Saturday, September 28, 2013

From my FB friends:

http://themetapicture.com/things-are-somehow-different-in-canada/

Miss home!
 
Photo: Yay! sweet!  So here's what I shared with my OccupyLSX Economics Working Group:

> Hi guys
> 
> I rarely find my Facebook stream especially cheering*, then these two (following plus a third!)  come
> in on the same day:

*ps BTW friends, don't mis-read this! - I love you all - your shared and sharing smiles smile me up and that's good! Much of what I see is fun, worthwhile, but I need some real cheering up!!  This slogging away on my own - the lonesome socialist - trying to get rid of capitalism - replacing it with the inclusive, eco-great! co-operative socialist alternative, equalitarian, experiential, horizontalist, not-imposed-hierarchicalist, is hard sledding!! 

Oh! Do I need cheering up!!!

> 
> Hope u en-joy!
> 
> http://www.wimp.com/newdevice/
> 
> 
> http://9gag.com/gag/axN0Nr2?ref=fb.s
> 
> Love
> 
> john
> 
> *************

 And try this:

http://www.upworthy.com/2-monkeys-were-paid-unequally-see-what-happens-next?g=2

Laugh out loud!!

More!!

I love it!!!

xxxxxxx

**************

> 
> --
> 
> ---
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> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an
> email to lsxcampeconomics+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.
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Yay! sweet! So here's what I shared with my OccupyLSX Economics Working Group:

> Hi guys
>
> I rarely find my Facebook stream especially cheering*, then these two (following plus a third!) come
> in on the same day:

*ps BTW friends, don't mis-read this! - I love you all - your shared and sharing smiles smile me up and that's good! Much of what I see is fun, worthwhile, but I need some real cheering up!! This slogging away on my own - the lonesome socialist - trying to get rid of capitalism - replacing it with the inclusive, eco-great! co-operative socialist alternative, equalitarian, experiential, horizontalist, not-imposed-hierarchicalist, is hard sledding!!

Oh! Do I need cheering up!!!

>
> Hope u en-joy!
>
> http://www.wimp.com/newdevice/
>
>
> http://9gag.com/gag/axN0Nr2?ref=fb.s
>
> Love
>
> john
>
> *************

And try this:

http://www.upworthy.com/2-monkeys-were-paid-unequally-see-what-happens-next?g=2

Laugh out loud!!

More!!

I love it!!!

xxxxxxx

**************

>
> --
>
> ---
> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups
> "lsxcampeconomics" group.
> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an
> email to lsxcampeconomics+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.
> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
>
 

Thursday, September 26, 2013

To create equality - political, economic and income - and, thus freedom and sustainability

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

26 September 2013

Dear friends, all


After the account, below, of Ed Miliband's Labour Party 2013 Conference speech - is the following response from the US:

   "This is the sort of argument that must be won about what [peoples']assemblies should be for, beyond organising against cuts to Welfare and privatisation of the NHS. It is not sufficient to be merely defensive of the state, now is the time to take forward a positive vision of what sort of political economy (or constitution) is needed to take the whole political frame to the next level and to start promoting it and thinking up demands that would incentivise it vigorously throughout the land."

Accordingly I respond with two attached resources:

1) Since there are five mechanisms that both create inequality* (political, economic and income):

 - the attached is a set of proposals that abolish those inequalities

*(Which are: Theft, Rent, Interest, Profit and Unequal-pay for work: TRIP-Up)

For more, please see the papers' section at www.interestfreemoney.org

2) As far as the political/constitutional change to bring this about:

The replacement of the UK's House of Lords (and Senates elsewhere**) with 'Randomocracy Houses of People's Advice' (or some such far better name) based on selection by lot from every constituency of one representative, for service for three years, retiring by thirds:

  --  to advise the elected House on - principally - income ratio, then the message of The Spirit Level (see video lectures, etc on www.equalitytrust.org) becomes operational.

