With the antics and atrocities committed by Trump since the start of his second term, there has never been a better time than today to implement a system of participatory democracy, or at least a political system in which political representatives are chosen by sortition. I honestly think it would be very difficult to achieve an outcome as bad as the one we have now.
"In governance, sortition is the selection of public officials or jurors at random, i.e. by lottery, in order to obtain a representative sample.
In ancient Athenian democracy, sortition was the traditional and primary method for appointing political officials, and its use was regarded as a principal characteristic of democracy. Sortition is often classified as a method for both direct democracy and deliberative democracy.
Today sortition is commonly used to select prospective jurors in common-law systems. What has changed in recent years is the increased number of citizen groups with political advisory power, along with calls for making sortition more consequential than elections, as it was in Athens, Venice, and Florence."
Can we call it "consensus democracy"? Because I feel like that's a little bit safer.
Okay. I'm willing to go along with calling anarchism "direct democracy" if that helps people be more receptive.
But it's yucky and I don't have to like it. I reserve the right to change my mind later.
Just don't bring me that majority rule bullshit, else we are gonna have a go-round.
‘Spiritual national defence 2.0’: how Switzerland and other states are navigating disinformation https://www.byteseu.com/896114/ #Article #BeatDemocracy #Conflict #DirectDemocracy #FOREIGNAFFAIRS #LawAndOrder #Politics #Switzerland
Direct Democracy @ Occupy Wall Street - General Assembly
https://kinowolnosc.pl/videos/watch/c3b36bf9-bba4-4069-a3f5-cf307d650139
Koreatown Popular Assembly Organized Neighborhood Power To Confront ICE
https://itsgoingdown.org/how-the-koreatown-popular-assembly-organized-neighborhood-power-to-confront-ice/
#directaction #directdemocracy #KoreaTown #KPA #mutualaid
#neighborhoodpower #popularassembly #solidarity
New essay "WTF is Social Ecology" is now on substack.
https://usufructcollective.substack.com/p/wtf-is-social-ecology
"Social Ecology claims our major ecological problems are rooted in social problems– specifically problems of social hierarchy as well as capitalism in particular. This social definition of hierarchy refers to institutionalized domination where rulers command and the ruled obey. Contrary to anti-human myths, the ecological crisis is not caused by an excess of human freedom; it is instead caused by the destruction of social freedom that happens through domination and exploitation towards goals of profit and power-over others."
Bonus Episode: Ariel Chats With Aislinn Clancy, Green Party of Ontario Incumbent
In this bonus episode, Ariel talks with Aislinn Clancy, Green Party of Ontario candidate and incumbent MPP for Kitchener Centre in the upcoming snap Ontario Election. This isn’t an endorsement, but a discussion that hopes to prod solarpunk talking points into the realm of politics. Aislinn and I talk about Green Party of Ontario goals for clean energy, supporting local workers, and how to channel your passion for social justice issues that you care about into empowering activism.
#solarpunk #SolarpunkPresentsPodcast #podcast #podcasting #AislinnClancy #GreenPartyofOntario #GreenPartyofCanada #MPP #KitchenerCentre #Canadianpolitics #KitchenerCentrePolitics #ProvincialElection #DirectDemocracy #Democracy #grassrootsOrganization #PoliticalOrganization #housingCrisis #workersRights @KitCenGreens #GreenParty #GreenPolitics
In this bonus episode, Ariel talks with Brooklin Wallis, Ontario New Democratic Party (NDP) candidate for Kitchener Centre in the upcoming snap Ontario Election. This isn’t an endorsement, but a discussion that hopes to prod solarpunk talking points into the realm of politics. Brooklin even describes herself as someone with solarpunk leanings! How does that reconcile with participation in the democratic system in Ontario, Canada? What are her solarpunk goals?
#solarpunk #SolarpunkPresentsPodcast #DirectDemocracy #SolarpunkPolitics #BonusContent @OntarioNDP @ontario #ONDP #NDP #BrooklinWallis #GrassrootsOrganizing #ClimatePolicy #HousingCrisis
"WTF Is Social Ecology?" a new essay by the Usufruct Collective (@usufructcollective):
https://usufructcollective.wordpress.com/2025/02/17/wtf-is-social-ecology/
Traduction en français ci-dessous
#anarchism #communalism #municipalism #socialecology #ecology
#directdemocracy #mutualaid #directaction #commons #commoning
New Essay entitled "WTF Is Social Ecology?"
"The ecological crisis is not caused by an excess of human freedom; itis instead caused by the destruction of social freedom that happens through domination and exploitation towards goals of profit and powerover others"
https://usufructcollective.wordpress.com/2025/02/17/wtf-is-social-ecology/
170th anniversary of Eureka Rebellion December 3rd 1854 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfzMgwQ4brw
#Colonialism
#directaction #directdemocracy #solidarity #internationalism #EurekaRebellion #workingclasshistory
https://www.europesays.com/1836078/ Swiss Abroad more open to sustainable economy #article #BeatSwissAbroad #DirectDemocracy #Environment #Nachrichten #Nouvelles #Politics #schweiz #Suisse #SWIplusWebAndApp #switzerland
I'm not getting any traction here these days, so have decamped to Bluesky:
@johnmacgregor.bsky.social
And X: @JohnMMacgregor
My Kim Iversen interview from last week is here:
Thanks!
We've decided that kings & despots can no longer govern us - that whites can no longer rule non-whites, & men can no longer rule women.
So why are we still ruled by wealth?
If you live in the European Union and support human rights, please consider signing this petition calling for a binding legal ban of conversion practices:
https://eci.ec.europa.eu/043/public/#/screen/home
Will we be saved when Party A defeats Party B?
Or when we have a system that allows popular rule to survive from one era to the next?
Do we want another charismatic leader?
Or un-game-able rules, ground-up institutions, & pellucid transparency?
"My book of the year."
- Prof Guy Standing, author of The Precariat (Dec 2024)
#auspol #Political Science #DirectDemocracy #DeliberativeDemocracy
