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True Blue Door

(2,969 posts)
9. I wasn't proposing working against the system.
Wed Oct 1, 2014, 09:33 AM
Oct 2014

You are right, of course, that it would involve some money. But even the small, rump Occupy has brought millions of dollars to bear in the debt-cancellation project. Also, plenty of individuals have their own money to do stuff - build a house, etc.

But more importantly, I mentioned that founding a new city was just one idea. That really all you have to do is just meet with some number of people somewhere, vote on stuff, and publish the results of the vote. Use cheap bribes like free snacks to get random people to show up and vote on your resolutions, and slowly build up the assembly to something that has some social recognition. From there, then you can get politicians to start rhetorically showing respect to it. From there, rhetorical respect can evolve into political relevance, and relevance into actual influence and power.

Why not start direct democracy cities? [View all] True Blue Door Oct 2014 OP
Because Democracy means 500 million different things to 300 million citizens? randome Oct 2014 #1
That's kind of the point. True Blue Door Oct 2014 #2
Buying land, setting up infrastructure, all that costs money. randome Oct 2014 #3
I wasn't proposing working against the system. True Blue Door Oct 2014 #9
Sounds a lot like political messaging to me. Which is a good thing. randome Oct 2014 #11
Indeed, Occupy is the inspiration for the idea. True Blue Door Oct 2014 #16
That's a good idea, but where does the money come from MineralMan Oct 2014 #4
There are any number of ways. True Blue Door Oct 2014 #10
OK. Then I suggest you get started on this project. MineralMan Oct 2014 #14
Sorry, I'm poor. No property for me. True Blue Door Oct 2014 #17
Herding cats would be easier...nt greytdemocrat Oct 2014 #5
A new political party may be birthed: the Demo-cat-ic Party! randome Oct 2014 #6
Only if it fell victim to the counterculture BS I mentioned. True Blue Door Oct 2014 #12
people had to go back to school and it got cold outside snooper2 Oct 2014 #7
Heh, yeah that's pretty much the long and short of it. True Blue Door Oct 2014 #13
And the new iPhone came out nt Dreamer Tatum Oct 2014 #19
I don't think these experiments work out very well. DemocratSinceBirth Oct 2014 #8
Athens worked exceedingly well, for a while. True Blue Door Oct 2014 #15
I'm not sure I saw your definition of "direct democracy" anywhere in that word salad Dreamer Tatum Oct 2014 #18
I don't see how a literate adult could see it as "word salad". True Blue Door Oct 2014 #20
You have some writing skills, I'll grant you that. Dreamer Tatum Oct 2014 #22
Direct democracy: Open assemblies of citizens regularly debating and voting. True Blue Door Oct 2014 #24
That is clear as mud, and I am unfamiliar with the laws that currently forbid assembly. Dreamer Tatum Oct 2014 #25
There are no such laws. That's the point. True Blue Door Oct 2014 #26
I suspect you want people forcibly assembled. Dreamer Tatum Oct 2014 #27
Of course not. I want them to understand the value of the option. True Blue Door Oct 2014 #28
Isn't that called a ballot initiative tabbycat31 Oct 2014 #21
They're a start, certainly. True Blue Door Oct 2014 #23
Current human nature makes that sort of model difficult. NuclearDem Oct 2014 #29
As I note, we can experiment with different formulations. True Blue Door Oct 2014 #31
You may not be aware of this, but such a system already exists MineralMan Oct 2014 #30
Ah, thanks. I was only vaguely aware of it. True Blue Door Oct 2014 #32
You may be missing my point. MineralMan Oct 2014 #33
In more complex cities, it could function as a branch of government True Blue Door Oct 2014 #35
I am almost certain that a system like you describe will MineralMan Oct 2014 #36
Your analogy between direct democracy and participation in representative democracy True Blue Door Oct 2014 #38
But we do have experience with "assembly democracy." MineralMan Oct 2014 #41
If you know for certain that communities changed, how many? True Blue Door Oct 2014 #46
I don't have those numbers. You'll have to look them up yourself. MineralMan Oct 2014 #48
I wouldn't know where to look, and I suspect neither do you. True Blue Door Oct 2014 #49
How many people can participate in Direct Democracy...and how many want to? brooklynite Oct 2014 #34
The "how" comes after the decision to do it, not before. True Blue Door Oct 2014 #37
No, it doesn't brooklynite Oct 2014 #39
"Multi-layered"? That isn't what I said at all. It's as flat as a pancake. True Blue Door Oct 2014 #43
Not true NobodyHere Oct 2014 #42
No, it's like being born and THEN deciding what your career is going to be. True Blue Door Oct 2014 #44
Of all forms of govt I am aware of..... NCTraveler Oct 2014 #40
I don't think representation is mutually exclusive with direct democracy. True Blue Door Oct 2014 #45
Direct democracy never works tuhaybey Oct 2014 #47
How many words you just used are derived from the language of the Athenian Greeks? True Blue Door Oct 2014 #50
You aren't countering anything I said tuhaybey Oct 2014 #52
Take over an abandoned military base. hunter Oct 2014 #51
Or resort. KamaAina Oct 2014 #53
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