**Of course, an enlightened local government some-where, any-where could do the same as far as a local 'Citizen's/People's Assembly' is concerned.**

So:

The relevant, second attachment is such a petition:

 -  by our Bromley Income Equality Group (BIEG: see FB page for Bromley Income Equality Group),

    which, collected has 800 or so signatures, collected over the past year at Saturday street Stalls in Bromley High Street each first Saturday - and which the London Borough of Bromley's ruling group has tried to run out of town (see the News Shopper coverage) is a local model for action.

Watch out for details of its presentation at the Bromley Civic Centre at 11al Thursday 26th October . . .

Could be lively!

Hope this helps!

For all

john

********** 

This message is from the Google Groups "lsxcampeconomics" group.

> Extracted from
> http://www.hsj.co.uk/news/hsj-live/hsj-live-2492013-ed-miliband-pledges-to-rescue-the-nhs/5063583.article?blocktitle=Most-popular&contentID=-1
>
> *4.29pm* Here are some extracts from Ed Miliband’s speech,transcribed by
> Politics
> Home<http://www.politicshome.com/uk/article/85377/ed_milibands_speech_to_labour_conference.html>
> .
>
> “There’s so much more our countries could be doing for our grandmas and
> granddads. Just putting a £50 grab rail in the home stops somebody falling
> over, prevents them ending up in hospital with the needless agony, and all
> of the money that it costs.
>
> “The 1945 Labour government raised its sights, even in tough times. I want
> the next Labour government to do the same: to raise our health in the NHS.
> Bringing together physical health, mental health, and all the care for the
> needs of the elderly: a true integrated National Health Service.
>
> “But we don’t just need to improve the health service, friends; we’ve got
> to rescue it from these Tories. And the Liberals too…
>
> “Before the election I remember the speeches by David Cameron; one where
> he
> said the three most important letters to him were NHS - he’s got a funny
> way of showing it hasn’t he? When they came to office they were still
> saying how brilliant everything was in the National Health Service. Have
> you noticed they’ve changed their tune recently? Suddenly they’re saying
> how bad everything is in the National Health Service.
>
> “…the reason David Cameron is running down the NHS is not because the
> doctors and nurses aren’t doing as good a job as they were before, it’s
> because they’ve come to a realisation, the health service is getting worse
> on their watch, and they’re desperately thrashing around finding someone
> to
> blame: doctors, nurses, the last Labour government - that’s what they’re
> doing!
>
> “…when you heard David Cameron casting around for someone to blame for the
> NHS, it’s as simple as ABC - Anyone But Cameron. We know who’s responsible
> for the needless top-down reorganisation that no one voted for or ever
> wanted, for the abolition of NHS Direct, we know who’s responsible for not
> just an annual A&E crisis but for an A&E crisis for all seasons: this
> Prime
> Minister. It’s the same old story; we rescue the NHS, they wreck the NHS,
> and we’ll have to rescue it all over again - that is what the next Labour
> government will do.”
> Some have already made the point, quite rightly that EM doesn't mention
> anywhere the privatisation of the NHS.
>
> Later in the excerpt, it goes on to say
>
> Sarah Calkin: “EdM: even in tough times we can raise our sights, like govt
> of 1945, and brig together physical health mental health & social care'
>
> Which is actually a repeat of Andy Burnham's message.
>
> I think we need to take the anti-privatisation fight and link it to a
> genuine bringing together of these 3 aspects of care, but also to include
> that aspect of health deprivation which is not possible to tackle in the
> present constitutional order, and which goes to the heart of what Occupy
> and Assemblies and Real Democracy and new economics are all ultimately
> about - namely equality.
>
> And also education, work life and our spiritual lives.
>
> Now real care on all these 7 fronts - all essential to a health culture -
> can only happen when we make and embed and ultimately make part of the
> constitution new institutions, seeded built and developed while the old
> one
> - to the extent that it doesn't work, changes or dies. New institutions to
> guarantee equality + social physical, mental, spiritual and educational
> well being, as well as a meaningful and rewarding work life for all.
>
> The Spirit Level makes it clear the impact of inequality on health so we
> need to encourage a political equality through peoples assemblies and a
> new
> constitution. Mere redistribution of economic wealth via state processes
> are neither sustainable (due to economic and political cycles),
> particularly effective but more importantly they are not based on human to
> human kindness care and solidarity.
>
> Peoples assemblies can ensure equality in decision making in a new
> constitution while also creating the platform for all the other aspects of
> care to be proposed, agreed, planned innovated, organised and
> administered.
>
> Aside from the curriculum the problem with schools is there are too few
> adults to every child, which means that vulnerable children and their
> vulnerable parents are not supported. How can we save children from the
> Russian Roulette of who they are born to?
>
> 'It takes a village to bring up a child' and we need to secure a Local
> Health Service on every front in every community to ensure no one -
> however
> well funded by the state - can ever get neglected left behind bullied or
> otherwise left uncared for.
>
> This is the sort of argument that must be won about what assemblies should
> be for, beyond organising against cuts to Welfare and privatisation of the
> NHS. It is not sufficient to be merely defensive of the state, now is the
> time to take forward a positive vision of what sort of political economy
> (or constitution) is needed to take the whole political frame to the next
> level and to start promoting it and thinking up demands that would
> incentivise it vigorously throughout the land.
>
> In solidarity
>
> Mark
>
>> From main OL list \
>>
>>
>
>> On 26 September 2013 09:33, A wrote:
>>
>>> "Obamacare" kicks next week.  What that means for me - I have to buy
>>> state sponsored health insurance.  For my income bracket (one of the
>>> lower
>>> ones) I can pay nearly $400 a month for a "gold" plan which I guess
>>> covers
>>> most shit.  I can't afford that though.  So most likely I will get the
>>> "catastrophe" level plan which only covers life threatening illnesses
>>> or
>>> disease.  That's $145 a month.
>>>
>>> If I don't get that I am fined.  Close to $90 a month, and I get
>>> absolutely nothing. That's "Obamacare."  That's "healthcare" in the
>>> states.
>>>
>>> Many of us, including me, organize in the abstract.  But this is real.
>>> This is what the ConDems (and Labour) want to do to your healthcare.
>>> You
>>> really need to understand the consequences of losing fights over the
>>> NHS.
>>> GA's and town halls and shit are not going to cut it.
>>>
>>> You are about to lose the NHS and forgive me because I no longer live
>>> in
>>> the UK, but where is the fucking resistance?
>>>
>>>
>>
>
> --
>
> ---
> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups
> "lsxcampeconomics" group.
> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an
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>

