I have a pretty “simple” idea, I’ve always wanted to do if I came into a little money. Perhaps a group of good Samaritan in this group that happen to be App developers can co-op on. – Develop an app (even rudimentary) that is basically Groupon for civil change.
It would work like this:
Problem: NAME POLITICAL ISSUE
Name: Dark Money Contributor to the Issue
App Users: Sign onto the cause to boycott or strike an issue
Resolve: Legislative change we want for the strike/boycott to end
Like Groupon once enough users sign onto an issue “the boycott or strike is on”
(Push notifications will be key to execution)
Our biggest issue in America is our inability to QUICKLY collectivize in an organized and effective way.
In France there will be a social issue and that day half the country is walking off the job. Or the workers at the electric company are taking it upon themselves to cut the power to politicians homes/buildings
We’re all too afraid here. But there is comfort in numbers. If the app actually showed there are 5000 ppl from your area code that are striking right now and 1 million nationwide that is fuel for change. Spell it out for people… example: we’re all boycotting Procter & Gamble products at the grocery store bc they donate in excess to X, Y, Z. People will want to be apart of the cause.
The beauty of this is mass people striking across multiple industries would quickly effect the corporate overlords bottom line. We need to hold the purse strings. Take back power.
It would be remarkable to get a notification that says 30% of workers at XYZ Bank, (your employer), 10% at Big Box Chain, and 60% in the healthcare section have signed onto a strike for paid family leave. Join them!
Even better: Teachers collectivizing and striking until they get higher wages and gun reform so they can have a safe work environment.
They can’t fire everyone, there is power in numbers. You just have to show people they are not alone in a cause and that their efforts aren’t haphazard. Efforts have to be tied directly to someones financial interest. (Donors–>Congress)
Yes!! Boycotts are a great tool. They are unfortunately stiffled by the bigger corporate perveyors of information. Our effectiveness is completely dependent upon the spread of information. I’ve been waiting, and waiting, and waiting for that critical mass of civilians to take the next step into human evolution by acknowledging our predjudices and fears so we can prevent predjudice that precipitates support for disgusting oppressive policy… but i’ll settle for civilians abandoning main street media
! It would be amazing if after all of Fox News lawsuits some legislative reform came about requiring “truth in journalism”. Both sides are corporate mouth pieces and propaganda networks. I know that’s not going to happen but we can dream. Lol - At least TYT viewers know better.
It would be a great cause for the app idea though. This many million viewers are boycotting a channel until legislative reform News/journalism reporting.
I just want to say that this is the first time in a long time that I have felt meaning and hope in my life. Operation Hope is already warming my heart and it has barely even started.
Thank you for this, Cenk. Between this and your potential run for president… You and TYT have already touched my life with hope in deep way beyond my ability to express without the use of poetry and dactylic hexameter. And I think I will spare you that.
TYT does a nationwide tour to all the governor offices and speak about their efforts and call out if the state representatives support the bills that want passed and talk about what the state voteres actually want
I like this idea. If there was a grass roots protest app for progressives we could also list companies that don’t provide proper rights, benefits or wages to their employees. Encouraging people to avoid doing business with these companies until they meet our progressive standards. With billions of views a month, that’s gotta have a palpable effect on the corporate zealots profit margins.
TS would be a good idea. She’d likely support the whole movement. Would need to contact her. She seems to be progressive. I can’t believe the amount of power and influence she wields.
I will be honest. I live in a hard core republican area. I’d be worried I’d get shot for knocking on peoples doors to talk about the issues and I’m a progressive. They act like we will eat them. Just saying. Don’t get me wrong, you are right, it’s exactly whats needed. But reality.
I especially wondered how my Representative, Eric Swalwell would answer the question about what his day looks like since he’s been kicked off committees. Maybe he has some extra time to assert his progressive cred! Doing more of these interviews, with more strategically chosen Reps and Senators would be useful to get them on record!
