Future revolutions

17. D.I.Y. D.D.

Only a national MOVEMENT for DD (MDD) can turn an entire country into a DD. An MDD is not a political party, but a network of local COMMITTEES for DD (CDD). It has no leadership. It is a network of independent, local, CDDs. Each CDD acts to create DD - at work, in education, in its neighbourhood. Don’t just demand DD - act to implement it, locally, regionally, and nationally. An MDD has no leadership. It does not participate in any elections. It must set up a Coordinating Committee (CC) to coordinate activities of all CDDs, but CC decisions are proposals. Local CDDs are not obliged to obey them. Each CDD must finance itself by its members only and must co-operate with - and help - other CDDs.

How can one contribute to create an MDD? How to move from the present dead end in politics to a society run by DD ? By setting up local Committees for DD and by conducting local campaigns for DD.

Unlike all other political systems DD cannot be imposed on people because it depends on their active participation in deciding what their society, their place of work, their city, should do. People cannot be forced to participate in decision-making. Unless they want to participate in discussing and deciding policies no DD can exist. So the problem is to spread the idea that all citizens can decide what is best for their society. Activity to introduce DD must start from groups of two or three DD activists, debating and discussing how to solve an actual, local, problem by methods of direct democracy. The problem can be in a family, in a school, in a neighbourhood or in a place of work. It must be a problem known to others. DD activists should propose ways to solve the problem with the participation of all those facing it. Those involved should discuss the problem, the ways to solve it, the pros and cons of each, and then decide what to do. Every DD solution will meet fierce opposition. It will start a fierce confrontation for - and against - DD. This is to be expected, and desirable, since confrontations stimulate creativity, attract attention, and produce publicity.

Start by finding one other person who agrees with the idea of DD. Meet regularly and discuss who else might be interested in DD. Three - or more - people agreeing on DD can form a local CDD (Committee for DD) and start to spread DD ideas in their home, in school, at work, and wherever they meet others. Given today's political apathy of most people, this may seem a lost cause. However, as the events of May 1968 in France reveal, buried beneath layers of political apathy and cynicism there is, in most people, a lot of goodwill and concern for others. Once awakened it becomes a powerful force for political activity.

Set up Internet sites to communicate with other CDDs, to propose policies, to debate and vote on them. When a few sites exist they can coordinate activities. DD websites are the cornerstones of electronic direct democracy (EDD).

DD activists must be prepared for the possibility that every attempt to implement local DD will be opposed. If - after numerous failures - they succeed in involving others in a DD campaign, and solve a problem by DD methods, they should report this to other CDDs and study the reasons for their failures and successes.

A CDD should meet regularly (say once a week) to discuss local problems that can be solved by DD methods. DD activities must deal with actual, local, problems. Campaigns to solve actual problems by DD methods are the way for CDDs to grow. Every DD campaign will create more DD activists. Solving particular problem is a means, not an end. The end is to turn people into DD activists. Every DD campaign must be done by DD methods. Encouraging all to debate how to solve problems by DD is essential. Participation in debates awakens the sense of DD in most people. DD activity must be evaluated by the number of people it turns into DD activists.

Every CDD must be self-sufficient. It should finance its activities only by donations of its own members and never accept money from outside sources. This will ensure its independence and serve as a measure of its resources. A clear distinction must be made between DD sympathizers and DD activists. A CDD is a group of activists, not of sympathizers. Activists are committed to activity. Sympathizers are voluntary supporters. Sympathizers should be encouraged to become activists.

CDD members should promote DD in any way possible, by word of mouth, print, radio and TV, on the Internet, in discussion with friends at work or in school. Study local problems and offer DD solutions that people understand. Be prepared - mentally, organizationally, and physically - to meet vehement opposition. Never resort to violence. Better be a victim than a victimizer. Treat opponents of DD as you would like to be treated yourself. Remember that despite their present hostility many current opponents of DD are potential supporters of DD. Hostility is often based on ignorance. Act to convert ignorance into interest. This often converts hostility into support. Do not resort to secrecy, conspiracy, or bribes of any sort.

When a CDD contains more than a dozen members it should form a second CDD. When a number of CDDs exist, they should organize local, regional, national and international conferences to coordinate activities, to learn from each others’ experience and to assist CDDs that need help. Only when most citizens want their country to be run as a DD should MDD start to implement this. By that time DD activists will have enough experience to be able to solve most problems facing them.

