Resolutions, Not Hopes

[davidswanson]

I resolve to do everything in my ability, while preserving my power to continue in future years, to reverse the destruction of the environment, the proliferation of weapons and wars, and the concentration of wealth.

I resolve neither to panic nor to behave as if we have a moment to lose.

I resolve neither to be gratuitously rude nor to value politeness above life-saving actions.

I resolve not to discriminate for or against elected officials or candidates on the basis of political party.

I resolve not to support or participate in any activist organization that is not internally democratic or which takes its agenda from public servants rather than from the public.

I resolve not to support corporate media outlets in any way, including through organizations or election campaigns, but to invest my time and money in independent media.

I resolve to work at the local, state, national, and international levels to create better communications systems, equality of access to media, the elimination of war propaganda, free media for elections, public media, independent community media, and variety of viewpoints rather than complicity in the pretense that the corporate viewpoint is no viewpoint at all.

I resolve to work at the local, state, national, and international levels to create public funding of elections and to prohibit bribery in any form, to limit protected speech to speech not spending, to limit first amendment and other personal rights to persons not corporations, and to significantly defund political parties.

I resolve to end bipartisan gerrymandering, bipartisan ballot access restrictions, bipartisan candidate debates, and all credibility for claims that bipartisanship is beneficial.

I resolve not to fantasize about secret good intentions, friendship, or super-human powers in elected officials.

I resolve to press elected officials who might do something useful harder than those for whom there is little hope.

I resolve to focus my national lobbying efforts on my representative in the House of Representatives, without wasting energy on presidents or senators, until we compel the House to defund the wars, block the corporate bailouts, and hold high officials accountable.

I resolve to recognize the concentration of power in the hands of presidents as a ticking bomb that must be rapidly defused through public pressure that forces Congress to take back powers it does not want.

I resolve that in 2010 one or more members or former members of the executive branch will be subpoenaed and that a congressional committee will enforce its subpoenas.

I resolve that in 2010 one or more members or former members of the executive branch will be impeached.

I resolve to work at the local, state, national, and international levels to establish the right to vote in verifiable elections on paper ballots publicly counted at each polling place, with voter registration automatic at age 18 and never removed from anyone, even in Washington, D.C.

I resolve never to expect elections alone to change anything, and to understand that my activist work begins the day after an election.

I resolve never to let up until each and every person, including the highest of officials, are held to the same rule of law, war criminals are prosecuted, illegal wars are ended, illegal prisons are closed everywhere, and illegal spying is ceased.

I resolve to speak without self-censorship or preemptive compromise.

I resolve never to kid myself that harmful rhetoric is a means to a helpful end.

I resolve to replace xenophobia with internationalism, corporatism with democracy, and capitalism with socialism.

I resolve to resist cruelty and greed at all levels, in all conversations.

I resolve not to categorize people, including elected officials, as good or bad, but to vehemently agree and disagree with each of them.

I resolve to oppose all tendencies toward violence as strongly as all tendencies toward defeatism, apathy, or misguided strategy.

I resolve to go to jail for justice.

I resolve to do everything I can to inform and educate and learn from others on a personal level and through mass communications.

I resolve not to waste a second on frustration, bitterness, or wise pessimism.

I resolve to value the solidarity of struggle.

Join me, won't you?

[StarfarerBill]

1. Excellent resolutions, David, and damn the unreccers and nattering nabobs of negativity! K&R

[debbierlus]

2. Beautiful. Thank you for writing this - thanks so much.

[bvar22]

3. Thank You....Beautifully written.

:patriot:
K&R

[Goldstein1984]

4. A good set of resolutions

Nicely put. Thank you.

Not categorizing elected officials as bad is going to be a little tough right now, though.

Rec

[PuraVidaDreamin]

5. Especially I resolve to go to jail for justice

Everyone should try that one. Makes you feel good all over.

PeaceoftheAction.org

[zeemike]

6. I Agree with all of that except.

Trading capitalism for socialism.....we have had enough of the isms.
How about an enlightened economic system that takes the best of all of them and rejects the bad in all of them.
Fuck a bunch of isms and people telling us that if we only make it pure will it really work.

And I should add that I accept your resolutions in principle and am taking my own actions by doing what I can to starve the beast....I got rid of the TV and I do my best to buy from locals.

[bertman]

7. So much to do. So little time. So little money. I'm going to try my best, David.

Thank you for this list. Too late to rec.