What jumps out at me reading this is how backwards the whole “corporations are untouchable” myth really is. We were all raised to believe DC hands out the power from on high when the truth is the states have been holding the damn keys the entire time. It’s almost funny in a tragic way: a country drowning in dark money because no one ever stopped to say, “Hey just hold on… why are we letting these paper creatures write the dang rules?”
Feels like the real battle isn’t left vs right anymore. It’s human beings vs the legal fictions we created and then forgot we could leash. If Montana cracks that door open next year, the whole nation might remember who actually built this democracy in the first place. www.xplisset.com
“Feels like the real battle isn’t left vs right anymore. It’s human beings vs the legal fictions we created and then forgot we could leash. “
Quite frankly, our government and our economy of capitalism and oligarchy gone wild is supported by people having drunk the Kool-Aid and believing that this is the only way we can be. Those that are hoping we can correct democracy by putting on so call guardrails will never correct the situation we are in. We need a reimagined economy and a reimagined government. It is not impossible, and in fact with what Trump and his cronies have done in destroying what we’ve had we have an opportunity to definitely build back something better. That is why I am a proponent of economic democracy. It is a well thought out system, and I believe it has the answers.
Here is a good explanation of the four requirements of economic democracy by Ronald Logan.
Requirement 1 — The basic necessities and amenities of life should be guaranteed to all, according to standards appropriate to the region and the age.
• We want a constitutional guarantee that all Americans have a right to the basic necessities of life.
• We want 100 percent employment at a living wage or salary for all who are of working age, able to work, and desiring work.
• We want an economy that makes universally available the basic necessities of life according to the standards of region and time.
• We want economic development that provides quality job/profession training, at diverse skill levels, for jobs that are locally available, in local economies that maintain diverse opportunities for employment.
• We want sustainable economic development that ensures the ongoing availability of, and replenishment of, local resources.
Requirement 2 — There should be ever-increasing purchasing power enjoyed by all.
• We want wages and salaries to rise as society’s collective wealth increases.
• We demand equitable distribution of income.
• We want wages an end to the extraction of wealth from our labor to inflate the riches of corporate owners, exorbitantly paid executives, and investment stockholders.
• We want an end to speculative markets that are economically unproductive.
• We want the fluid circulation of money.
• We want a progressive reduction in work hours commensurate with society’s increased use of automation and artificial intelligence.
• We want an economy that can sustain increased purchasing power without depleting resources.
Requirement 3 — The power to make economic decisions should be vested in the hands of local people and their decisions should be made on the basis of collective necessity.
• We want an end to the ability of outside corporations to close local factories without local community permission.
• We want an end to job outsourcing without local community permission.
• We want established local and regional planning boards, empowered to bring capital and other assets for building local enterprises.
• We want the use of local natural resources to be in the hands of local communities, conditional on observing environmental laws and maintaining sustainability.
• We want local development to focus on producing goods and providing services that meet local needs.
Requirement 4 — People outside the local community should not interfere in the local economy, and locally generated capital should not be drained from the local community.
• We want state banks that issue credit/debit cards, give student loans, and provide capital for local development initiatives.
• We want to restrict the ability of franchise enterprises to drain capital from local communities.
• We want all hospitals, schools, housing, offices, news media, and other collective amenities to be locally owned.
• We want representatives of outside banks, corporations, investment funds, etc. off the Boards of local enterprises.
The DESPICABLE thing is that that ALL is very easily achievable in DAYS! If America taxed the useless billionaires and COLLECT those TRILLIONS owed to the American taxpayers, not only could we afford free healthcare for all, free higher education for all, and free housing for all, we could ALSO afford a substantial UBI.
A doubling of my SSD and those like me which has decreased by roughly $500 since I started recieving it in the late 2010s would solve ALL my financial woes! (That's a mere $1200 a year by the way.)
Using the states to stop Citizens United is an excellent idea but has a weakness in the timing of implementation because the Supreme Court under Trump’s control will declare any legal action by states to be unconstitutional that blocks political funding by corporations as authorized by Citizens United. But there is a way to fix the weakness and then implement the idea.
Democrats in control of a few states can take back control of the House and the Supreme Court in a few months before the midterms. As legally authorized by the Constitution, a few blue states (California, New Jersey, Maryland and Colorado) controlled by Democrats can act to take control of the Congressional House by removing Republican House representatives from those states and take back control of the Supreme Court by removing four justices using the legal system in those states.
Then the Supreme Court will have no power and Reich’s proposal can take place to stop Citizens United.
Remember that Trump should have been prevented from being on the ballot in 2024, but Section 3 of the 14th Amendment that prohibited him from holding office was not enforced by the corrupt Supreme Court.
Granted, it must be funded somehow. Thanks, Victor. I still wonder though how such a system would work. In England, I know that some people have had to wait a long time for needed surgery because of much demand in their medical system.
I hope you don't mind, Marc, but I have shared this with a lot of others. It is concise and to the point. If people cannot see how beneficial this would be to everyone, then I will be amazed!
Peggy, I think it is wonderful that you are sharing this information far and wide. For those who are interested in exploring more progressive ideas about the future of our government and economy, they can click on the link above. Clicking on this link, we’ll bring those interested into contact with many stimulating positive essays on reimagining our government and economy for the future. A few of my essays also appear in this Substack. Immersing myself in positive thinking about the future assists me greatly in getting through all the news about the destruction of our government and our economy. But again out of the rubble of a destroyed system is the opportunity to build a new society based on adherence to honesty, morality and a holistic positive spiritual outlook on the future.
I love reading Crisis and Transition, Marc! Those of you who post on this substack have opened my eyes to what a great country we could have! You explain things so clearly to me and I have a newfound respect for all of you visionaries! By reading your essays, people can begin to envision an America that checks all the boxes for them. Moving forward together, a blended society working together for the common good. Thank you, Marc!
Please consider weaving in some strategy to ensure that corporations operate ethically. By that I mean knowing that their #1 focus is advancing the interest of society, not just maximizing profits. I want us to find a way to prevent all the little things they do to harm consumers (price fixing, pushing out competition, making it nearly impossible to unsubscribe, no refunds for cancelled flights, tacked on surprise fees, refusal to honor insurance policies, and much, much more). Who can/should stand up for the common people? How do we bring these abusive practices to light, and then penalize them? How do we reinvigorate the Consumer Protection board and give it teeth?
Since all these ways of screwing people over spring from a lack of ethics and integrity, how to we shift the corporate point of view away from greed and toward a fair, honest, balanced relationship with the public? Might it be possible to mandate seminars on ethics as a requirement for all CEOs and other bigwigs, for membership on a corporate board, for pension investors, and in all business schools?
Thank you for mentioning the sharing of Marc’s plan, Peggy. I sent it to myself in hopes of sharing it by directing people to it here where Marc has posted it, and in hopes of reading it to somebody. I am so grateful to see it, and people I know who are struggling would feel great relief if we had this plan in place!