DD rejects all elections on principle. It does not participate - or carry out - any elections. It insists that all appointments be done by LOTTERY only. Never by election. In MDD no one decides for others.  All decide for themselves.

A movement for DD must not participate in any House of Representatives. Any such participation will turn it into an actor in the circus of doing politics by proxy (PP). Its purpose is to replace all representatives by direct decisions of citizens.

The DD movement is an embryo of the political system it strives to create.  Creations are imprints of their creators.  Relations between members of a DD movement must be like those they wish to see between people in a DD society. CDD members must cultivate their own autonomy and respect the autonomy of others. DD supporters must not behave like dictators at home, at work, or in society.

If a CDD can implement DD at work, in a school, in a village or borough, it should do so, and be prepared for fierce opposition.  Do not wait until DD is implemented everywhere. In small domains DD can work without electronic means. Where less than 100 people are involved, DD decisions can be made by raising hands.

Experience gained from local struggles for DD will help other CDDs. However, while the entire society is run as RR every local DD will be under permanent pressure from RR.  Local DDs may be perverted or crushed by RR supporters.  It is therefore essential - eventually - to make the entire society function as a DD.

In due course all CDDs should help to create a World DD Movement to coordinate activities of all DD movements on a world-wide scale. This does not mean the world becomes one huge DD.  Regional DDs will merge only if most of their citizens - not just DD activists - want it.

To persuade others to join you in campaigning for direct democracy use reason and humor. Politics need not be grim or boring. Jokes are a powerful political weapon. DD can be fun. Exposing RR can be fun. Making people laugh gains their goodwill. RR politics are nauseating and boring. DD politics are creative and inspiring. Invent new political ideas to dispel and ridicule boring RR politics.

Never criticize an existing situation without offering a DD solution.

Propose DD solutions to every social, political or psychological problem.   Be creative, invent new solutions, but keep your feet on the ground.

Do not be deterred by those saying DD is impossible. Millions believed that human flight, lunar landings, use of nuclear energy, curing infertility, changing hereditary traits, were all impossible.  They were all wrong. In 1901 all scientists insisted that sending wireless signals across the Atlantic Ocean is impossible, but the non-scientist Marconi proved them wrong that same year. In 1933 Lord Rutherford, "Father of nuclear physics" declared: "Anyone who expects a source of power from the transformation of atoms is talking moonshine". In 1945 Hiroshima proved him wrong. If Rutherford can err in predicting the future of nuclear energy so can any other expert in his domain of specialization.  In politics people declare ‘impossible’ what they consider undesirable. Check the motives of those saying DD is ‘impossible’. The struggle for DD will last decades. Opposition to DD will be fierce, persistent and treacherous. It will use anything to foil DD. DD activists must be prepared to lose incomes, jobs, freedom, friends, and even their life, in this struggle. A DD supporter not ready for this should be a sympathizer - not an activist. Only those ready to make sacrifices should become DD activists. The history of the last 300 years shows that despite all setbacks humanity is moving towards DD.

DD will replace Parliaments just as Parliaments replaced monarchies. DD will finally win, but only after a long, hard, struggle. Just as swimming is learnt only by entering the water, not by reading books on how to swim, so is politics learnt by participating in political confrontations, not by attending “political science” lectures in universities.

Only active participation in struggle for DD is the school - and education for - DD.

18. Summing up
Most societies today are shaped by big business (BB). Its supporters claim they protect individual freedom against tyranny of big government (BG). They describe 20^th century history as struggles to defend individual freedom. Actually, all major wars in the 20^th century - WW1, WW2, the "Cold War", Vietnam War - were wars by BB to win - or protect - its power and profits. Power castrates freedom.

