The billionaires-funded groups, including the NRA, ALEC, corporate media conglomerates, think tanks, and astroturf "grassroots" organizations are destroying he fabric of the country. The effects are devastating. Every mayor political and social dysfunction in the country can be traced back to them.
What I'm about to propose is not a thought experiment, or a theory, or a critique, or commentary. This is real. I know the initial reaction by most may be, "who's this guy, and why does he think he can do anything about these very big and seemingly intractable challenges?" That's a fair question. By myself, alone, there is nothing I can do. Others will have to join the effort, even if we initially number in the dozens or a few hundreds.
I do ask you to engage in one "mental exercise." Set aside that question about the source of this proposal, and try to do your best to judge it on its merits, objectively. Then make your assessment...
The Hold on The Mind
These are the enemies of the State: A number of (what I've determined are) fascistic billionaires, and business cartels made up of large Wall Street financial institutions, who used their wealth as the main influenced-peddling tool to take over the levers of power in the country. Thus, they have taken over much of our government (enough to either control it, or block it from serving the public), and the mainstream media.
At the tip of their spear is their control over the mainstream media, which allows them to control the minds of most of the population through propaganda. This is very important, because it allows them to manipulate people into acting against their own interests, as if they were brainwashed.
The method for the mind-control is very blunt (I call it fascistic): It's just a matter of repetition and mass media broadcasting.
One weakness I see on the Left is that this concept is hard to comprehend, instead thinking that by explaining things and through reasoned analysis it will able to "set the record straight" against the 24/7 false narratives and propaganda. This approach will never be effective against the blunt instruments of propaganda: constant repetition and widespread broadcasting of the information.
This is a very serious situation. Things are deteriorating at an alarmingly fast pace. The Left needs to become more "militant" in its thinking. I don't mean militant alluding to violence in any way, but in realizing that we are facing a very ruthless enemy and nothing short of a very organized resistance will have any chance to take on this enemy.
Counter-Propaganda
You have to fight fire with fire, or in this case, propaganda with counter-propaganda. It all starts there.
Let me explain something very important... I'm not talking about specific campaigns to elect a progressive politician, or to react to the NRA, etc. Some progressive groups are engaging at that level, and they are doing a good job.
But again, I don't think it's nearly enough against the 24/7 onslaught of the billionaires-funded propaganda machine.
What I'm proposing is launching a powerful, ubiquitous, relentless, and far-reaching counter-propaganda campaign to rival that of the parasitic billionaires.
I realize that this is not easy; in fact, many reading this may think is impossible. I don't; I think is very possible.
But there would have to be some confidence-building "baby steps" taken first. Once these small steps are accomplished, they will help in bringing this idea from "concept" to reality, and then it could garner momentum.
The first "baby step" proof of concept I propose is to place a full-page advertising in a few major newspapers around the country, like the The Los Angeles Times, The San Francisco Chronicle, The Miami Herald, or The Dallas Daily News.
Ideally, if the ad would be published on the same day, let's say a Sunday in May or June 2013.
It would be very important for the ad to be very carefully designed, for the messaging to be very well throughout, using accurate (vetted) information, but at the same time trying to appeal to the sense of anger and frustration people feel with the broken socioeconomic and political system.
But once you appeal to the anger, frustration, offer a solution, a course of action, a reason for believing that they can do something to change the situation.
So it would be important to form a very clear, concise and undeniable link between the billionaires-funded shadowy groups and the maladies they create in our society.
These ideas are not new. If you study every social justice struggle you will notice that there is always a counter-propaganda component. One example I like to use is the one depicted in the PBS American Experience documentary, "THE ABOLITIONISTS."
Abolitionist allies Frederick Douglass, William Lloyd Garrison, Harriet Beecher Stowe, John Brown and Angelina Grimké turned a despised fringe movement against chattel slavery into a force that literally changed the nation.
If you take the time to watch it online, you will learn that "propaganda" or public outreach was at the core of the movement.
Again, I understand that initially many will look at this idea with skepticism, but once it moves from being an idea proposed here in this diary, to an actual full page ad in several large newspapers, it will help in creating a new paradigm in some people's minds. And then their imagination will open up and they will start thinking about all the possibilities...
The ads would be very poignant, powerful, informative, iconic. They would ask people to visit a website with more information, and that takes us to the next level...
New Socioeconomic Paradigm
In order to neutralize attacks from the Right, we would not engage in the old trap of arguing about capitalism vs. socialism, or democracy vs. authoritarianism.
We would need to emphasize that there is nothing wrong with well-established economic theories about supply and demand, etc. Well-established economic theory is not the problem we are facing. The problem we are facing is that the well-oiled, well-funded and destructive billionaires-funded propaganda machine has been able to infect the entire country's cognitive understanding of economics.
And so basically, by taking over most of our government institutions (because of debased, money-grabbing politicians of both parties), these predatory corporatist cartels have been able to institutionalize economic practices which are clearly criminal, and predatory, with the express purpose of defrauding and exploiting the citizenry.
