Ideas for Change in America
I'm writing to tell/remind you about the Change.org: Ideas for Change in America "competition". This project was created in response to Barack Obama's call for increased citizen involvement in government. The final round of voting began on January 5 and is comprised of the top 3 rated ideas from each of the 30 issues in the first round of the competition, which collectively received more than 250,000 votes.
The top 10 rated ideas from the final round will be presented to the Obama administration on January 16th at an event at the National Press Club in Washington, DC, co-hosted by the Case Foundation. At the event we will also announce the launch of a national advocacy campaign behind each idea in collaboration with our nonprofit partners to turn each idea into actual policy.
A bunch of great ideas (and ones that would have been taboo and unthinkable just a year or so ago) have made it to the final round. I want to encourage all of you to sign up for an account at change.org, and VOTE for each of the following issues (that is, if you agree and you're not too busy organizing rallies). There's probably plenty more that I missed if you check the main page.
1. Free Single Payer Health Care
2. Pass Marriage Equality Rights for LGBT Couples Nationwide
3. Leave Iraq Now!
4. Take Care of Disabled Veterans
5. Forgive Student Loans: Stimulate the Middle and Lower Middle Class
I will of course be the last person to tell you that this is real democracy, that the systems in use on the website work flawlessly, that 250,000 people represent everyone in America and that Barack Obama will obviously do anything in his power to make these desires happen. It's pretty unlikely that any of those things are true. But as someone I greatly respect has recently said, since Barack has opened the door a bit with his rhetoric about participatory government, the people of America have a chance to drive a truck through it. And we should. Even excluding the idea of what to do with this information, you have to admit it's a pretty awesome public opinion tool.
Brief rant: Most of you probably know that I'm very interested in socialist theory (ie: I eat babies). I just want to say that I think technology like this has great potential for mass collaboration and coordination. I don't think that these technologies and interactions are bringing us closer to a socialist society necessarily (they may actually create a false sense of power), but I do wonder what we can we learn about people and cooperation in the age of the social internet, and how these technologies could benefit coordinated action and decision-making. It's fascinating even outside of Marxist theory, fully relevant to the work I do (www.ameritocracy.com and beyond), and obviously highly relevant to activism for reform in the world today. Just in the past few months we've seen huge turnouts for rallies against Prop 8 organized largely through Facebook! Times are certainly a changin'.
Of course, this project alone will not change America. If we want to make an impact, we must join movements, attend protests and rallies, sign petitions, start grassroots projects, and make our voices heard in as many ways as possible. Still, I hope you'll take the time to participate in this fascinating experiment. This may be one of the most important eras in our lives to create positive, non-capitalized, non-trademarked change.
Get More Involved (Seattle)
There are various Inauguration Day actions, partially celebrating Obama's historic election, and partially looking to make these demands of the upcoming administration:
+ Walkout @ 1pm @ Westlake Park
+ City-Wide Inauguration Day Celebration and Rally from 12pm - 4pm @ Seattle Central Community College
+ Inauguration Day Rally @ 11am at University of Washington
The top 10 rated ideas from the final round will be presented to the Obama administration on January 16th at an event at the National Press Club in Washington, DC, co-hosted by the Case Foundation. At the event we will also announce the launch of a national advocacy campaign behind each idea in collaboration with our nonprofit partners to turn each idea into actual policy.
A bunch of great ideas (and ones that would have been taboo and unthinkable just a year or so ago) have made it to the final round. I want to encourage all of you to sign up for an account at change.org, and VOTE for each of the following issues (that is, if you agree and you're not too busy organizing rallies). There's probably plenty more that I missed if you check the main page.
1. Free Single Payer Health Care
2. Pass Marriage Equality Rights for LGBT Couples Nationwide
3. Leave Iraq Now!
4. Take Care of Disabled Veterans
5. Forgive Student Loans: Stimulate the Middle and Lower Middle Class
I will of course be the last person to tell you that this is real democracy, that the systems in use on the website work flawlessly, that 250,000 people represent everyone in America and that Barack Obama will obviously do anything in his power to make these desires happen. It's pretty unlikely that any of those things are true. But as someone I greatly respect has recently said, since Barack has opened the door a bit with his rhetoric about participatory government, the people of America have a chance to drive a truck through it. And we should. Even excluding the idea of what to do with this information, you have to admit it's a pretty awesome public opinion tool.
Brief rant: Most of you probably know that I'm very interested in socialist theory (ie: I eat babies). I just want to say that I think technology like this has great potential for mass collaboration and coordination. I don't think that these technologies and interactions are bringing us closer to a socialist society necessarily (they may actually create a false sense of power), but I do wonder what we can we learn about people and cooperation in the age of the social internet, and how these technologies could benefit coordinated action and decision-making. It's fascinating even outside of Marxist theory, fully relevant to the work I do (www.ameritocracy.com and beyond), and obviously highly relevant to activism for reform in the world today. Just in the past few months we've seen huge turnouts for rallies against Prop 8 organized largely through Facebook! Times are certainly a changin'.
Of course, this project alone will not change America. If we want to make an impact, we must join movements, attend protests and rallies, sign petitions, start grassroots projects, and make our voices heard in as many ways as possible. Still, I hope you'll take the time to participate in this fascinating experiment. This may be one of the most important eras in our lives to create positive, non-capitalized, non-trademarked change.
Get More Involved (Seattle)
There are various Inauguration Day actions, partially celebrating Obama's historic election, and partially looking to make these demands of the upcoming administration:
- End the Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan
- Defend Gay Marriage -- Repeal the Defense of Marriage Act
- Support the Employee Free Choice Act
- Money for Education, Healthcare, Housing, and Jobs – Not for Jails and War
- End the Budget Cuts and School Closures.
- End the Attacks on Immigrants Arabs and Muslims. Stop the I.C.E. Raids and Deportations.
- End US Support for Israel's War on the Palestinians.
+ Walkout @ 1pm @ Westlake Park
+ City-Wide Inauguration Day Celebration and Rally from 12pm - 4pm @ Seattle Central Community College
+ Inauguration Day Rally @ 11am at University of Washington
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