I have written out Professor Reich's 10-point repair plan, Mr. Logan's plan for economic democracy and now have added this plan for states to negate Citizen's United and I have them by my phone so I can refer to them when I'm talking to people. I truly believe, JP4M, when we lay it out this way, people can visualize the kind of America we are talking about. Many of them are upset and angry about how things are right now but cannot put into words what they want to see change! We can provide them the words they are seeking. It makes me happy when someone I am talking to says "Hey! That is exactly what I want!" We can do this, JP4M! Tell your friends and instruct them to tell their friends and before you know it, it is being talked about everywhere! Keep fighting, America! Stay strong and stay safe!
Please reply to Peggy that I'll be posting a revised and improved economic democracy program tomorrow — also that she is mentioned in my article as she motivated me to take this on.
Bravo. Peggy! Your plan is of spreading the two outstanding and much needed plans is excellent, and I will try to put them together for easy reference in sharing, too! You are a gem, and I thank you for describing these valuable steps as well as your action and positivity! I am smiling again!
Millei became Argentina's president by promising his countrymen a fairy tale. The fairy materialized in the person of Donald Trump. Alas, even $20 billion will not be enough to rescue the bankrupt country. Moral: don't believe fairy tales, especially when told by billionaire surrogates.
How to begin? Teaching the importance of each point you have outlined. We should begin at an early age. Many people turn away from economics because there is much misunderstanding of the consequences of one policy ir another. The tartif issues we now face are a good example. Thank you. Excellent points!
Yes, we start by teaching something called “Neohumanism. “ Here is a link to an excellent essay explaining Neo humanism on the crisis and transition Substack.
Thank you, Jim. I was writing this reply in the middle of the night on my iPhone, so it is amazing that I have not typed in more errors. In any case, thank you for pointing this out. You are welcome to spellcheck my contributions to this conversation at any time.
The gist of your post is to keep it local, it would seem and there is a substantial list of requirements( wants ?) to consider here in your manifesto, some of which will be seriously contested by national concerns ,as relating to local demands. Although there is a lot to consider , it could serve as a basis for meaningful reform for the better .
Victor, this thought comes to mind in regard to your use of the word “requirements”.
The first two learned sentences in a government class were:
“The purpose of government in the United States is to enable people to live and work together. The more closely people live and work together, the more government regulation is needed.”
MARC- re 100% Employment; an official from the GA DOL once told me that 4% unemployment is actually full employment. It's the average attrition rate plus 'chronic unemployables'. I'd be interested if Prof R would weigh in on this re accuracy as he was US DOL if I remember correctly.
An example of a 'chronic unemployable' could be that ne'er-do-well mooching relative we all seem to have or know about who never keeps a job for longer than it takes to qualify for unemployment and/or won't show up or work well because 'the job is beneath him'.
Marc, I’m with you on this. Yes, the system we’ve been living under isn’t something you just “tune up,” it’s something you redesign from the studs. And I wish I believed we’d get there through foresight alone… but if I’m honest, my fear is that Americans only rediscover their imagination after an economic calamity shakes us awake. Something bigger than ’08. Bigger than the Depression even. I’m talkin bout a collapse that makes denial impossible.
And now with AI accelerating everything from jobs, power, information, to even inequality , the pressure on that fault line is building faster than our politics can keep up. I don’t want a crisis to be the thing that forces a new economy into being, but history keeps whispering that we rarely choose the better world until the old one cracks beneath us.
I’m hoping we can prove history wrong this time. www.xplisset.com
Xplicit, I’m with you on this one. I do believe we are headed for an economic collapse, and in the ruble of that collapse is our once in a lifetime opportunity to build a better system. However, now is the time to start planning and discussing how this might look And share it with others.
Alas for this White Rabbit interjection, but I am wondering, was "ruple" (Russian money) instead of "rubble" (detritus) intentional or a Freudian slip? Do you see USA's economic leadership folding like USSR communism? Or did spellchecker do its evil?
Elizabeth, thanks for the spellcheck and your thoughts on different interpretations of the word. I was in Moscow shortly after the communist government fell and it was a sad and sorry sight. Because there had not been any future vision of how Russia and its government and economy could be reimagined and implemented it became a huge opportunity for the oligarchs to take over and to essentially appoint Putin, who came from a KGB background, to lead the new oligarch controlled government. We do not want this type of situation to be the future of the United States so we have to begin planning NOW for a brighter future.
Marc, the collapse of the Soviet Union was led by Boris Yeltsin, a Russian populist populist strongly influenced by libertarian propaganda. Any resemblance to Donald Trump?
That why Russia MUST annex other countries just to survive. After decades of USSR & Oligarch corruption & mismanagement in Russia and lands they used to control, much of the natural resources are ruined.
We know about the HUGE messes like the Aral Sea and Chernobyl but there are vast other areas that no longer can support life or farming.
No, Marc, now is the time to think and search for ways to prevent, if not the economic crisis, but the collapse of civilization itself. Time is running out fast. If we want to prevent chaos and utter destruction the first step we have to take is restore constitutional due process. That is doable.
It really does feel this way. The real struggle isn’t left vs right anymore, it’s human beings vs the systems we created and then allowed to slip out of our control. We’ve been conditioned to believe that our current mix of capitalism, oligarchy, and weakened democracy is the only way a society can function. But it isn’t as "we" know.
And trying to fix this moment with a few “guardrails” won’t get us where we need to go. So yes, we need a reimagined economy and a reimagined form of governance, something that actually reflects human wellbeing, community power, and long-term planetary survival.
That’s why I also believe in an economic democracy. It’s a coherent, values-grounded framework that shows we can build something better than what’s breaking down around us. The old systems are collapsing, but that also means space is opening for what comes next.
So true, Marc! Do you think with the corporations out of the picture and the dark money would begin to dry up, we would be able to embrace an economic democracy? I've been told by so many that I am getting the cart before the horse when I go on about the benefits of an economic democracy. I know we have to take baby steps to ensure we build our country back better than before, so I'm trying to look at little pictures we can do before finally having the big picture complete.
Don't be influenced by those who say you are "putting the cart before the horse." Unfortunately they are motivated by fear of change. We have no choice but to go through a systems change because we will see capitalism crumble right in front of our eyes. So we must start making plans for a better system now based on morality and integrity. Those who wrote the Declaration of Independence were visionaries who dared to think big. They faced many detractors but they did not listen, they went ahead and wrote a document that fomented the Revolution. Now we need a Declaration of Independence from the Oligarchy our government has become. A government is formed to SERVE THE PEOPLE and not to serve only the rich and powerful. We must speak out and share our "revolutionary" ideas and ideals. We must plan for the future and ECONOMIC DEMOCRACY will be our future.
I have started talking to my friends about Professor Reich's 10-point repair plan, which is fantastic, along with economic democracy. I intend to include the way Professor Reich has laid out that the states can negate Citizens United. When you look at it altogether, Marc, I truly believe this is the path we need to follow. There is going to be an insane amount of push back from the oligarchs and the mega corporations. They will use lies, misinformation and propaganda to try and keep hold of the government they bought. I am never going to stop talking about what I see for America's future. It would be so much better for ALL Americans and not just a few. Growing and strengthening the middle class is tantamount to successfully steering our country towards economic democracy. Getting people to understand that it is not socialism which the very word seems to turn people away. Helping them to see the 'big picture' is extremely hard!
