CHAPTER 1
'OCCUPY' GLOBALACTION FOR JUSTICE
The cost of lack of interest in public affairsis to be ruled by evil men.Plato (BC 427-347)
Politics is the art of preventing people from takingpart in affairs which properly concern them.Paul Valery (1871-1945)
Who controls the food supply controls the people.Who controls the energy can control whole continents.Who controls money can control the world.Attributed to Henry Kissinger (1923-)
1.1.1% Wealth and Control
The '1%', their predatory corporations—some larger than nations—andvested interests own and control the world's resources. Theirunmerited wealth, gained often by unproductive speculation, allowsthem control of:
* world organisations, governments, politicians, publicservants, the mainstream media, academia, and the '99%';and
* the world's food, energy, and money.
1.2. Today's Crises
Today's crises are not the result of accident or miscalculation butof the pursuit of power, crimes against humanity, greed, and themantra of 'neoliberalism.' (See chapter 2.)
The 1% have brought about:
* the global financial crisis (GFC) (chapter 3);
* the 'real' economy or fiscal crisis (chapter 4); and
* the environmental crisis (chapter 5).
1.3. Participatory Democracy and Justice
The continued global domination of the 1% will ensure continuingcrises and the economic, social, cultural, and environmentalcollapse of nations and planet earth.
* Modern 'democracy' (Greek demokratia government bythe people) is a sham. True democracy must be genuinelyparticipatory at all levels of government. The 99% mustdemand global justice, constitutional and legislative change,and action to bring about:
* a financial and economic system that ensures sufficiencyand equity for all;
* sustainability and minimum destruction of theenvironment; and
* a world of peace.
* Constitutional and legislative amendments to overcomethe evil machinations of the 1% and for Participatorydemocracy must be voted on immediately by referendumor its equivalent.
* 'Occupy' must develop a political action program andbecome a leading part of a globally coordinated movementof activist groups, youth, and 'elders.'
* To ensure that it is not hijacked and derailed, Occupymust:
* develop a coordinated action agenda and leadershipstructure with other movements and within its owntroops;
* continue to be morally and actively courageous;
* enlist the morally and actively courageous among the'1%' and their vested interests to assist in its cause; and
* become financially strong.
1.4. Resistance to Change
There will be massive resistance to any change: the closer the 99%and Occupy get to achieving their just goals, the more resistancethere will be.
Occupy must be relentless in its demand for justice. United in itsglobal billions, the 99% will succeed; divided, it will fail. For thesake of humanity, today's youth and future generations, and planetearth, it must succeed.
CHAPTER 2
SHAM DEMOCRACIES
2.1.1%: The Enemies of Democracy
The '1%,' their predatory corporations, and vested interests arethe enemies of democracy and of international and nationalconstitutions and laws. Their membership is said to includesome 6,000 individuals who constitute a dominant global 'superclass.' They are, in effect, a world government that controls worldorganisations, governments, financial institutions, other globalcorporations—and billions of the world's people.
The remaining 99% have been silenced by the 1% and theireconomic policies of neoliberalism.
2.1.1. Constitution (or Equivalent) and Legislation
* To bring about justice and lawful change, the 99% mustfirst consider all existing relevant legislation, and wherenecessary, they must amend the constitution at every levelof government:
* the requirements for constitutional amendment varybetween nations, the level of government, and thesubject matter; an international standard must be thegoal;
* to ensure that action and legal proceedings againstthose suspected of fraud can get underway unhindered,it will be necessary to waive here any
(a) statutes of limitations;
(b) any laws of 'double jeopardy'; and
(c) the corporate veil.
2.1.2. The Neoliberalism Mantra
The 1% has foisted neoliberalism (aka economic rationalism) upona silenced 99% through the financing of 'think tanks,' academia,educational institutions, and the mainstream media.
Its principles rely on the following myths:
* deregulation and minimal government intervention inmarkets;
* 'free' trade (aka trade liberalisation);
* privatisation of the people's assets; and
* the catastrophic, never-ending pursuit of economic'growth.'
As a result, global financial, 'real economy' (fiscal), andenvironmental disasters are imminent.
2.1.3. Climate of Fear
Fear, threats, and indefinite imprisonment of citizens without trialare used to silence the 99%. Fear was used by the 1% to convinceus that it was essential to bail out—with taxpayers' monies—thefinanciers who had brought about the 2008 GFC.
Threats, legal action, and incarceration have been used againstmany, including the whistleblowers Bradley Manning and JulianAssange and members of the Occupy movement. Financialblockade has been used against WikiLeaks.
* Whistleblowers must be protected by law:
* leaks of 'secret' information from public-sectorbureaucrats and others have been essential in keepinggovernments accountable and the 99% protected andinformed;
* free legal assistance must be provided to whistleblowers;their lawyers and the people must have access to them(habeas corpus), including by means of 24/7 camerasurveillance if imprisoned;
* organisations such as Anonymous and WikiLeaks mustbe adequately funded; and
* bureaucrats who ignore information for whichgovernments should be held accountable must bepenalised as culpable, anti-democratic conspirators.