Monday, September 16, 2013






Green Party September 2013 conference decision on money creation and response from John Courtneidge 17 September 2013

Re: new Green Party policy on money creation (as below) -- Next, urgent steps:

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

Indeed, good news! Green Party friends are to be congratulated!

The next step, of course, is to deal with the interest, etc aspects, since non-sustainability is a circumstance where human-created pollution exceeds Gaia's capacity to deal with it in an environmentally-equilibrating way.

In the attached - which is for free sharing and which I can send a paper copy, the key relevant to the above equation is on page 5:

(Raw) Materials + Energy --> Wealth + Pollution

This is because the four forms of usury (once money has been created in the first place - in the non-exploitative way proposed, below) - associated with the present 'economic' system (ie the incomes that flow from the theft of land, law, knowledge, position and which lead to money incomes in the form of rent, interest, profit and higher-than-average incomes for paid work) - serve to distract money from its wealth-creating and -sharing, just processes into the four money-seeking-more-money processes, usury processes I list above.

And hence the exponential growth in the pollution indicator, atmospheric CO2 as one example.

Gaia cannot wait another twenty-or-so years for us to faff around over the interest (and usury generally) question.

I hope that one, or more, mainstream political party/ies in this country will tackle that systemic problem as quickly, therefore, as possible.