Peggy. All I do when faced with a believer who thinks socialism , as in Democratic socialism is bad, is to point out that the very wealthy are enjoying socialism for themselves, as they raid our treasury and get tax breaks and subsidies.
Thanks, Laurie! You're the second person to give me something that I can point out to those who think all socialism is bad. I think they keep confusing communism and socialism and they are not the same thing!
But that’s the whole point of socialism - after debauching the currency the bureaucrats at the top get to live lives of luxury while the rest of us are reduced to Cuban-style serfdom - you have literacy, but nothing worth reading, healthcare but no actual medicines, the right to eat, but no food, etc.
While comfortably-off midwit crazy cat ladies of both sexes living far away extol your society as a beacon of rights.
Thank you for mentioning morality & integrity. They must be part of the foundation of any changes to our political and economic systems. We’ve seen what happens when greed and lust for power go unchecked.
Marc, the Declaration of Independence states that all men are created equal, that they are endowed with inalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. How do you want to alter it?
Hmm, perhaps, I fear baby steps is how we got here in the first place. Baby steps when we heard the 😈💩 say, "I can shoot someone on 5th Avenue and I won't lose a vote," Jan 6th, when he whipped his maga base into a frenzy pointed at the Capitol and said, "go down there and fight like hell...," "hang, Mike Pence, Mark Kelly..." We took baby steps when we should have dropped the hammer. While there are matters that need careful thought, there are other matters that need swift action in order to undo the damage he's caused in 10 months time. Resist, Remove, and prosecute. In the 😈💩 words, we the people say, "YOU'RE FIRED." JMHO
Marc, I like the way you have 'borrowed' some of Joe Biden's campaign phrase "build back better", much better than the trump regime's evident intent to destroy everything equitable that came before him. This 10-point plan from Prof. Reich is like a new Marshall Plan to rebuild Europe's destroyed economy after WWII, and to return the promise of prosperity to the citizens from whom it has been ripped by the mighty.
It is like trump with his mindless blather and derision has eclipsed all the benefit that Biden did for the economy after trump did his best to destroy it in his first term.
Things need to be explained to Americans what the truth is IN PLAIN ENGLISH, so, they can grasp the meaning and make better decisions when it comes time to vote.
Yay Montana! Do it!!! But that won’t do anything about corporate constitutional rights and powers. It also won’t do anything about the super rich being able to corrupt our elections with their ungodly massive money power. We still need our simple demand for a simple amendment!
Nothing will get better until we overturn Citizens United to end legalized corruption and concentration of wealth and corporate power.
It takes so little effort to grow this movement of the people for democracy. Just a simple demand! Please spread the word, learn more, and help out. Let’s end the corruption and restore good government.
This is how upside‑down the whole “corporations are untouchable” story really is. We’ve been conditioned to think Washington holds the power, when in fact the states have always had the authority to leash these paper creatures. Citizens United didn’t make corporations gods, it just made their money louder. The tragedy is that we forgot who wrote the charters in the first place.
This isn’t left versus right anymore. It’s human beings versus legal fictions that learned how to buy our democracy. If Montana cracks that door open, it won’t just be a state fight, it will remind the country that corporations exist because we allow them to exist. The leash is ours. The question is whether we remember to use it.
I lived in Montana for 20 years and I always respected the diversity of opinions. When I first lived thre it was a "purple state," now invaded by monied Republicans that unfortunately turned the state red. Although I now live in New Mexico I have donated to this campaign though the link that RR gave. GO MONTANA!
It's actually that trump is the figurehead for that oligarchy. They are mostly pulling the strings in the background. He actually thinks he's the boss, but he's being used by the monied class.
Somehow, almost unbelievably, DT arrived at the just right time with a huge following, friends/associates here and abroad w/ deep pockets already in tow. He'll make deals with devils AND...
I believe we'll soon learn he had a quasi-friend by the name of Epstein who ran a honey-trap operation who shared LOTS of dirt to influence people in power.
DY is tripping now because HE got caught in that honey-trap too.
Xplisset, I am enthused by the relative simplicity of this proposed solution. If it is implemented in every state, it will control *corporate political donations*. It still leaves open the opportunity for very wealthy individuals to contribute obscene ($257 million dollars) amounts to support one candidate. Our ultimate goal should be limiting political donations - period!
Yes, Charles, but out immediate goal should be expose the libertarian "small government " hoax. Their support of Trump has revealed a lot already, and, hopefully, people will give up their delusions.
Xplisset, I am enthused by the relative simplicity of this proposed solution. If it is implemented in every state, it will control *corporate political donations*. It still leaves open the opportunity for very wealthy individuals to contribute obscene ($257 million dollars) amounts to support one candidate. Our ultimate goal should be limiting political donations - period!
Molly Ivans addressed this 35 years ago in her book “Bushwhacked.” Corporations making huge donations in exchange for lower taxes and loosening of environmental rules.
We ordinary voters were asleep at the wheel and didn’t realize what was coming. (Foolish us - expecting those we voted for to do the right thing!)
Today’s troubles are a result of letting corporations and billionaires run the show. No more! Thank you Montana for leading the way! We are taking our country back!
Xplisset, your statement of the hugely important fact about the keys made me smile! Yes, you also open my mind to still more. Thank you for making it so plain! It says to me that those of us, who did not know, have the need to understand more about business law. I know I definitely do! I do understand a bit about monopolies, but there is much more to know, I am sure!
Yay Montana! Do it!!! But that won’t do anything about corporate constitutional rights and powers. It also won’t do anything about the super rich being able to corrupt our elections with their ungodly massive money power. We still need our simple demand for a simple amendment!
Nothing will get better until we overturn Citizens United to end legalized corruption and concentration of wealth and corporate power.
It takes so little effort to grow this movement of the people for democracy. Just a simple demand! Please spread the word, learn more, and help out. Let’s end the corruption and restore good government.
Utterly brilliant. I'll check in with my current State AG, whom I hope to have as governor after the next elections, and with my favorite prospective candidate for state AG.
I'm going to do the same. It will do no good to contact my state reps here in NC because it's so gerrymandered that Republicans have a stronghold. But our governor and AG are democrats. Maybe we can get the ball rolling.
Get the word out every legislature governor get it on the ballots every state has the power together we call raise our voices town halls city councils to our representatives too
Professor Reich: OMG!! THIS IS SO WONDERFUL to finally realize that, a corporation will NOT have as many rights as i do, as a human being -- all we the people have to do is reclaim our power! suddenly, i think i know what dorothy might have felt like when glinda the good witch told her that she always had the power to return home.
This is all correct. Christopher Armitage has written on this a couple of times and it looks to be an excellent way to stop this money flood. Money is not free speech it is corruption through and through.
OK, I'm sharing this with my state legislators. We all can do the same thing! So, get cracking! Update: Sent to my state senator, assembly member, and Governor Gavin Newsom.
Fully agree. When I read about the Montana effort I said to myself that every state needs to do this. It would pass. However, my thinking gets no where. Your recommendation has more traction and eyeballs. Let's do this. Virginia is primed after the last stunning election. There is no better time than now, as we watch corporations push Trump, easily, too far. Next up, write state legislators. Sadly, mine are both Republicans, but so are half the people pushing this legislation in Montana. Turns out ranchers and farmers don't like getting pushed around by corporations either.
