HI Patrick I would like to add that I think the key is forcing regulation on the banks - separating retail and speculative/ investment banking. There is and has been widespread banking fraud, that lies behind the crisis, and needs to be investigated and acted on, yet hasn't been - why? The banks need to be broken up and forced to change their business models, for example, the public should not be forced to bail out the banks time and time again. The national debts are mainly coming from bailing out the banks. For example what's described in the media as EU bailouts for greece are in fact bailouts for Credit Agricole, Bnp Paribas, Societe General and Deutsche Bank, which the Greek people have to pay for through austerity cuts. Insolvent banks and companies should be left to go to the wall.
Also I'd add to your list that we need to radically change our democratic systems - many of these mega bailout deals are arranged in secret meetings, and never explained properly to the public. dave On 30 September 2011 14:47, Lichty, Patrick <[email protected]> wrote: > I've been watching and producing media for the Occupy Movement, and from my > experience, there is a represented lack of focus in the media, which isn't > entirely true when you get to the meetings. But this is democracy in action. > What I want to do is just throw my two cents in and offer my suggestions for > demands. > > Capitalism exhausts itself. After so long, the concentration of wealth > becomes so egregious that it has to be overthrown and redistributed. In > Jeffersonian terms, this is the revolution every 40 years or so, but in the > States, this looks like the breaking of the monopolies in the late 1800's. > What we need is a redistribution of wealth, protection of standards of > living, and provisions for general welfare. Could these include: > > 1: Institution of Pre-Reagan taxation levels, or perhaps even Eisenhower-era > levels. Before Reagan, rates on the uppermost tiers were anywhere from 90% > (Esienhoer) to far above #0+% for post-Reagan) > 2: Reinstate a 35% Capital Gains tax. > 3: Nationalize Medicine and Insurance > 4: Institute wage disparity legislation. For example, make it illegal for > the top management to make more than 40 times that of the janitor, instead of > 300 times. > 5: Demand that companies delink pensions from the Market, including TIAA-CREF > for academics. > 6: Abandon Free Trade. Re-institute import tariffs to equalize labor > valuation between the US and exporter nations. > 7: Institute labor tariffs upon outsourcing companies. > 8: Eliminate outcomes-based education and focus on a balanced curriculum with > greater emphasis on arts and humanities. > 9: Greater public support for Culture. > 10: Demand a national mass rail infrastructure > 11: Demand more aggressive conversion to renewable energy forms. > 12: In times of surplus, either pay down the debt, or create a Federal nest > egg for recessions. > > > Patrick Lichty > Asst. Professor > Dept of Interactive Arts & Media > Columbia College Chicago > 916/1000 S. Wabash Ave #104 > Chicago, IL USA > "Sometimes you do things not for the logic of them, but only for the fact > that it is the right thing to do, and that is all." > _______________________________________________ > NetBehaviour mailing list > [email protected] > http://www.netbehaviour.org/mailman/listinfo/netbehaviour > _______________________________________________ NetBehaviour mailing list [email protected] http://www.netbehaviour.org/mailman/listinfo/netbehaviour