The Greens first?

ps - I can happily attend to explain the above, more-or-less anywhere. The one prior author (other than Jesus) who touches on the above analysis is Frederick Soddy in his book, 'Wealth, Virtual Wealth and Debt' I have a copy in Canada, Bloomfield Books in Sudbury, Eassex used to sell copies - theonly one on bookfinder.com - where a number of Soddy's other books are listed is priced, used, at GBP160 - gasp! - the Bilderbergers must be buying them up!)

Hope this helps!

john

*************


> Clive, John
>
> I'm delighted to say that after much efforts the Green Party now has
> pretty good Monetary Policy. This was passed at conference yesterday.
>
> Autumn Conference 2013
>
> Amend the Economy section of the PSS as follows:

> i) Delete paragraphs EC661 to EC664 (inclusive) and replace with the following new paragraphs EC 661 to EC 664:

> EC661 The Green Party believes that, as the means of exchanging goods and services, the stock of money is a vital common resource which should be managed in the public interest. Yet only 3% of our money supply currently exists in the form of notes and coins issued by the Government or the Bank of England. 97% of the money circulating in the economy takes the form of credit that is created electronically by private banks through the accounting processes they follow when they make loans.

> EC662 The existing banking system is undemocratic, unfair and highly damaging. Banks not only create money, they also decide how it is first used – and have used this power to fund financial speculation and reckless mortgage lending, rather than to finance investment in productive businesses. Through the interest charged on the loans on which all credit is based, the current banking system increases inequality. It also regularly causes economic crises: banks create and lend more and more money until the level of debt becomes unsustainable, boom turns to bust, and the taxpayer bails out banks that are “too big to fail”Autumn Conference 2013 Agenda Page 15 Green Party of England and Wales. Finally, the need to service the growing mountain of debt on which our money is based is a key driver of unsustainable economic growth that is destroying the environment.

> EC663 The existing banking system has failed and is no longer fit for purpose. The Green Party believes that the power to create money must be removed from private banks. The supply of our national currency must be fully restored to democratic and public control so that it can be issued free of debt and directed to environmentally and socially beneficial areas such as renewable energy, social housing, or support for community businesses.

> EC664 A Green Government will therefore develop and implement a programme of banking reform based on the following principles:

> a) All national currency (both in cash and electronic form) will be created, free of any associated debt, by a National Monetary Authority (NMA) that is accountable to Parliament;

> b) The 1844 Bank Charter Act will be updated to prohibit banks from creating national currency in the form of electronic credit. To finance their lending, investment or proprietary trading activities, banks will have to borrow or raise
> the necessary national currency from savers and investors;

> c) The NMA will be mandated by law to manage the stock of national currency so that it is sufficient to support full employment, while avoiding general inflation in prices, and taking into account the development of local currencies (Ref. paragraph EC 678);

> d) Any new money created by the NMA will be credited to the account of the Government as additional revenue, to be spent into circulation in the economy in accordance with the budget approved by Parliament;

> e) The members of the NMA will be appointed – for fixed terms - by a Select Committee of Parliament;

> f) The independence and integrity of the NMA will be assured by law requiring NMA members and staff to be free of any conflict of interest; mandating full transparency of NMA decisions; and prohibiting lobbying or undue influence of NMA members or staff by government, financial institutions, corporations or any other private interest.

> ii) Amend paragraph EC 665 as follows: Insert the following words at the start of the paragraph: “As an interim measure, before the programme of reform described in EC 664 has been implemented,”

> iii) Amend paragraph EC 676 as follows: Delete the following words at the start of the paragraph: “Since these restrictions on bank lending will severely restrict the money supply,” and replace with the following words: “As an interim measure, before the programme of reform described in EC 664 has been implemented,”

> iv) Amend paragraph EC677 as follows: Insert the following words at the start of the paragraph: “As an interim measure, before the programme of reform described in EC 664 has been implemented,”

> v) Amend paragraph EC 678 as follows: Delete from the paragraph the whole of the fourth sentence that begins with the following words: “Community Banks will be empowered to create credit in the same way that commercial banks currently do...”