The other thing that states could is start taxing them yo make the federal tax cut irrelevant. Then states would not be shafted on Federal government handouts all the time. Since FEMA is being destroyed this might help that as well.
Perhaps we'd all forgotten the Constitutional 10th Amendment that States and the People's Rights reserve all other rights. Embarrassingly simple when we've been focused and in-fighting for individualism and our modern big tech love affair... both of which arguably do not support any collective or long term Happiness and Health... ??
"The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people." -- The Ninth Amendment.
Wait until enough people realize that they don't have to wait for a Rep who is unfaithful to their oath of office to retire -- or until the next election -- but they can organize to force them to retire IMMEDIATELY. As was said to President Joe Biden: "We can do this the easy way or the hard way."
There's a HELUVA LOT of rights in those "others retained by the people." Either that, or "consent of the governed" means NOTHING.
Boy howdy, Charles, I asked myself that same question when I was reading Professor Reich's post! If we had done this sooner then we might not have had the problems we are facing now! I can't help but wonder, did no one give this any thought over the past 14 years?
Yeah, sure, we're in charge. Or maybe it's always been "Meet the new Boss. Same as the old Boss." The first organized attempt to establish the power of the people -- Shays' Rebellion -- was crushed in 1787.
The first such attempt was in 1775-76...the rebellion of the Committees of the Privates, and then of the Philadelphia Committee of Inspections. And it succeeded!
This is beautifully reported in "The Hamilton Scheme" by William Hogeland. It's also partly described in this essay:
Thank you Professor for this enormously impactful option that needs to be spread throughout the land!
For years I've been preaching the notion that an updated #HR1, the original #ForThePeopleAct, could sidestep the functional advantage that Citizens United granted corporations by mandating that all funding for campaigns must be public not private.
Does that work too? And can we give both notions more teeth if #ForThePeopleAct2 also includes strict with restrictions on campaign and advertising spending of superPACs and 501(c)(3)s?
Let's get both options in play as quickly as possible, shall we?
This is a great opportunity and a very interesting way to fight the corruption that is rampant in our country. Average Americans have known for decades about the corruption in our government. That’s why Trump was elected. He campaigned on draining the swamp and making them all rich. Many average Americans fell for his bull s___!
Utility companies have a history of using “dark money” to influence Michigan elections. We are working on a ballot initiative to stop that. First utilities, next.....????
Now, that's a bandwagon I can support! It makes for a lot of work, but maybe we have some wind at our backs, if we keep the public correctly informed. Sounds like a good project, to me. The Supremes' fake law might be harder to breach. It's a stepstone along the way of dismantling all the other fake powers of corporations and returning public finance to the public.
So all of those states that allow citizens to propose ballot initiatives should lead the way (California -- here's looking at YOU) and grass-roots organizations of citizens should mobilize to enact a model statute along the lines of the Montana proposal. Finally, something that We The People can actually act upon to take matters into our own hands. Brilliant! By my reckoning, there are 19 states that allow this, including almost every state in the West. But I think that Ohio and Florida could be keystone states for this movement. It is especially important to target states with large numbers of MAGA voters. These folk supposedly hate "elites", and corporate moneybags are certainly "evil elites" out to thwart popular will. We need a modern day William Jennings Bryan to whip up enthusiasm with a new "Cross of Gold" speech. Now who could lead the way? Perhaps some disaffected Republican woman? The corporate misogynists have certainly caused them to become outraged.
Not a constitutional scholar, not even a mere attorney. But last I looked there are 50 states. Roughly half (ok, perhaps more) have little to no interest in overturning Citizens United. Your proposal would simply trigger a mass migration of corporations to whichever state(s) did NOT have such a constitutional provision and who, not incidentally, would be eager to gain additional revenue. Repair of Citizen United needs to happen thru the current Supreme Court. Of course, since the same Supreme Court has now achieved a historic low in prestige and status, perhaps it’s time for a little hardball. Congress (more specifically, the House of Representatives) still possesses the power of the purse. If the Democratic Party achieves a majority there (entirely plausible) the next budget should reduce Supreme Court funding to, perhaps $9, (no additional zeros). Then the House leadership can negotiate a new understanding, perhaps in the same manner as our President is achieving a new understanding of the role of the Department of Education. Again, last I looked, there is no constitutional provision or amendment mandating a specific level of funding. The horse is out of the barn. Maybe it’s time.
I wish you were plotting strategy for our side as the Koch Klan has been doing for the other side to the tune of $13Billion, and that you had lawyers writing legislation for our side as ALEC has been doing for the other side to such avail.
Way to go Montana! (With a tip of the hat to Hunt for Red October's '...way to go Dallas!' as they dodged the torpedo that ultimately sank her attacker). Let's roll.
What jumps out at me reading this is how backwards the whole “corporations are untouchable” myth really is. We were all raised to believe DC hands out the power from on high when the truth is the states have been holding the damn keys the entire time. It’s almost funny in a tragic way: a country drowning in dark money because no one ever stopped to say, “Hey just hold on… why are we letting these paper creatures write the dang rules?”
Feels like the real battle isn’t left vs right anymore. It’s human beings vs the legal fictions we created and then forgot we could leash. If Montana cracks that door open next year, the whole nation might remember who actually built this democracy in the first place. www.xplisset.com
Xplicit, you have it correct when you say
“Feels like the real battle isn’t left vs right anymore. It’s human beings vs the legal fictions we created and then forgot we could leash. “
Quite frankly, our government and our economy of capitalism and oligarchy gone wild is supported by people having drunk the Kool-Aid and believing that this is the only way we can be. Those that are hoping we can correct democracy by putting on so call guardrails will never correct the situation we are in. We need a reimagined economy and a reimagined government. It is not impossible, and in fact with what Trump and his cronies have done in destroying what we’ve had we have an opportunity to definitely build back something better. That is why I am a proponent of economic democracy. It is a well thought out system, and I believe it has the answers.
Here is a good explanation of the four requirements of economic democracy by Ronald Logan.
Requirement 1 — The basic necessities and amenities of life should be guaranteed to all, according to standards appropriate to the region and the age.
• We want a constitutional guarantee that all Americans have a right to the basic necessities of life.
• We want 100 percent employment at a living wage or salary for all who are of working age, able to work, and desiring work.
• We want an economy that makes universally available the basic necessities of life according to the standards of region and time.
• We want economic development that provides quality job/profession training, at diverse skill levels, for jobs that are locally available, in local economies that maintain diverse opportunities for employment.
• We want sustainable economic development that ensures the ongoing availability of, and replenishment of, local resources.
Requirement 2 — There should be ever-increasing purchasing power enjoyed by all.
• We want wages and salaries to rise as society’s collective wealth increases.
• We demand equitable distribution of income.
• We want wages an end to the extraction of wealth from our labor to inflate the riches of corporate owners, exorbitantly paid executives, and investment stockholders.
• We want an end to speculative markets that are economically unproductive.
• We want the fluid circulation of money.
