. <grin>

[Thespian2]

15. K & R !!!!

[ancianita]

16. K & R with thanks!

[Hydra]

20. This is exactly what has to happen

And the opposition to it is stiff, well funded, and has a legion of zombies behind it.

But if we don't pull it off...it's all over.

[N_E_1 for Tennis]

27. K & R...thank you for these sites....

I have for the longest time said we need a systems change.
As I just glance over both sites you referenced this looks promising.
Need to study in much more detail.

Thanks again!

[Ron Green]

30. For some reason the HTML didn't work in the OP,

but you can copy and paste the link.

Yes, these big issues:
* Steady state economy
* Population awareness
* Support for human, not profit values
are all being worked on by some very smart and committed people. Whether or not they will break through is the $64 question. Again, I believe Bernie's candidacy (and Francis' papacy) is part of this.

[CrispyQ]

28. A thoughtful post, but I think we're too late.

Climate change is the game changer. We're out of frontiers & we're quickly making our only home inhospitable to . . . ourselves! I see a massive die off in our future & maybe not too distantly.

[Ron Green]

29. You could be right; I often see too much evidence stacked against

any reasonable hope for improvement. My inclination is to try to hang on to what I've got, be as comfortable as I can at home, and travel as much as I need so I can enjoy my grandkids.

Oh, wait... my grandkids.