A Parallel To Politics Platform.
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How do you begin something that has so many connective elements? Where does a complicated yet necessary conversation get started? What if we wanted to solve a policy matter you are most concerned about, yet also mine, and a thousand others? We all go to our a local politician, a state legislator, and congressperson, but if that has been done, is still being done, and must continually be done, will any of us change the political policy dynamic? Hopefully. Maybe. Probably not. This is a constant, often impossible dilemma to escape from.
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The dilemma is even more impossible when you consider every valid policy desired. Yes, I could be an exceptional advocate for my issue or issues, but it is likely only a few, out of many exceptional advocates, will break through the muddle. Also think of how many fade away just before their goal could have been accomplished. The poor, who are disconnected for many reasons, also get short shrift in the political sphere. The greatest ideas may fail to get through, something we realize after its time had come and gone, or only would have been known because a lucky happenstance occurred. Others may be thwarted for any number of reasons like the steam running out of the cause’s proponents.
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Politics is an important part of a society. However, today it is insufficient. While we may not be able to solve all the problems we think we can, there must be a way to cut through the muddle in 2021! There is also a need to work on things sooner rather than later, like climate change and inequality. Our incrementalism strategy has worn thin. Not because we should not take our time to do things right; it is due to not doing hardly anything at all, and going in reverse in too many cases.
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Both our social situation, and the climate, have suffered for more than four decades from bad policies, and no policies. Those problems create other problems, then new problems pop up that do not get addressed because we are so far behind on old problems. Even if liberals and progressives see more problems than there are, it is beside the point when the other side believes things are going so great, the wealthy need to overflow their pockets before the bottom 80 or 90% get anything. The billionaire tax cuts did not, and will not trickle down, and millions more of the not-rich got the boot due to COVID. There is no reason such partisan trapdoors won’t continue to open without a major redirection vehicle, havingthe muscle to hold the opposition’s feet to the fire, and held against a much hotter flame, so we get to solutions faster with forever staying power.
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The Parallel Pairing.
Yes, everything being worked on now we must continue pursuing as in reinforcing our political system with better rules and practices. For example, restoring, improving, or transforming filibuster rules, the Electoral College, the Supreme Court, and voting rights. That said, these are strategies that may or may not have the desired effect after implementation, and some may take years or more to effectuate at any level. Therefore, a parallel program that is more flexible and scalable is required to permanently augment the agenda for change. The program should be free of political capture, and set up as a citizen-worker platform to advocate for change and to implement solutions.
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Parallelism provides the ability for workers and citizens to build their structures while influencing the political structure simultaneously. Once the political structure approves a process, the parallel structure takes control of the process, never allowing it to be ransacked or manipulated by the opposition. The rules followed by the new parallel system are what guides its actions, and production. Both the great bulk of citizens and workers, over 60% of the population, and its ideals’ algorithm, would guarantee each process, or program, undertaken succeeds.
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The two images below depict the current political power dynamic, and the proposed parallel platform concept, and generally how it can overcome gridlock, and the policy denial structures now in place, via what I am calling a We The People System.
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There are various ways this platform and movement can be structured and initiated, but I have presented in various essays, and a book length document, why I think it is necessary now, and what it could look like. Please consider how difficult it has been up until this point to do the things we know should be done. Merely having hope and good ideas does not guarantee that good, long term change in more than a few areas, and likely only partially, will get through the current morass.
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We must change the dynamic. Put in place a process that challenges all the powers-that-be at once, with overwhelming force. It would be like tying every progressive group together, and scaling the wealthy ramparts as one behemoth with never flagging energy and funding. This kind of structure is the only way to turn our diverse ship, currently decades off-course, towards success that is consistent and conclusive.
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While the WTP System promotes and uplifts every cause of change that agrees with the constitution of ideals developed democratically by WTP, it is set up to be citizen and worker directed, without specific influence from any one group, or political party. Even so, any individual from any organization would be welcome. A fully bipartisan platform is very unlikely, yet to open the process up wide enough to garner at least 60% of citizens and workers, hopefully nearer 75%, and possibly higher in the long term, requires distancing from current organizations. This will allow people just outside the progressive or liberal perspective, and who support at least a specific change or two that equate with the ideals, to associate themselves with the project.
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The movement can be scaled up within six months, and a viable first version of the WTP system can be finalized soon after. Since it is parallel to the political process, there are no timelines it must hit, or scale up size it must attain. It can be developed to do much less than I propose, or much more. Furthermore, its flexibility and power potential is a perfect vehicle for solving every societal, environmental, and economic issue we have that nothing else can, in as short of time.
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The Impetus For Such A System.
The social chaos, economic collapse, and worldwide threats are the bain of modern existence. Everything is connected. Our current level of economic and military power make us more susceptible to shake ups in the system than any other nation. Of course, our ability to survive such events is also more robust. Unfortunately, we have extended ourselves to where our ability to get ahead of problems has decreased, or our desire to get ahead has been worsening over the decades. Our COVID response disaster is a case in point.
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The Biden-Harris administration are tackling it with superior results so far. However, this too may not last, dear Brutus. Republicans could fall into line, help us dig out of the hole Trump dug, then make headway on climate, inequality and other. Yet that is very unlikely in the next 12 months, minimum. If we had another two years of congressional, or four years of Republican presidential powered gridlock or significant court losses in the next 8 years, every success Biden-Harris achieve could be withered away. Starting over again, would be thoroughly devastating.
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Another problem is our flagging energy at some point like White Americans did after Reconstruction in 1876, and 1970. In both cases, the 2nd round of White partners in the civil right movement faded away, or never materialized. In hindsight, it is clear there needed to be a reinvigoration, yet in both cases Whites were worn out from their respective wars, and got tired of continued disruptions by Black Americans, mostly giving up on our American siblings (1970s until George Floyd), and against Black Americans (after Reconstruction until 1960). Whites had thought enough was done. But we know now it wasn’t true then, and then, and won’t be true for many, many decades to come! Getting worn out, or losing track of the problems can never happen again.
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White Americans can no longer rest on our lying-to-ourselves laurels as to systemic racism. Since we shouldn’t have had any laurels, and shouldn’t ever get any, unless the disparities have been nearly eliminated, or fluctuate from group to group, without any cause but happenstance. Though, we still will never deserve any laurels after all our failures to respond effectively and consistently.
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Systemic racism is not the only area where we can easily stumble, and not get up until things have overwhelmed us again. Examples include economic inequality, lack of health insurance for all, education and law enforcement inequities, and the climate crisis. The WTP System is a never flagging, always energized platform for tackling every problem without political antics or polarized antagonisms.
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We need to prevent ourselves from falling victim to time. Valid, and scam excuses become available as each effort moves forward in time. Some of us won’t be here, others won’t be well enough at the moment, others will have their lives, and their children’s lives to attend to, so we need a system that puts our collective bodies and minds to work exactly when, where, how, and as long as, they are needed. With the WTP system, there will be no more wasted efforts as we improve all of our lives.
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To get a much more complete explanation of why I believe a better democratic structure must be pursued, and to learn about an actual, full-on solution, get my ebook: Our Democracy Requires An Update: A Transformational We The People System.
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