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The World Needs Big Ideas — Here are 10 from the Far Left

By Mary Lorax - Medium, March 4, 2017

The world is in crisis — socially, economically, and environmentally. The world needs big ideas, people want big ideas, and the Democratic Party doesn’t have any. That’s why Hillary lost — she offered nothing.

Bernie offered some narrative, and some solutions, too — like free college — and that’s why he gained a following, and why he was polling ahead of Trump. But Trump offered explanations for our crises too. And not only that, he offered ideas, BIG IDEAS, as terrible as they may have been.

The radical left has a lot to offer. We have new, innovative, and necessary ideas. However instead of promoting them and developing them, we often get caught up in reacting to an increasingly far-right, neoliberal political landscape — always on the defensive. We need to be developing our own ideas, and creating and sharing visions. We can’t be afraid of presenting bold proposals for fear of them sounding too far-fetched in an extremely right-wing media and political climate. People want big, revolutionary ideas.

So here’s a list of some of the left’s coolest ideas.

1 — Creating full-employment through a green jobs program. In the 1930s we had the New Deal, which helped Americans through the Great Depression, creating infrastructure and social programs. Now we are facing a massive environmental crisis, along with poverty levels not seen since the 30s. Solution? Some economists say, “make the government the employer of last resort”. Give the unemployed jobs, and green jobs. Building public transit and high-speed rail, building wind and solar energy farms, recycling, planting forests, and developing food and water security. Solve unemployment and save the environment.

2 — My personal favorite, the 4-hour-day. In the 1880s, workers fought for the 8-hour-day. Several economists have done the math, and say that with modern technology society could function with everyone doing just 10–20 hours a week of work (or less).

What’s more, Oxford University research estimates that automation (robots and computers) could replace 47 percent of the jobs in the US in the next two decades. No work? No problem! Let’s transition to the 4-hour-day, 4-day-week.

3 — A universal basic income. It’s as simple as it sounds, and there are many advocates of this policy, which would guarantee a subsistence income to everyone on top of any additional income they make. The universal basic income could be paid for by cutting the bloated defense budget or taxing the rich, and would solve a host of problems from homelessness to food insecurity. It could even eradicate poverty completely.

4— Make basic human needs public or universal. There are enough resources in the world to make necessities available to every human being, especially food and shelter. Health care, education, energy, water, also can and should be a guaranteed right. This could be achieved by making resources public (owned by the state or local communities) or by providing a strong social safety net.

5 — A zero-emission economy. If we keep using fossil fuels, we will poison and heat the planet to the point of no return. This will eventually threaten food security and desertify or engulf huge swaths of the planet. We can achieve a zero or near zero-emission economy by investing heavily in renewable, clean energy. If the government invested in research and development of these energy sources we could achieve zero-emission in years. It’s a question of investment and commitment, not time.

Similarly, a zero-waste economy means that all materials would be recycled instead of thrown away, from food scraps to plastics and electronics. A town in Japan has already implemented this concept.

6 — Science for the people.

“Unless the direction of science is guided by a consciously ethical motivation, especially compassion, its effects may fail to bring benefit. They may indeed cause great harm.” ― Dalai Lama XIV

Most funding for scientific research goes towards weapons or surveillance — things that harm, not help people. Research funding could be redirected towards human needs — ensuring necessary transformations in the face of global environmental crisis, and also research into ways to make society happier, healthier, and more egalitarian.

7 — Education reform. Education in the United States suffers from overworked teachers, tired students, and what seems to be an intentionally boring curriculum designed to stifle the flames of curiosity. We need education that serves the real needs and interests of students. We should be preparing students for the world, which means teaching students to think critically, talking about current events, and ethics. We should be experimenting with ideas like replacing detention with meditation, and integrate successful practices, like those from Finland, which is regarded as having the best education system in the world.

8 — Cooperatives. Socialism doesn’t just mean state ownership of industry. In the clearest sense, it advocates for worker control of industry. This means that workers should also be owners of their workplace, and have a say in its operations. Some theorists, like those of participatory economics, argue that consumers and other stakeholders should also be part owners of businesses and industry.

9 — Radical equality. We want a society free from discrimination, in terms of gender, race, sexual orientation, age, nationality, and class. We know that most inequalities are intimately tied to economic equality, and when we say we want equality that also means equality of economic means. We want a classless society.

10 — Dual power. This means creating institutions and processes that rival the dominant ones. Tired of the top-down hierarchy of businesses you work for? Form a worker’s cooperative. Don’t like the decisions made by your local government? Form an independent people’s council in your community. Dissatisfied with nuclear family living arrangements? Create alternatives like collectives and communes that people can join instead. Want to end car culture? Join a bike coop. Tired of the homeless shelter system? Start a squat. Create alternative organizations that serve your community and embody radical values like egalitarianism, freedom, and solidarity.

Disclaimer: The views expressed here are not the official position of the IWW (or even the IWW’s EUC) and do not necessarily represent the views of anyone but the author’s.

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