• We want a progressive reduction in work hours commensurate with society’s increased use of automation and artificial intelligence.
• We want an economy that can sustain increased purchasing power without depleting resources.
Requirement 3 — The power to make economic decisions should be vested in the hands of local people and their decisions should be made on the basis of collective necessity.
• We want an end to the ability of outside corporations to close local factories without local community permission.
• We want an end to job outsourcing without local community permission.
• We want established local and regional planning boards, empowered to bring capital and other assets for building local enterprises.
• We want the use of local natural resources to be in the hands of local communities, conditional on observing environmental laws and maintaining sustainability.
• We want local development to focus on producing goods and providing services that meet local needs.
Requirement 4 — People outside the local community should not interfere in the local economy, and locally generated capital should not be drained from the local community.
• We want state banks that issue credit/debit cards, give student loans, and provide capital for local development initiatives.
• We want to restrict the ability of franchise enterprises to drain capital from local communities.
• We want all hospitals, schools, housing, offices, news media, and other collective amenities to be locally owned.
• We want representatives of outside banks, corporations, investment funds, etc. off the Boards of local enterprises.
The DESPICABLE thing is that that ALL is very easily achievable in DAYS! If America taxed the useless billionaires and COLLECT those TRILLIONS owed to the American taxpayers, not only could we afford free healthcare for all, free higher education for all, and free housing for all, we could ALSO afford a substantial UBI.
A doubling of my SSD and those like me which has decreased by roughly $500 since I started recieving it in the late 2010s would solve ALL my financial woes! (That's a mere $1200 a year by the way.)
Daniel
Yes some things can be done quickly.
Using the states to stop Citizens United is an excellent idea but has a weakness in the timing of implementation because the Supreme Court under Trump’s control will declare any legal action by states to be unconstitutional that blocks political funding by corporations as authorized by Citizens United. But there is a way to fix the weakness and then implement the idea.
Democrats in control of a few states can take back control of the House and the Supreme Court in a few months before the midterms. As legally authorized by the Constitution, a few blue states (California, New Jersey, Maryland and Colorado) controlled by Democrats can act to take control of the Congressional House by removing Republican House representatives from those states and take back control of the Supreme Court by removing four justices using the legal system in those states.
Read my post.
https://williamlmiller.substack.com/p/how-to-stop-trump-republicans-and
Then the Supreme Court will have no power and Reich’s proposal can take place to stop Citizens United.
Remember that Trump should have been prevented from being on the ballot in 2024, but Section 3 of the 14th Amendment that prohibited him from holding office was not enforced by the corrupt Supreme Court.
I learn something new every day on these Substacks. Obviously, this needs to be done now! Thanks for the heads up, William.
UBI? SSD? You got me on that, Daniel, please explain.
If we had free healthcare for all, would we be shoe yo choose our doctors snd providers as well as hospitals?
If we had free college education, would we be able to choose where we go to school, assuming we would be accepted? How would that work?
Nothing is free in the real world. Don't fall for fairy tales.
Granted, it must be funded somehow. Thanks, Victor. I still wonder though how such a system would work. In England, I know that some people have had to wait a long time for needed surgery because of much demand in their medical system.
I hope you don't mind, Marc, but I have shared this with a lot of others. It is concise and to the point. If people cannot see how beneficial this would be to everyone, then I will be amazed!
https://crisistransition.substack.com/
Peggy, I think it is wonderful that you are sharing this information far and wide. For those who are interested in exploring more progressive ideas about the future of our government and economy, they can click on the link above. Clicking on this link, we’ll bring those interested into contact with many stimulating positive essays on reimagining our government and economy for the future. A few of my essays also appear in this Substack. Immersing myself in positive thinking about the future assists me greatly in getting through all the news about the destruction of our government and our economy. But again out of the rubble of a destroyed system is the opportunity to build a new society based on adherence to honesty, morality and a holistic positive spiritual outlook on the future.
I love reading Crisis and Transition, Marc! Those of you who post on this substack have opened my eyes to what a great country we could have! You explain things so clearly to me and I have a newfound respect for all of you visionaries! By reading your essays, people can begin to envision an America that checks all the boxes for them. Moving forward together, a blended society working together for the common good. Thank you, Marc!
Please consider weaving in some strategy to ensure that corporations operate ethically. By that I mean knowing that their #1 focus is advancing the interest of society, not just maximizing profits. I want us to find a way to prevent all the little things they do to harm consumers (price fixing, pushing out competition, making it nearly impossible to unsubscribe, no refunds for cancelled flights, tacked on surprise fees, refusal to honor insurance policies, and much, much more). Who can/should stand up for the common people? How do we bring these abusive practices to light, and then penalize them? How do we reinvigorate the Consumer Protection board and give it teeth?
Since all these ways of screwing people over spring from a lack of ethics and integrity, how to we shift the corporate point of view away from greed and toward a fair, honest, balanced relationship with the public? Might it be possible to mandate seminars on ethics as a requirement for all CEOs and other bigwigs, for membership on a corporate board, for pension investors, and in all business schools?
That sounds hopeful and thanks for saying it.
Thank you for mentioning the sharing of Marc’s plan, Peggy. I sent it to myself in hopes of sharing it by directing people to it here where Marc has posted it, and in hopes of reading it to somebody. I am so grateful to see it, and people I know who are struggling would feel great relief if we had this plan in place!
I have written out Professor Reich's 10-point repair plan, Mr. Logan's plan for economic democracy and now have added this plan for states to negate Citizen's United and I have them by my phone so I can refer to them when I'm talking to people. I truly believe, JP4M, when we lay it out this way, people can visualize the kind of America we are talking about. Many of them are upset and angry about how things are right now but cannot put into words what they want to see change! We can provide them the words they are seeking. It makes me happy when someone I am talking to says "Hey! That is exactly what I want!" We can do this, JP4M! Tell your friends and instruct them to tell their friends and before you know it, it is being talked about everywhere! Keep fighting, America! Stay strong and stay safe!
Ronald Logan asked me to send his reply to you:
Please reply to Peggy that I'll be posting a revised and improved economic democracy program tomorrow — also that she is mentioned in my article as she motivated me to take this on.
Bravo. Peggy! Your plan is of spreading the two outstanding and much needed plans is excellent, and I will try to put them together for easy reference in sharing, too! You are a gem, and I thank you for describing these valuable steps as well as your action and positivity! I am smiling again!
Millei became Argentina's president by promising his countrymen a fairy tale. The fairy materialized in the person of Donald Trump. Alas, even $20 billion will not be enough to rescue the bankrupt country. Moral: don't believe fairy tales, especially when told by billionaire surrogates.
Yes, Peggy, they might be amazed, because Requirement 4 in Marc's "economic democracy" is part of Project 2025.
How to begin? Teaching the importance of each point you have outlined. We should begin at an early age. Many people turn away from economics because there is much misunderstanding of the consequences of one policy ir another. The tartif issues we now face are a good example. Thank you. Excellent points!
Yes, we start by teaching something called “Neohumanism. “ Here is a link to an excellent essay explaining Neo humanism on the crisis and transition Substack.
https://crisistransition.substack.com/p/the-practice-of-neohumanism
Marc... spellcheck gotcha in your last bullet point. It threw in "wages"...possibly due to a double bounce on the W key.