In 1917 Lenin set up BG in Russia - a one-party state running all the economy. It provided guaranteed full employment, state-paid housing, health-care, education and pensions to all citizens. Many liked the idea. BB feared this may motivate their unemployed to replace BB by BG so they worked to destroy BG. From 1933 to 1939 BB supported Hitler who declared his intention to destroy Lenin's BG. BB supported the dictators Mussolini, Franco, Salazar and Pinochet who banned political freedom. British and French BB colonized much of the world denying freedom to millions of colonized people. Only when the colonized fought for freedom did the colonizers withdraw. After WW2 BB waged a "Cold War" (1946-1991) to prevent creation of new BGs. The USA, leading world BB, overthrew elected governments in Iran (1952), Guatemala (1954), Congo (1961) and Chile (1973) who nationalized parts of their economy to benefit all their citizens. US replaced such regimes by dictators loyal to BB. It tried to do so in Cuba and Vietnam - but failed. BG leaders - being Marxists - expected all BB regimes to create economic crises – and collapse. They saw no point in attacking them. BG states banned strikes, free Unions and workers' management of industry and crushed them - in Russia (1921) in Hungary (1956) in Czechoslovakia (1968) and in Poland (1982). Most BGs dissolved themselves in 1991. Most of their former citizens refuse to resurrect them. Are BB and BG the only ways to run society? Not any more. Today, by using mobile phones, Internet, and TV, all citizens can vote directly on all policies. This can abolish political power – the mainstay of political corruption and oppression. Today most citizens mistrust all political parties but still see no alternative to rule by representatives. They haven’t yet realized that electronic communication enables a new alternative of post-parliamentary democracy where all citizens vote directly on policies, not on representatives. When all citizens can vote directly on all policies political power (source of political corruption) is abolished. Modern society can - and should - be shaped directly by all its citizens. This creates political equality and politics without power. Post-parliamentary direct-democracy will overcome outdated, senile, rule by representatives (RR). This can be done today.

Appendix 1

Legal Status of US Congressmen in 2007

36  have been accused of spousal abuse 

7  have been arrested for fraud 

19  have been accused of writing bad checks 

117  have directly or indirectly bankrupted at least 2 businesses 

3  have done time for assault 

71 cannot get a credit card due to bad credit 

14  have been arrested on drug-related charges 

8  have been arrested for shoplifting 

21   currently are defendants in lawsuits, 

84   have been arrested for drunk driving  in the last year

Cost of political representatives (2007)
ITALY USA FRANCE BRITAIN
Number of about 1000 Senate – 100 898 646

Representatives in 2 houses House of Reps – 435 2 Houses
Monthly salary Abt $16,000 Abt $14,500 Abt $9,000 Abt $8,000

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Additional budget $5000 for staff Can employ 18 Can employ 5 Can employ 3
Additional job? Not forbidden Can earn from books Yes but limited I ?
Not included: Expense allowances, Travel allowances, cars, reception expenses

Appendix 2
Oliver Cromwell's speech to MPs before dissolving the "Rump Parliament" on April 19, 1653.
"Ye sordid prostitutes!

It is high time for me to put an end to your sitting in this place, which you have dishonoured by your contempt of all virtue, and defiled by your practice of every vice. Ye are a factious crew and enemies to all good government;

Ye are a pack of mercenary wretches and would, like Esau, sell your country for a mess of pottage and, like Judas, betray your God for a few pieces of money.

Is there a single virtue now remaining amongst you?

Is there one vice you do not posses?

Ye have no more religion than my horse;

Gold is your God.

Which of you have not bartered your conscience for bribes?

Is there a man amongst you that has the least care for the good of the Common-wealth?

Ye sordid prostitutes, have you not defiled this sacred place and turned the Lord's temple into a den of thieves by your immoral principles and wicked practices?

Ye are grown intolerably odious to the whole nation.

You were deputed here by the people to get grievances redressed, are yourself become the greatest grievance.

Your country therefore calls upon me to cleanse the Augean Stable by putting a final Period to you Iniquitous Proceedings in the House and which by God's help, and the strength He has given me, I now come to do.

You have sat too long here for any good you have been doing.

Depart! I say, and let us have done with you.

I command ye therefore, upon the peril of your lives, to depart immediately out of this place.

Go! Get Out! Make haste, ye venal slaves. Be gone.

So, take away that shining bauble (the mace A.O.) and lockup the doors.

In the name of God - Go!

