What a wonderful scenario to contemplate: Capitalism crumbling because Americans swear off excessive, compulsive and distractive consumption; right wing pundits screaming about an attack from within by economic terrorists. Meanwhile, citizens could feel their consumer power being taken seriously. Progressive Internet sites would be heaping praise on them.
An historic first: Americans discover political power by exercising their freedom to NOT spend THEIR MONEY, more rewarding than voting. They become economic patriots, rebooting representative democracy. The dollar becomes mightier than both the sword and the vote!
How do we start? Americans must envision a set of political and economic reforms to seek.
True progressives and smart dissenters can help shape the agenda. Creating a national debate on what consumers acting as angry, fed up citizens should demand from the corrupt plutocracy that now disrespects them. For example, a good initial goal for the new congress would be a raise in the minimum wage. A few weeks of reduced consumer spending might do the trick. Getting out of Iraq might take a month or two of consumer revolt. Serious electoral reforms might also require a few months of enjoyable sacrifice.
I urge you to ruminate on these questions:
Is a democracy first rate when patriotism is most manifest through consumerism?
Can perhaps 10 to 20 million Americans learn to flex their spending muscle to gain political and economic justice?
Can the highly fragmented progressive community unite and inspire millions of Americans that are fed up with the political system to exercise their inherent consumer power?
Dollars for Democracy!
[The author's new book is Delusional Democracy Fixing the Republic Without Overthrowing the Government; he can be reached through www.delusionaldemocracy.com.]
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