Thank you, Jim. I was writing this reply in the middle of the night on my iPhone, so it is amazing that I have not typed in more errors. In any case, thank you for pointing this out. You are welcome to spellcheck my contributions to this conversation at any time.
Who is Ronald Logan? Where can I find the ideas you attribute to him?
The Crisis and Transition Substack,https://crisistransition.substack.com/p/managing-the-fall-of-capitalism
The gist of your post is to keep it local, it would seem and there is a substantial list of requirements( wants ?) to consider here in your manifesto, some of which will be seriously contested by national concerns ,as relating to local demands. Although there is a lot to consider , it could serve as a basis for meaningful reform for the better .
Marc, your ideal "economic democracy" is full of "requirements." Is this how democracy works?
Victor, this thought comes to mind in regard to your use of the word “requirements”.
The first two learned sentences in a government class were:
“The purpose of government in the United States is to enable people to live and work together. The more closely people live and work together, the more government regulation is needed.”
MARC- re 100% Employment; an official from the GA DOL once told me that 4% unemployment is actually full employment. It's the average attrition rate plus 'chronic unemployables'. I'd be interested if Prof R would weigh in on this re accuracy as he was US DOL if I remember correctly.
An example of a 'chronic unemployable' could be that ne'er-do-well mooching relative we all seem to have or know about who never keeps a job for longer than it takes to qualify for unemployment and/or won't show up or work well because 'the job is beneath him'.
Marc, I’m with you on this. Yes, the system we’ve been living under isn’t something you just “tune up,” it’s something you redesign from the studs. And I wish I believed we’d get there through foresight alone… but if I’m honest, my fear is that Americans only rediscover their imagination after an economic calamity shakes us awake. Something bigger than ’08. Bigger than the Depression even. I’m talkin bout a collapse that makes denial impossible.
And now with AI accelerating everything from jobs, power, information, to even inequality , the pressure on that fault line is building faster than our politics can keep up. I don’t want a crisis to be the thing that forces a new economy into being, but history keeps whispering that we rarely choose the better world until the old one cracks beneath us.
I’m hoping we can prove history wrong this time. www.xplisset.com
Xplicit, I’m with you on this one. I do believe we are headed for an economic collapse, and in the ruble of that collapse is our once in a lifetime opportunity to build a better system. However, now is the time to start planning and discussing how this might look And share it with others.
Alas for this White Rabbit interjection, but I am wondering, was "ruple" (Russian money) instead of "rubble" (detritus) intentional or a Freudian slip? Do you see USA's economic leadership folding like USSR communism? Or did spellchecker do its evil?
I wondered something similar when I saw that word. You said it.
Maybe “rupee”?
Elizabeth, thanks for the spellcheck and your thoughts on different interpretations of the word. I was in Moscow shortly after the communist government fell and it was a sad and sorry sight. Because there had not been any future vision of how Russia and its government and economy could be reimagined and implemented it became a huge opportunity for the oligarchs to take over and to essentially appoint Putin, who came from a KGB background, to lead the new oligarch controlled government. We do not want this type of situation to be the future of the United States so we have to begin planning NOW for a brighter future.
Marc, the collapse of the Soviet Union was led by Boris Yeltsin, a Russian populist populist strongly influenced by libertarian propaganda. Any resemblance to Donald Trump?
That why Russia MUST annex other countries just to survive. After decades of USSR & Oligarch corruption & mismanagement in Russia and lands they used to control, much of the natural resources are ruined.
We know about the HUGE messes like the Aral Sea and Chernobyl but there are vast other areas that no longer can support life or farming.
No, Marc, now is the time to think and search for ways to prevent, if not the economic crisis, but the collapse of civilization itself. Time is running out fast. If we want to prevent chaos and utter destruction the first step we have to take is restore constitutional due process. That is doable.
Yes, we are on a runaway train, but there is still a chance to stop it if we can kick some Republicans out of Congress. Focus on the coming elections.
It really does feel this way. The real struggle isn’t left vs right anymore, it’s human beings vs the systems we created and then allowed to slip out of our control. We’ve been conditioned to believe that our current mix of capitalism, oligarchy, and weakened democracy is the only way a society can function. But it isn’t as "we" know.
And trying to fix this moment with a few “guardrails” won’t get us where we need to go. So yes, we need a reimagined economy and a reimagined form of governance, something that actually reflects human wellbeing, community power, and long-term planetary survival.
That’s why I also believe in an economic democracy. It’s a coherent, values-grounded framework that shows we can build something better than what’s breaking down around us. The old systems are collapsing, but that also means space is opening for what comes next.
No, Christy, "the old systems" are not collapsing. They are entrenching themselves. Blind is s/he who does not want to see.
So true, Marc! Do you think with the corporations out of the picture and the dark money would begin to dry up, we would be able to embrace an economic democracy? I've been told by so many that I am getting the cart before the horse when I go on about the benefits of an economic democracy. I know we have to take baby steps to ensure we build our country back better than before, so I'm trying to look at little pictures we can do before finally having the big picture complete.
Don't be influenced by those who say you are "putting the cart before the horse." Unfortunately they are motivated by fear of change. We have no choice but to go through a systems change because we will see capitalism crumble right in front of our eyes. So we must start making plans for a better system now based on morality and integrity. Those who wrote the Declaration of Independence were visionaries who dared to think big. They faced many detractors but they did not listen, they went ahead and wrote a document that fomented the Revolution. Now we need a Declaration of Independence from the Oligarchy our government has become. A government is formed to SERVE THE PEOPLE and not to serve only the rich and powerful. We must speak out and share our "revolutionary" ideas and ideals. We must plan for the future and ECONOMIC DEMOCRACY will be our future.
I have started talking to my friends about Professor Reich's 10-point repair plan, which is fantastic, along with economic democracy. I intend to include the way Professor Reich has laid out that the states can negate Citizens United. When you look at it altogether, Marc, I truly believe this is the path we need to follow. There is going to be an insane amount of push back from the oligarchs and the mega corporations. They will use lies, misinformation and propaganda to try and keep hold of the government they bought. I am never going to stop talking about what I see for America's future. It would be so much better for ALL Americans and not just a few. Growing and strengthening the middle class is tantamount to successfully steering our country towards economic democracy. Getting people to understand that it is not socialism which the very word seems to turn people away. Helping them to see the 'big picture' is extremely hard!
Peggy. All I do when faced with a believer who thinks socialism , as in Democratic socialism is bad, is to point out that the very wealthy are enjoying socialism for themselves, as they raid our treasury and get tax breaks and subsidies.
Thanks, Laurie! You're the second person to give me something that I can point out to those who think all socialism is bad. I think they keep confusing communism and socialism and they are not the same thing!
But that’s the whole point of socialism - after debauching the currency the bureaucrats at the top get to live lives of luxury while the rest of us are reduced to Cuban-style serfdom - you have literacy, but nothing worth reading, healthcare but no actual medicines, the right to eat, but no food, etc.
While comfortably-off midwit crazy cat ladies of both sexes living far away extol your society as a beacon of rights.