INDEX

A

Acton Lord, 181, 184

Agee Philip 144

Algerian Independence 106, 142, 144

Allende President 54, 99, 133,

Alexander the Great 8,

Alexandria (Egypt) 8,

ANC (African national Congress) 145,

Amala (wolf child) 17,

Amalrik Andrei (dissident) 22,

Arbenz Jacobo 54, 99,

Aristotle 10,

Attlee Clement, UK P.M .97, 178,

in 1945 election 179,

Atom Bomb 21, 96/7/8/9 191

Auschwitz 11,

B

"Battle of Britain" 92,

Bakunin (on Marx) 36,

Baldwin, Stanley 87, 88,

Bank of England 166, 179,

Batista 81,

"Bay of Pigs" invasion 99,

Belloc Hilaire 141,

Benedict Ruth 148,

Bismarck 39

Blackett Patrick 98,

Boer war 33, 40, 144

Bolsheviks 47, 55,56,58,67,84,136

Bukharin 53, 61,66,71,72,73,76,77, 83,

Bush George President 152,159,164,

Brezhnev 165,

British elections 1945 178,

C

Caucasus (oilfields) 51, 92,

Castro Fidel 79, 81, 99,

Central Committee 56,60,66,84

Czechoslovakia 64,88,89.95,99,129,

Chemin-Des-Dammes, battle of 39,

CFDT French labour Union 108, 119. 120-122,127, 172

CGT 108, 119, 120, 122. 124, 126/7

Cheney Richard, Vice president 152,

CIA 54,99,133,143/4 ,207

CHEVRON Corporation 152,

Chiang-Kai-Shek 74, 81,

Chile 54, 99, 133, 207

Churchill Winston 40, 41, 51, 52, 86, 87, 88, 89, 92, 96, 178, 179,

Speech at the Aldwych club 51,

On Mussolini 86, 89,

On Hitler 87,

Cliff Tony 136,

"Cold War" 86,98/9, 101/2, 207

Comintern founded 54, dismantled 80,

Cohn-Bendit, Daniel 111,

Communist Party of USA 90,

Cuban Missile Crisis 102,

Crusoe Robinson 16, 17

CRS 108,

D

Dachau 13,

De Gaulle, General 109, 112, 118, 124, 128, 129,131/2, 178

De-colonization 141,

Degenerated Workers State, 37

Descartes 10,

Defoe Daniel 15,

Demos-Kratia 106/7, 176, 199

Dialectics 24,

Digger Indians 148,

Dimitrov 80,

Donne John 16,

Duma 45/6,

Dutschke Rudi 106, 108

Dreadnought battleship 40, 41

E

East India Company 153,

Edward VII King 40,

Edward VIII (Prince of Wales) 91,

Einstein 10, 44, 97

Eisenstein Sergei 50,

Eisenhower 54, farewell speech 100,

Election campaign 180

Engels Friedrich 31, 36, 150,

Euthanasia 11,

EV1 electric car 35,151/2,

Eskimo 17,

F

FBI 91,

"Five-year plan" First 82, 165,

Finletter Thomas K. 96,

"Fog of War" TV interview 189,

Freud 10,

Frankl Victor 26,

Franco General 54, 87, 90

Friedman Milton 167, 169, 170

G

Galbraith J.K. 31, 167, 171, 173

Galileo 8

Gandhi 13, 157,

Gazelle boy 17,

German election results 1933 86,

Gdansk shipyards 64,

Global warming 150-152, 157/8

Goebels 15,

Goldman Emma 65, 77,

Gulag 82,

Guernica 87,

Guevara, Che 79

"Great Patriotic War" 93.