> vi) Amend Paragraph EC 512 as follows: In the first sentence of the paragraph, after the words “...local economic activity” insert a comma and delete the words “and empowered to create credit at interest rates sufficient only to cover administration when”
A minimum income, not wage, is a fairer way to distribute wealth

Hi fellow Canadians and friends everywhere.

Did uc this:

http://business.financialpost.com/2013/04/08/a-minimum-income-not-wage-is-a-fairer-way-to-distribute-wealth/

Fellow Canadians will recognise the author as scarcely a raving leftie!

 . . . interesting times!

Love

john

ps I found this on Wikipedia while searching the phrase "Citizens Wage" - an interesting phrase in its own right/write!

**************

Thursday, September 12, 2013

Some resources on Change

John Courtneidge


12 September 2013

Contents:

1) From Google search: How change happens

2) Movement Action Plan (MAP) - Bill Moyer:

3) International Centre of Nonviolence , (Sydney Australia)

4) Brian Martin

5) Seeds for Change

6) Energy profiles from chemistry:

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

1) From Google search: How change happens

    a) Renato Cardoso:
How Change Happens:
Two step process: dissatisfaction/anger emotions followed by whole-hearted commitment (mind, body, spirit, wholeness, resources - tools people, money, expertise - and, finally, speech - speak out!) to surpass Resistance:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hikH21emAiY

Renato Cardoso blog:

http://www.renatocardoso.com/en/


    b) Ian MacKenzie: 
How Change Happens
15 views! Uploaded three months' ago (ie about June 2013):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gQarnbBh50

My comment, there, to it:

Very fine video! - if you're interested in a discussion on effecting beneficial change, please be in touch john@courtneidgeassociates.com or via a blog sustainabilitynotcapitalism.blogspot.com a web-site interestfreemoney.org or my facebook page thx!

    c) Marianne Williamson on Occupy: Keep it smart, keep it nonviolent, keep it growing


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZPna2RfXzE


ps My original hope was to find a ?two-minute seminar from her that suggests something like 'when 11% of a population 'get it' every-one follows' - but I've not refound that yet . . .

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

2) Movement Action Plan (MAP) - Bill Moyer:



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Moyer


The second external link gives:


http://historyisaweapon.com/defcon1/moyermap.html

Movement Action Plan

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia



The Movement Action Plan is a strategic model for waging nonviolent social movements developed by Bill Moyer, a US social change activist. The MAP, initially developed by Moyer in the late 1970s, uses case studies of successful social movements to illustrate eight distinct stages through social movements' progress, and is designed to help movement activists choose the most effective tactics and strategies to match their movements' current stage.

The eight stages

Moyer describes the eight stages as:
  • Critical social problem exists
  • Prove failure of official institutions
  • Ripening conditions
  • Take off
  • Perception of failure
  • Majority public opinion
  • Success
  • Continuation

External links


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

3) International Centre of Nonviolence , (Sydney Australia)


Video of founding event February 2013: http://www.nonviolence.org.au/video-gallery/

Launched on 2 October 2012 when celebrating UN International Day of Nonviolence and commemorating the anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi’s birth:

The main objective of the ICON Australia will be to part education on action in nonviolence at various levels.
Our vision is of a nonviolent society based on the celebration of our common humanity and of the natural environment that sustains us. We will work to make strategic interventions in education – development of educators and curricula, teaching and writing – that challenge structural violence, enable learning untainted by violence and advance a culture of nonviolence. It works through reflective practice and focused research to develop and disseminate its understanding, and to build networks of educators with a similar vision and commitment

From there:













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

    4) Brian Martin


Web-site: http://www.bmartin.cc/

Book: 'Nonviolence versus capitalism' War Resisters International, London 2001
– on line at:

Summary

Nonviolent action is the most promising method of moving beyond capitalism to a more humane social and economic system. How can this be achieved? Nonviolence versus Capitalism offers a systematic approach, starting with an analysis of capitalism from the viewpoint of nonviolence, outlining nonviolent economic alternatives and describing what is involved in a nonviolence strategy. A check list for activists is proposed and used to assess diverse campaigns, including workers' struggles, sabotage, environmental campaigns, social defence, global campaigns and economic alternatives.