If you want to have economic democracy you have to start by protecting democracy itself. Whoever controls the government will decide the future.
Thank you for mentioning morality & integrity. They must be part of the foundation of any changes to our political and economic systems. We’ve seen what happens when greed and lust for power go unchecked.
Marc, the Declaration of Independence states that all men are created equal, that they are endowed with inalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. How do you want to alter it?
Hmm, perhaps, I fear baby steps is how we got here in the first place. Baby steps when we heard the 😈💩 say, "I can shoot someone on 5th Avenue and I won't lose a vote," Jan 6th, when he whipped his maga base into a frenzy pointed at the Capitol and said, "go down there and fight like hell...," "hang, Mike Pence, Mark Kelly..." We took baby steps when we should have dropped the hammer. While there are matters that need careful thought, there are other matters that need swift action in order to undo the damage he's caused in 10 months time. Resist, Remove, and prosecute. In the 😈💩 words, we the people say, "YOU'RE FIRED." JMHO
Peggy, the "big picture" is plain to see--if you are willing to look.
Marc, I like the way you have 'borrowed' some of Joe Biden's campaign phrase "build back better", much better than the trump regime's evident intent to destroy everything equitable that came before him. This 10-point plan from Prof. Reich is like a new Marshall Plan to rebuild Europe's destroyed economy after WWII, and to return the promise of prosperity to the citizens from whom it has been ripped by the mighty.
It is like trump with his mindless blather and derision has eclipsed all the benefit that Biden did for the economy after trump did his best to destroy it in his first term.
“the benefit that Biden did for the economy”
😂🤣😅🤣😂🤣😅🤣😂🤣😅🤣😂😂😅🤣😂🤣😅🤣😂🤣😅🤣😂🤣😅🤣😂🤣😅
Marc Nevas, thank you for opening still more doors! I need to know more.
Things need to be explained to Americans what the truth is IN PLAIN ENGLISH, so, they can grasp the meaning and make better decisions when it comes time to vote.
Yay Montana! Do it!!! But that won’t do anything about corporate constitutional rights and powers. It also won’t do anything about the super rich being able to corrupt our elections with their ungodly massive money power. We still need our simple demand for a simple amendment!
Nothing will get better until we overturn Citizens United to end legalized corruption and concentration of wealth and corporate power.
Go to www.movetoamend.org to learn more and to help grow this movement.
Ask your Congressman to become a cosponsor of HJR54. Ask your Senators to introduce the Senate companion resolution for HJR54.
Ask your organizations to join us in this effort. They can join the 700 organizations who already have at www.movetoamend.org/organizitions
Only support candidates for public office who pledge to help advance HJR54! www.movetoamend.org/pledge
It takes so little effort to grow this movement of the people for democracy. Just a simple demand! Please spread the word, learn more, and help out. Let’s end the corruption and restore good government.
Please also donate.
www.movetoamend.org/donate
All power to the people!
This is how upside‑down the whole “corporations are untouchable” story really is. We’ve been conditioned to think Washington holds the power, when in fact the states have always had the authority to leash these paper creatures. Citizens United didn’t make corporations gods, it just made their money louder. The tragedy is that we forgot who wrote the charters in the first place.
This isn’t left versus right anymore. It’s human beings versus legal fictions that learned how to buy our democracy. If Montana cracks that door open, it won’t just be a state fight, it will remind the country that corporations exist because we allow them to exist. The leash is ours. The question is whether we remember to use it.
—Johan
I lived in Montana for 20 years and I always respected the diversity of opinions. When I first lived thre it was a "purple state," now invaded by monied Republicans that unfortunately turned the state red. Although I now live in New Mexico I have donated to this campaign though the link that RR gave. GO MONTANA!
Here is the link to an inspiring initiative. https://transparentelection.org/
Thank you for the link, Marc!
Thanks, Marc!
Thanks for this link Marc!
Great information at this link! Thanks, Marc.
Very well said. It us vs the oligarchy and Trump is in that club.
It's actually that trump is the figurehead for that oligarchy. They are mostly pulling the strings in the background. He actually thinks he's the boss, but he's being used by the monied class.
Isn't it odd that “they” choose such a despicable character as a the figurehead! Politics aside, his moral character is gutteral.
Somehow, almost unbelievably, DT arrived at the just right time with a huge following, friends/associates here and abroad w/ deep pockets already in tow. He'll make deals with devils AND...
I believe we'll soon learn he had a quasi-friend by the name of Epstein who ran a honey-trap operation who shared LOTS of dirt to influence people in power.
DY is tripping now because HE got caught in that honey-trap too.
Trump’s moral compass is missing the needle.
And that club is named: HERITAGE.
And Putin.
Xplisset, I am enthused by the relative simplicity of this proposed solution. If it is implemented in every state, it will control *corporate political donations*. It still leaves open the opportunity for very wealthy individuals to contribute obscene ($257 million dollars) amounts to support one candidate. Our ultimate goal should be limiting political donations - period!
Yes, Charles, but out immediate goal should be expose the libertarian "small government " hoax. Their support of Trump has revealed a lot already, and, hopefully, people will give up their delusions.
Xplisset, I am enthused by the relative simplicity of this proposed solution. If it is implemented in every state, it will control *corporate political donations*. It still leaves open the opportunity for very wealthy individuals to contribute obscene ($257 million dollars) amounts to support one candidate. Our ultimate goal should be limiting political donations - period!
True
Molly Ivans addressed this 35 years ago in her book “Bushwhacked.” Corporations making huge donations in exchange for lower taxes and loosening of environmental rules.
We ordinary voters were asleep at the wheel and didn’t realize what was coming. (Foolish us - expecting those we voted for to do the right thing!)
Today’s troubles are a result of letting corporations and billionaires run the show. No more! Thank you Montana for leading the way! We are taking our country back!
Xplisset, your statement of the hugely important fact about the keys made me smile! Yes, you also open my mind to still more. Thank you for making it so plain! It says to me that those of us, who did not know, have the need to understand more about business law. I know I definitely do! I do understand a bit about monopolies, but there is much more to know, I am sure!
Corporations = AU (artificial un-intelligence
Well said, Sir!
Good point.
Yay Montana! Do it!!! But that won’t do anything about corporate constitutional rights and powers. It also won’t do anything about the super rich being able to corrupt our elections with their ungodly massive money power. We still need our simple demand for a simple amendment!
Nothing will get better until we overturn Citizens United to end legalized corruption and concentration of wealth and corporate power.
Go to www.movetoamend.org to learn more and to help grow this movement.
Ask your Congressman to become a cosponsor of HJR54. Ask your Senators to introduce the Senate companion resolution for HJR54.
Ask your organizations to join us in this effort. They can join the 700 organizations who already have at www.movetoamend.org/organizitions
Only support candidates for public office who pledge to help advance HJR54! www.movetoamend.org/pledge
It takes so little effort to grow this movement of the people for democracy. Just a simple demand! Please spread the word, learn more, and help out. Let’s end the corruption and restore good government.
Please also donate.
www.movetoamend.org/donate
All power to the people!