Grenelle agreement 109,125/6, 132

Grey, Sir Edward 41, 42

Groves Lesley, General 97, 98

Guatemala 54, 99, 205

H

HALIBURTON Corporation 152,

Hayek, Friedrich von 164, 168/9,

Haywood Bill (IWW leader) 77,

Hegel 10, 24, 25,

Hemingway 16,

Heraclites 23, 24, 130, 134

Hess Rudolph 91, 92, 03

Hilbert David 11,

Hiroshima 96, 98, 100, 102,206

Hitler 11, 15, 54, 86, 87, 88, aim - 89

Attacks Poland in 1939, 89, 91

Hobson 33,

Ho-Chi-Min 79,

Hologram 17,

Humbert-Droz, Jules 76,

Hume 10,

Hungarian workers uprising 1956, 64,

I

I.C.O. 123

"International"; Anthem of USSR 69,

"International" abolished 80,

Iran 22,38,54, 99,107,147,207

Islamic Republic 22, 38, 146,147

K

Kaiser 40, 41, 51

Kant 10,

Kamala (wolf child) 17,

Kamenev 54, 62, 66, 71, 72, 83,

Kaplan Fanya 68,

Kaspar Hauser 18,

Keynes J.M. 34, 35, 167, 169-171,

Kennedy, President of USA 91,171,

189, 190/1

Kerensky 44, 49, 50, 52/3,55,156-157

Kent, Duke of, 91

Khrushchev (secret speech) 84/5, 103,

Khomeini 21, 46, 146/7

King, Martin Luther 107,

Kirov Sergei 66, 83,

Kolkhoz 83,

Krikalev Sergei, astronaut, 163,

Kronstadt 64, 65,

Krupps 40,

Kolarov Vasil 76, 76

Kornilov 49, 50, 55,

Kollontai Alexandra 59-64, 136-137

On the Unions 62,

Women's conference (1918) 137,

Korean War 103,

Kuusinen Ottmar 73, 74, 75

Kursk battle of 94, 178,

Kyoto Protocol 158-162,

L

Latin Quarter, Paris 108, 101,113,117

Lenin 10, 22, 27, 28, 48-65, 68, 71/2,

Lenin 79, 89-90,103,137/8,

Lenin (cont'd) in Switzerland 47,

leaflet to soldiers 49,

letter to Bolshevik leadership 55,

switch of policy 57,

on Trade-Unions 51,

against Kollontai 63, on Kronstadt 65,

"Maximum unanimity" 65.

political testament 71,

Leibovitz Yeshayau 135,

Le-May Curtis 100,

Leningrad 22, 83, 179,

Lockhart, Sir Bruce 53,

Los-Alamos 97,

Lloyd-George 41, 42, 87

Luftwaffe 92,

Lumumba 54/ 99

Luxemburg Rosa 44,

Article on Lenin's revolution 67

M

Mao-Tse-Tung 81,

Mandela Nelson 145,

"Manhattan project" 97, 98

Manuilsky 73,

Marshall George 95,

Plan to reconstruct Europe 96,

Matabele War 141,

Marx 10, 24, 32 - 38, 45, 58-60, 70, 99, 184

Massu, Jacques, General 109, 129

McNamara Robert, 189-191,

McConville, Maureen 110, 132

Maxim machine-gun 141,

McKenna 41,

McCarthy, Senator Joseph 101,

Mead Margaret, 150

Mensheviks 55, 67,

Messmer Pierre 129,

Mett Ida 64,

Midnapore 17,

Mikhail, Tsar's brother 46,

Milovan Djilas 80,

Mitford, Lady Diana 91,

Molotov 80,83,89,93,

Monarch 25, 182

Mossadeq 54, 99,

Moses 10,

Moseley Oswald 91,

Mussolini 52, 54, 73, 86, 89, 193, 207

Munich agreement 1938, 88, 89

N

Nagasaki 98,

Nantes, communal management 124/5,

Nanterre University 108,

NATO 101,

"New Economic Policy" (NEP) 53,

"New Deal" 34, 35, 166, 171

Nikolai Tsar 46,

NKVD 84,

O

Omar, Caliph 8.

Opium Wars 35, 152 - 156.