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

    5) Seeds for Change:

http://www.seedsforchange.org.uk/

Workshops and Resources
for grassroots activists

Seeds for Change - activists providing support and training to activists, campaigners, community groups and co-operatives.

We're a network of activist training co-ops providing training and workshops on group and campaign skills. We support people who want to make our world a better and more sustainable place.
Have a look at our guides and briefings which have lots of practical skills and ideas to make your meetings run smoothly and painlessly, not to mention making your campaign or project a success! We cover topics like consensus decision making, facilitating meetings, how to win your campaign, publicity, and taking action. All our materials are free.
picture of lots of briefingsHere's just some of the workshops we can offer - if you want something that's not on this list then ask us - we may be able to help, or know someone who can.
  • Consensus Decision Making and Facilitation - make your meetings inclusive, creative and effective.
  • Campaign and action skills, work out a strategy for your campaign.
  • Co-ops - help in setting up your co-op, work out how to work together, choose a structure, work out your business idea.
  • Training for trainers - how to plan and run your own great workshops.
Workshops for unfunded grassroots groups are usually free, so give us a shout if you think we could help your group, or you want to offer your facilitation or training skills!

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

    6) Energy profiles from chemistry:


Please see attached diagrams for exothermic and endothermic changes.










Wednesday, September 11, 2013

What you could do to advance co-operation.

 
Co-operation is better than Conflict
 
11 September 2013

Dear friends, world-wide, on this significant day:
 
If you are a member of a co-op, please consider submitting the following motion and publcise outcomes:

       "This AGM asks the [co-op name here] Co-operative Board, in co-operation with the staff and others as appropriate, to act upon the Motion on Annual Co-operative Audits agreed at the Co-operative Party conference in 1999, namely: 'That this co-operative shall carry out and publicise Annual Co-operative Audits to demonstrate its fidelity to the definition, values and principles as contained in the most-up-to-date variant of The Statement on The Co-operative Identity issued by The International Co-operative Alliance.'"

Friday, September 6, 2013



My friend, Clive Menzies wrote today (Friday 6 September 2013):

  "It is vital to distinguish land from other forms of investment.

Land belongs to us all and the value in it (by virtue of location or 
resources) is created communally. Private capture of this value is 
immoral and creates inequality and poverty. It should be shared for the 
common good. Land is not capital.

The issue of corporate greed and dominance is a separate issue and is 
facilitated by interest on money to tilt the economic playing field in 
favour of the big. It is demonstrably proven that interest on money 
drives inequality and it enables leveraged buyouts, derivatives etc. 
Eliminate interest and you eliminate the excesses of financial 
capitalism and level the playing field.

Finally, an unconditional citizens income will equalise the balance 
between employer and employee because survival would no longer be tied 
to paid employment. No need for unions and many destructive or 
superfluous jobs would disappear. People would then be free to choose 
how to contribute without being forced to undertake unpalatable work.

http://freecriticalthinking.org/new-economy

Regards

Clive"
 
        To which I add:
 
Dear friends

I add +1, at least, to Clive's succinct posting and thanks! for it.

I consider that all knowledge is also:

   a) socially-produced, in social, collective and historical contexts,(as
such strands of e-mailery prove!), and,

(and for those of us comfortable with such language, and also God-given), and,

   b) therefore part of the commons, and so,

   c) should not be subject to appropriation and exploitation.

I hope, therefore, that, after this evening's 
(Occupy LSX Economics Working Group)consideration of Guaranteed
Income and land, etc as commons, we will move on to succinct statements on 
workplaces (where knowledge is use to make wealth) - and/including money/banking/financial service workplaces in due course. Recall the Spirit Level evidence: that income equality is the creator of well-ness: ill-ness being, in a generic sense, what we are trying to eradicate (As best we can) - versa (income inequality) being the creator of vice.

For all, in all, by all

john

***************