Tried signing in on another browser from Chrome, and just could not interact at all, it kept wanting me to re-authenticate, but not accepting what I input. Chrome often takes forever to load for me - presumably loading ads. Wasn’t sure how to let you know any other way.
I knocked doors for Bernie in Republican territory in Nevada and can relate, Moiraesfate. It is get caught trying, not get shot trying!
One thing I am doing that requires less bravery is to put Justice Is Coming in the little free libraries in my neighborhood. Another strategy could be to write something on one of the pages to those who pick it up to read it.
I know this is a monumental task given the Washington bubble, but in my opinion the most efficient way to get them to publicly react to a Paid Family Leave proposal is by confronting them directly in mainstream media.
I love the idea of sending them letters, but I just don’t see a way to get them to actually care about that. It’d be too easy to ignore it.
I was just thinking that rather than letters or perhaps including letter, short 2-3 min.videos of families talking about their experience of not having family leave (show the outcome of what no access looks like).
On getting corporate money out of politics, lets build a movement for legislation that implements the following formulation
Basic electoral reforms:
ONLY individual flesh and blood humans can contribute money to candidates or campaigns.
ANY flesh and blood HUMAN can contribute ANY amount of money as often as they want.
ALL contributions are public record, searchable online and required to be published.
Maybe the above need some tweaks, but these are 3 simple rules that can be easily communicated as fixes to rebalance the way money incentivises politicians.
Hey Cenk, what do you think of this idea. Recently, Matt Gaetz tweeted support for Ro Khanna’s anti-corruption reforms. I’m not allowed to link the tweet due to this community’s rules, but anyone here can look it up.
He says he will allow his fellow republicans to raise the threshold of supporters required in order to start a motion to vacate, “If we enact the reforms Ro Khanna lays out here…. How high would you like the MTV threshold to be?”
Right now, Matt Gaetz is making a big stink in the GOP and bragged about how he’s not beholden to lobbyists. Kind of BS of course since he somehow manages to do much of what they want without taking their money. Still, I wonder if there might be a way to harness his group of 8 who voted to oust McCarthy, his maga supporters, and enough democrats, to pass a clean bill banning lobbyist money or possibly Ro’s whole anti-corruption bill.
If we were to get the 8 ousters to be loud about it, they’re good at being loud and spreading the word. Additionally, if democrats actually asked Gaetz’s group of 8 to put their money with their mouth is, we either expose so-called right wing populists as liars or we actually do get their support in passing anti-corruption reform. Of course, it might be impossible for us to influence republicans, but perhaps Ro Khanna could since Matt Gaetz is already tweeting about his reform ideas!
If we get Gaetz’s group on our side, then we just need basically all of the democrats to pass Ro’s reforms…with both Gaetz and Khanna’s allies publically speaking in bipartisan unity to pass anti-corruption reforms…could the democrats be pressured to end the lobbyist money?
Lastly, I know more corporate democrats like Adam Schiff have introduced bills to repeal Citizen’s United. I figure Schiff did this because he knew it would go nowhere and he could put it on his record that’s he’s against the corruption and look good. But maybe that cynical act could be used against him and his fellow democrats now if Gaetz and Khanna team up on this issue. We’ve gotta fix the corruption. Let me know what you think! Or others can reply if Cenk is too busy lol.
I didn’t even check to see if anyone else had brought her up on here but I just posted topic about Rep Johnson. and being a former student at Miss Johnson’s. {im 29}
Oh of course employee owned is even better. It is 2023 and corporate expects 60hr weeks at 40hr a week pay, phone on/answered evenings, weekends, 4am etc. What we need is a 32 Hr work week and a reasonable workload. We need to slow our roll a bit more and smell the roses. Time is the commodity we can’t buy.
! It would be amazing if after all of Fox News lawsuits some legislative reform came about requiring “truth in journalism”. Both sides are corporate mouth pieces and propaganda networks. I know that’s not going to happen but we can dream. Lol - At least TYT viewers know better.