Oppenheimer Robert, 181,

ORTF, French Radio and TV119,

Ordjonikidze 164/5,

P

Pakazukha 104, 105, 165, 167

Panama Canal 8, 21,

"Permanent Revolution" 79, 127

Piatakov 164/5

Pinochet General 54, 133,

Pinter Harold 4,

"Phoney War" 1939-1940 89, 91

Plato 10,

Poland attacked by Hitler 89, 91

Pompidou George French PM 109, 111, 125/6, 128

Portugal 54, 141/2/3

Potsdam Conference 97,

Preobrazhensky 164/5,

R

Rabin 13,

Rakosi 76,

Renault Strike May 1968 109, 119

Reagan Ronald, US President 166,

Ribbentrop 89, 91

Rice Condoleezza 152,

"Rolling Stones" 108,

Rockefeller, John D. 168/9,

"Rockefeller Boys" 168/9,

Roosevelt F.D.R, 34/5, 95/6, 166,171

Rodzianko, Michael 45/6,

Rotblat Joseph 97/8,

Royal Air Force (RAF) 92

Rule by Representatives (RR) 176, 192, 199, 200, 206

Russell, Bertrand 44,

Rust, Bernhard 11,

Russian elections (1917) 67,

Rutherford, Nuclear Physicist 206,

Rykov 61, 71, 73

S

SALT, START, 102,

S.A.C. (Strategic Air Command) 100,

Sa'adat 13,

Salazar 54, 207,

SAVAK, Iranian secret service 107,

Savio Mario (FSM) 107,

Shah Persian 22, 146/7

Scapa Flow 44

Schatzky Lazar 78,

Seale Patrick 110, 132

Seguy George, Secretary of CGT 109,

Shouted down, 126/7

Serge Victor 65,

Selkirk Alexander 16,

SEATO 102,

Shanghai massacre 74,

Shliapnikov 61/2,

Silone Ignacio 59, 73, 79,

Simpson, Mrs. Wallis 91,

Speer, Albert 92, 93

Sputnik 22, 101, 166

State Capitalism, 37

St. Petersburg 22, 45, 55,64/5,136

Stalingrad, battle of 94,

"Socialism in one country" 79,

Social Revolutionaries (SR) 57,

Socrates 10

Sorbonne 108/9, 111-120,

Soviet spaceship Soyuz 163,

"Summary Report on Pacific War" 98

Stalin 59, 61, 69, 71/2, 76-81

Taking over the Party 71-74

Pact with Hitler 89-90,

Nervous breakdown 93,

Collectivization 82

"Student Hooliganism" 127,

Sudetenland 88/9,

South Africa 40, 144-146

Suez Canal 8, 142

Szilard Leo 97,

T

Thalemann Ernst 73-76,

Thatcher 17,18, 20, 141, 147, 169, 174

Tirpitz Alfred von 40,

Titmuss Richard, 174

Togliatti 73-77

Tokyo bombarded 96,

Tragedy invented 19,

Treint Albert 76,

Trotsky 10, 27/8 , 37/8, 51-59,65,70-82

Using Peace negotiations 51.

In Kronstadt 65,

Truth + Reconciliation Committee 145,

Tukhachevsky Mikhail, execution 93,

Truman Harry US President 95-97,

Tsar 27/8, 445-48,

U

USSR founded 69,

V

Versailles Treaty 44, violations 87/8,

Verdun 39,

Vietnamese war of Independence 144,

Volkov Alexander, astronaut, 163,

W

Welfare State 167/8,179,

Wells H.G. 35,

"Workers Opposition" 62-63,

Y

Yalta conference 96, 98/9,

Z

Zinoviev 61,64,66, 71-73, 83

Zulu,18

A society where a few citizens decide all policies is based on political in-equality. The few have "Power" while most citizens - don't. When all citizens can decide all policies society is based on political equality. No one has "Power" and the majority is free as it lives by its own decisions. Nowadays political inequality poses as equality by letting all citizens choose the few who will decide all policies for all others. This system is unequal, un-just, and corrupt.

Today Big Business (BB) decides what society will do. It claims to defend Freedom. Its advocates say that the 20^th century was a struggle for Freedom against oppression by Big Government. Yet all 20^th Century major wars were initiated by BB for its power and profits. Both BB and BG are power-addicts. Both loath political equality - and freedom.

Marx believed a nationalized economy will cure most social ills. Lenin proved him wrong. Lenin's "Big Government" (BG) ran the economy. No person owned part of it. Party officials - not industrial or agricultural workers - were the ruling strata. They owned Power - not property. They decided all policies and managed everything. Criticizing them was forbidden. It was a "Party Officials' State" posing as a "Worker's State". It banned strikes and free Unions. Profits provided full employment, and housing-healthcare-education-pensions - paid by the State - to all citizens. Many believed this will cure all social ills. It did not. People fought for Power, not for profits. Conspiracies, corruption, and deception flourished. Leaders banished any potential rival. They decided what books, films, plays, paintings, and music citizens are allowed to read, see, or hear. BG leaders, being Marxists, expected all BBs to cause economic crises and wars leading to internal revolutions that will replace BB by BG and saw no point in attacking them. After WW2 BG states were set up in many countries. BB leaders feared that BG economic security might motivate their unemployed to replace BB by BG. To prevent this they launched a "Cold War" against BG (1946-1991). BB breeds economic crises but the BB State saves the BB economy from collapse. To everyone's surprise, all European BGs collapsed between 1989-1991. Even today most of their former citizens refuse to resurrect them. They prefer the ills of a privatized economy to a welfare- state ruled by Party officials. Most people today despise both privatized - and nationalized - economies and mistrust most political representatives. They tolerate them because they see no other way to run society. This creates "dead-end politics" where people resent all political systems but don't act to replace them. Time is ripe to create a new, post-parliamentary, direct democracy, based on political equality: All citizens vote on all policies - at home, at work, and in the state. Citizens themselves vote directly on policies, rather than grant power to a representative. This will abolish political Power, the core of political corruption. It will maintain political equality of all citizens. It will not cure all ills of society, but bad decisions will induce changes of policies not of representatives. Political equality is feasible today. It is the only cure for the inevitable ills of political power inherent in rule by representatives.

FOR POLITICAL EQUALITY Aki ORR