And so regulations to prevent monopolies, oligopolies, collusive cartels, media conglomeration, influence peddling corruption in our government, were all set aside, which resulted in the rise of an increasingly oppressive Corporatocracy, or Plutocracy.
That is the truth. That is the actual current state of affairs. But notice that the truth does not have a propagandist. Without it, she doesn't stand a chance against to onslaught of 24/7 propaganda pushing lies, misinformation and false narratives.
So we get the counter-propaganda/public outreach stage. We build on small confidence-building steps and then get the campaign going nationwide, 24/7. And then via the website, we form a nationwide network, but one that will be very cohesive, strategic, focused.
Then we start having events around the country: protest rallies, seminars, conferences, etc. And they could be mixed in with entertainment, art, social networks.
But very importantly, we would be promoting a new socioeconomic paradigm, with the most urgent task being finding ways to defund the corporatist cartels. There are some basic stuff, like encouraging people to support locally-own businesses vs. big box retailers, local banks and credit unions vs. criminal TBTF banks (BofA, Chase, Citi, etc.).
Plans could be started to create a nationwide non-profit bank tasked with helping fund employee-owned businesses from coast to coast, locally-grown food collectives, sustainable economic practices.
Also, people engaged in the movement would come up with ideas to support the spread of unions to every corner of the country, force the government to prosecute the Wall Street criminals who are still walking around free, and still pillaging the country, break up the criminal too-big-too-fail banks, break up media conglomerates (TV, Radio, Newspapers), clean up the cesspool of corruption infecting city halls and State Houses around the country, as well as in Washington, D.C., restored all the constitutional rights that have been taken from us through fear, and in the false name of security.
From Thought to Reality
Here's the thing: We all know the genesis of most of the social and political dysfunction we are facing. That is a very, very big step. Years ago when I brought up the issue of "corporatist cartels" colluding against society, people would ask me about my "tin foil hat." Not anymore; people now have come to realize where the root of the problem is.
Occupy Wall Street was on the right track; they may still be. We just need to find new energy, think a little bit out of the box, have unity of purpose, and move forward.
But the most important thing to consider is that all this needs to be done deliberately, following a process, having a clear agenda, a strategy, discipline, cohesiveness. That's how (what I call) the fascist billionaires and the myriad of organizations the fund do it. If you want to oppose what they are doing, then you have to engage at that level.
Again, I'm not just writing this to share a concept. I want to take action. I set up a "crowd funding" campaign to raise the initial funds to get a couple of ads out there. Visit the link, read about it, and see the comments from the people who have pledged.
But here's an important point: My main focus is to make sure this happens. So if some people have reservations about pledging funds, I would welcome any ideas about what would be the best way to supervise the money. For example, I think it would be ideal if three or four people volunteered to form a financial committee in charge of supervising the funds, and I would remove myself from any access.
Then we could form a founding ten-member committee to move the project forward. Please read a diary I wrote about this idea of the ten-member committee.
The committee would then be responsible for putting out the final products, like the ads, and with implementing initiatives related to the counter-propaganda campaign, outreach, and events around the country.
Conclusion
Out of all this, here are the founding principles which I think are essential: This movement would be non-partisan, for ever. Bylaws and articles will prevent any one person, clique or faction from being able to take over the movement, for ever. The ten-member leadership committee will rotate every six months. Everybody participating would be doing so as a volunteer, and for altruistic reasons only. All funds collected (100%) would be used for the mission of the movement. No funds would be used to pay for salaries, office, etc.
Keep in mind that the vision of this movement would not be to supplant other progressive organization. In fact, ideally, this movement would create a space where all progressive organizations can come together and collaborate. Occupy Wall Street, Unions, Daily Kos, Color of Chage, MoveOn, NetRoots, etc.
But ideally, this format would attract people from all over the country, willing to fund the effort with small donations, which could turn into millions of dollars, or a real war chest.
I'm going to move forward with this idea until I'm able to get the first step, and then the second, and so on. I will not relent. But in reality, it will be much easier if other people join me. So yes, I'm asking you to take a leap of faith, and try it. You have nothing to lose.
Also, and getting back to my opening statement, if you think that this could work, don't worry about how many people have bought into the concept right now. In other words, don't stay on the fence until you see others jump in. If you think this is doable, let's join forces now, and others will follow.
I'm confident that if somehow we are able to join forces and get something like this going, nationwide, that it will help create an avenue for directing our collective hunger for justice, for decency, for an fair and sustainable economic system, and for the respect of the Constitution and the rule of law. That's all I'm after.
I'll be glad to answer any questions, here, or at contact@raypensador.com.
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Ray Pensador | Email List | Twitter | Facebook | Social Justice National Ad Campaign
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Some energy driving us... Murmurations
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The current state of affairs. Let's change it!
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