What Then Must We Do? Straight Talk About the Next American Revolution Gar Alperovitz
The Democracy Collaborative and The Next System Project
I think that few would argue that I country that was once a proud beacon for the world is in good shape. Our political system doesn’t seem to work any more, our economic system only helps the rich get richer Thoughts of upward mobility among the lower and middle classes have been crushed and it seems that the only people doing well in this day and age are members of the upper upper class. To me it actually seems hopeless. Corporate lobbyists control Congress and the elite and Corporations now control our elections thanks to Citizens United!! And what really pisses me off is that they get all our hard earned money and then they don’t even pay and damn taxes and take away all our jobs to boot!!! It all seems so damn hopeless! But what if there was a better way! A few weeks ago I came across a website and program titled The Next System Project. From their website….
The Next System Project is an ambitious multi-year initiative aimed at thinking boldly about what is required to deal with the systemic challenges the United States faces now and in coming decades. Responding to real hunger for a new way forward, and building on innovative thinking and practical experience with new economic institutions and approaches being developed in communities across the country and around the world, the goal is to put the central idea of system change, and that there can be a “next system,” on the map Continue Reading
The Next System project is one of the projects of the Democracy Collaborative’s mission is to….
…. is to change the prevailing paradigm of economic development – and of the economy as a whole – toward a new emphasis and system based on:
- Broadening ownership and stewardship over capital
- Democracy at the workplace
- Stabilizing community and emphasizing locality
- Equitable and inclusive growth
- Environmental, social, and institutional sustainability
What Then Must We Do? Straight Talk About the Next American Revolution
One of the co-founders of the Democracy Collaborative is economic historian Gar Alperovitz. When I discovered the Democracy Collaborative I also found Mr Aperovitz’s latest book What Then Must We Do? Straight Talk about the Next American Revolution. We I finished a few days ago. In this book Gar Alperovitz asks a key question – If You Don’t Like Capitalism and You don’t like Socialism, then what do you want? He then….
speaks plainly about why the time is right to democratize ownership of wealth as a way to strengthen our communities, and our nation, through local co-operatives, worker-owned companies, and independent businesses, as well as large publically owned enterprises and reinvigorated public institutions….
Here;’s what Seymour M Hersch of The New Yorker writes about the book……
This is not a utopian fantasy or a call for social engineering, this is a plain-spoken analysis by one of our lading economists of what’s gone wrong and how to make it better
Bottom line: I really liked What Then Must We Do? As Mr Hersch says the book is written for the average reader and Alperovitz very simply lays out the problems with both our political and economic systems and then talks about progressive change. During the book explains why the positive progressive changes that occurred in the 40s. 50s and 60s. were a result of both the Depression and World War II and most likely would not have occurred without those two events. Additionally, he points out that something must be done to re-level the playing field or we will face decades of stagnation, with accompanying high unemployment, punctuated with occasionally small upward gains. Which means just more of what we are seeing now!!
So Check out – What Then Must We Do? by Gar Alperovitz if you are concerned about the future of our country!! As for me I’m going to find out more about the Democracy Collaborative…….and The Next System Project -because We need it!!
Links
Gar Alperovitz Website
Democracy Collaborative
The Pluralist Commonwealth