Sooooo .... do the supplicants in DC know about this option? Somebody needs to tell them (Professor Reich :)
Utterly brilliant. I'll check in with my current State AG, whom I hope to have as governor after the next elections, and with my favorite prospective candidate for state AG.
I'm going to do the same. It will do no good to contact my state reps here in NC because it's so gerrymandered that Republicans have a stronghold. But our governor and AG are democrats. Maybe we can get the ball rolling.
Get the word out every legislature governor get it on the ballots every state has the power together we call raise our voices town halls city councils to our representatives too
Colorado? If so- me too!
Yup!
Arvada in my case.
You are. LEGEND!!!!
Thank you Robert for this! Hopefully starts one of the most effective movements of the coming midterms!!!
Professor Reich: OMG!! THIS IS SO WONDERFUL to finally realize that, a corporation will NOT have as many rights as i do, as a human being -- all we the people have to do is reclaim our power! suddenly, i think i know what dorothy might have felt like when glinda the good witch told her that she always had the power to return home.
Somewhere over the rainbow
This is all correct. Christopher Armitage has written on this a couple of times and it looks to be an excellent way to stop this money flood. Money is not free speech it is corruption through and through.
OK, I'm sharing this with my state legislators. We all can do the same thing! So, get cracking! Update: Sent to my state senator, assembly member, and Governor Gavin Newsom.
Fully agree. When I read about the Montana effort I said to myself that every state needs to do this. It would pass. However, my thinking gets no where. Your recommendation has more traction and eyeballs. Let's do this. Virginia is primed after the last stunning election. There is no better time than now, as we watch corporations push Trump, easily, too far. Next up, write state legislators. Sadly, mine are both Republicans, but so are half the people pushing this legislation in Montana. Turns out ranchers and farmers don't like getting pushed around by corporations either.
The other thing that states could is start taxing them yo make the federal tax cut irrelevant. Then states would not be shafted on Federal government handouts all the time. Since FEMA is being destroyed this might help that as well.
Yes, many non-profits pass as "educational" organizations, but are in fact propaganda outfits.
How is it that no one had thought of this in the 14 years since the Citizens United Supreme Court decision?
Perhaps we'd all forgotten the Constitutional 10th Amendment that States and the People's Rights reserve all other rights. Embarrassingly simple when we've been focused and in-fighting for individualism and our modern big tech love affair... both of which arguably do not support any collective or long term Happiness and Health... ??
"The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people." -- The Ninth Amendment.
Wait until enough people realize that they don't have to wait for a Rep who is unfaithful to their oath of office to retire -- or until the next election -- but they can organize to force them to retire IMMEDIATELY. As was said to President Joe Biden: "We can do this the easy way or the hard way."
There's a HELUVA LOT of rights in those "others retained by the people." Either that, or "consent of the governed" means NOTHING.
Boy howdy, Charles, I asked myself that same question when I was reading Professor Reich's post! If we had done this sooner then we might not have had the problems we are facing now! I can't help but wonder, did no one give this any thought over the past 14 years?
Unfortunately, so many politicians and other groups benefited from it.
I've been watching Ken Burns' new documentary on the American Revolution. It has really inspired me to know that We the People are really in charge. 🗽
Yeah, sure, we're in charge. Or maybe it's always been "Meet the new Boss. Same as the old Boss." The first organized attempt to establish the power of the people -- Shays' Rebellion -- was crushed in 1787.
The first such attempt was in 1775-76...the rebellion of the Committees of the Privates, and then of the Philadelphia Committee of Inspections. And it succeeded!
This is beautifully reported in "The Hamilton Scheme" by William Hogeland. It's also partly described in this essay:
https://journal.c2er.org/history/aoc-module-2-the-philadelphia-goings-on-sam-john-adams-and-thomas-paine-at-work/
Thank you Professor for this enormously impactful option that needs to be spread throughout the land!
For years I've been preaching the notion that an updated #HR1, the original #ForThePeopleAct, could sidestep the functional advantage that Citizens United granted corporations by mandating that all funding for campaigns must be public not private.
Does that work too? And can we give both notions more teeth if #ForThePeopleAct2 also includes strict with restrictions on campaign and advertising spending of superPACs and 501(c)(3)s?
Let's get both options in play as quickly as possible, shall we?
Yes! Why wait a year for Montana? What if many states did this at the same time? It could be a "Movement!"
Yes!
Thank you Professor,
This is a great opportunity and a very interesting way to fight the corruption that is rampant in our country. Average Americans have known for decades about the corruption in our government. That’s why Trump was elected. He campaigned on draining the swamp and making them all rich. Many average Americans fell for his bull s___!
Utility companies have a history of using “dark money” to influence Michigan elections. We are working on a ballot initiative to stop that. First utilities, next.....????
Now, that's a bandwagon I can support! It makes for a lot of work, but maybe we have some wind at our backs, if we keep the public correctly informed. Sounds like a good project, to me. The Supremes' fake law might be harder to breach. It's a stepstone along the way of dismantling all the other fake powers of corporations and returning public finance to the public.
So all of those states that allow citizens to propose ballot initiatives should lead the way (California -- here's looking at YOU) and grass-roots organizations of citizens should mobilize to enact a model statute along the lines of the Montana proposal. Finally, something that We The People can actually act upon to take matters into our own hands. Brilliant! By my reckoning, there are 19 states that allow this, including almost every state in the West. But I think that Ohio and Florida could be keystone states for this movement. It is especially important to target states with large numbers of MAGA voters. These folk supposedly hate "elites", and corporate moneybags are certainly "evil elites" out to thwart popular will. We need a modern day William Jennings Bryan to whip up enthusiasm with a new "Cross of Gold" speech. Now who could lead the way? Perhaps some disaffected Republican woman? The corporate misogynists have certainly caused them to become outraged.
Excellent point, William!
Not a constitutional scholar, not even a mere attorney. But last I looked there are 50 states. Roughly half (ok, perhaps more) have little to no interest in overturning Citizens United. Your proposal would simply trigger a mass migration of corporations to whichever state(s) did NOT have such a constitutional provision and who, not incidentally, would be eager to gain additional revenue. Repair of Citizen United needs to happen thru the current Supreme Court. Of course, since the same Supreme Court has now achieved a historic low in prestige and status, perhaps it’s time for a little hardball. Congress (more specifically, the House of Representatives) still possesses the power of the purse. If the Democratic Party achieves a majority there (entirely plausible) the next budget should reduce Supreme Court funding to, perhaps $9, (no additional zeros). Then the House leadership can negotiate a new understanding, perhaps in the same manner as our President is achieving a new understanding of the role of the Department of Education. Again, last I looked, there is no constitutional provision or amendment mandating a specific level of funding. The horse is out of the barn. Maybe it’s time.
I wish you were plotting strategy for our side as the Koch Klan has been doing for the other side to the tune of $13Billion, and that you had lawyers writing legislation for our side as ALEC has been doing for the other side to such avail.
Thank you, professor, for giving us The solution. States need to do this ASAP!
Way to go Montana! (With a tip of the hat to Hunt for Red October's '...way to go Dallas!' as they dodged the torpedo that ultimately sank her attacker). Let's roll.