What Is Democratic Revolution?

                                          WHAT IS DEMOCRATIC REVOLUTION?

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emocratic revolution would mean the creation of truly democratic and hence much better society.  Today, our society is not democratic at all. Ordinary people have no say in the important decisions that affect us locally and globally. Money is power in our society. Large corporations decide public policy and then select politicians who try to convince us that the policies are for the best. The policies are always, in fact, designed to benefit the extremely wealthy at the expense of the rest of us.

WE LIVE IN A DICTATORSHIP OF THE VERY RICH

The war in Iraq, for example, was justified by a barrage of lies about weapons of mass destruction. Most Americans oppose wars based on lies. It’s the same with “Medicare for all” healthcare. Most Americans polled support providing health care to all this way, instead of forcing us to pay stiff premiums to profit-making insurance companies; yet our government refuses to do this. We weren’t allowed to decide whether a group of ultra-rich people should be allowed to live in splendid luxury, some doing no real work at all, while the rest of us create the wealth they live off of. Nor did we ever agree that only we, but not the rich, would have to worry about paying for our family's education and healthcare. We never voted on any of this because we do not live in a democracy—we live in a dictatorship of the very rich: billionaires who were never elected and cannot be “un- elected.” Voting only lets us select which politician will lie to us and break promises with impunity.

The reason people today go hungry, lack medical attention when needed, and are forced to work a low paying job or else be unemployed and unable to support their family, is not because of a lack of food or doctors or willingness to work. It is because we have a dictatorship of the very rich whose power, wealth and privilege require imposing these hardships on us. The very rich have the opposite values of most people. They value greed and competition and domination over others. We value generosity, equality and teamwork to achieve shared goals. They value looking out for #1 and ignoring others' misfortune and requests for help. We value supporting each other no matter what, through the hard times as well as the good. They value destroying the environment if it gets them more wealth while we value taking care of the earth so our children and grandchildren can enjoy it too.

NO RICH AND NO POOR: EQUALITY

Democratic revolution is ordinary people like us, our neighbors and co-workers, fellow church members (and non-members) and fellow hard working public transportation riders, removing the billionaires from power and dismantling their anti-human capitalist structure of oppression and inequality. We can create a new society with no rich and no poor where all people who work reasonably (as they are able) to contribute to society (be it economically, artistically or otherwise) share (not buy and sell) the fruits of their labor according to need. There’s equality of men and women, of all races and nationalities, real democracy and concern for one another. There are no unjust wars or unemployment. There is good health care and education and quality of life for all. The economy is sustainable and doesn’t pollute the earth so future generations may enjoy it too.

WE NEED LOCAL, NOT TOP-DOWN, POWER

Democratic revolution, unlike Communist revolution, means that laws will be made only by local community or workplace assemblies at which everyone who supports equality, mutual aid and democracy is allowed to and encouraged to make their voice heard and enjoy an equal part in determining the laws and policies of the community. Local assemblies will work together by using voluntary federation to create a complex economy and systems of education, healthcare, food production, defense and any other desired large-scale projects. But no federal or central government can make laws to impose its decisions by force from above, ordering us to obey them “because they were elected.”

Contact us and join the conversation!

What changes in the world do you want to see? What ideas do you have about how to spread the word that we can build a better society, and about how to help create this better society? When enough people see that they are not alone in wanting the world that democratic revolution makes possible, we will be united and ready to start making it happen. The main weapon the billionaires and the government have is to convince us that we are each alone in wanting a truly equal and democratic world, and that such a world is impossible. Without this weapon, they cannot continue to oppress us. Share this with your friends, family, co-workers, fellow church members or even your fellow public transportation riders.

People for Democratic Revolution is an independent group funded by our own wallets. We have been collecting signatures for a document titled "This I Believe" (at www.newdemocracyworld.org/This.pdf), which says many of the same things here and also calls for democratic revolution. Most (75%) of the people who have read This I Believe have signed their name in support of it. We display the signatures publicly so people will see they are not alone in wanting a democratic revolution, gain hope that one is possible, and begin taking steps to make it happen. If you would like to learn more about us or help collect signatures (it’s a lot of fun actually) please contact us at PeopleforDemocraticRevolution@gmail.com and visit www.NewDemocracyWorld.org. Thank you.