2.1.4. The Surveillance State: NationalSecurity and Domestic Spying
Every nation must protect itself and its people. Global and nationalsecurity systems are essential. They go under a variety of names,and presumably, many are unknown.
When used for domestic spying on a state's own citizens, they areused outside their main purpose. For example, the US NationalSecurity Agency (NSA) and its related agencies have recorded some20 trillion communications of ordinary Americans.
* Under every nation's constitution and law:
* the 99% must be fully informed and given theopportunity to approve by vote the framework, cost,and powers of a government's national security anddomestic spying programs;
* at minimum, the programs must comply withinternational agreements on data protection andprivacy; and
* any use of private agencies and corporations must beapproved by vote.
* The 99% should combat the illegal use of the 'surveillancestate' by:
* becoming aware of their rights when interacting withgovernment agencies; and
* anonymously communicating on the internet.
2.1.5. Dominance of Information Flows
Information dominance—one aspect of 'full-spectrumdominance'—is a stated policy of the United States. Propaganda,lies, misinformation, cover-ups, spin, secrecy, and informationoverload are part of the process that allows the 1%, theircorporations, and vested interests to sideline the will of the majorityand pursue their agendas undetected.
* Political propaganda by TV, radio, media releases, film (e.g.,Operation Hollywood), and 'information advertisements'are used to influence opinion. The people must be giventhe right to decide the use of public money for partisangovernment propaganda.
* If politicians in their campaigns and public servants arefound guilty of political lies, misinformation, cover-ups,and spin, they should be brought to account. Lies must bean indictable offence, and perpetrators' taxpayer-fundedsuperannuation and other payments stopped.
* The 2003 invasion of Iraq was a fundamental breach ofinternational law. The perpetrators must be brought toaccount:
* both the United Kingdom and Australia are partiesto the UN International Criminal Court (ICC)statute—thus Tony Blair, John Howard, and theiradministrations must be prosecuted in the ICC;
* the United States has not ratified the statute; however,eminent US legal experts have argued that George W.Bush, Dick Cheney, and their administration could beindicted for murder.
* In the matter of the torture of prisoners, the people mustbe:
* provided with full information on the frameworkand methods used where any form of physical orpsychological torture has been applied; and
* given the right to vote on all relevant legislation.
A list of 13 officials in the George W. Bush administration whomade possible the torture and rendition of US political prisonersand the CIA's secret sites is available. All must be brought tojustice.
* The Middle East is the subject of massive secrecy anddeception, including exaggerated security threats. It hasbeen argued that it is in Israel's best interest for the MiddleEast, including Israel, to be made free of nuclear, biological,and chemical weapons. This could set a pattern for similarmeasures to be applied throughout the world.
2.1.6. Social Engineering and Political Correctness
'Social engineering' and 'political correctness,' as used by the 1%,involve:
* political denigration and manipulation of the media andpublic arenas to vilify and silence those holding differingopinions; and
* buzzwords and terms such as anti-Semitic, discrimination(often prohibiting rightful differentiation), inevitable,national interest and security, homophobia and other phobias,progress, racist and terrorist.
The term anti-Semitic has allowed the United States and Israel to doas they wish and continue the Palestinian holocaust.
* There may be little that can be done about the use ofpolitical denigration and buzzwords, other than ignoringthem or legislating against their misuse.
2.2. Participatory Democracy
Intermittent elections have degenerated into farcical politicalcircuit breakers to placate the people. They do not ensure genuineparticipatory democracy.
* It is the duty of the 99% to immediately take action toregain rightful democratic control from their governmentsand insist on:
* an immediate review of existing constitutions andlegislation to ensure that strategic political decisions aremade by vote of the people or their local communityrepresentative at all levels of government—national,state/provincial and local;
* being fully informed in a timely and succinct manner;
* the prohibition of campaign funding of candidates andother political donations by corporations, and limitingthose made by individuals to a legislated amount; and
* the people having the power to remove from office allelected and public officials e.g. by impeachment or a'recall election'.
2.3. Strategic Decisions
A properly informed 99% is more than capable of making strategicpolitical decisions.
* In addition to other matters raised in this document, thepeople must be enabled to exercise their democratic right tovote on strategic decisions on the following matters:
1. War and The Judiciary (2.4)
2. World Organisations (2.5)
3. The Public Sector (2.6)
4. Corporations and Lobbyists (2.7 and 2.8)
5. Global and National Banking Systems and FinancialInstitutions (Chapter 3)
6. Government Revenue and Expenditure (Chapter 4)
7. Environmental Matters (Chapter 5)
2.3.1. Constitutional and Legislative Framework
* In cases where the accommodation or delegation bythe elected government for the people to make strategicdecisions is not legally possible, there must be constitutionalchange to make it so at every level of government.
* Citizen-initiated Referenda (CIRs) must be allowed toenable a public vote on matters such as:
* the making of constitutional changes;
* a 'voters' veto' to block laws passed by Parliaments ortheir equivalent; and
* the making of new laws by voters.
* The plebiscite process on the passing of strategic decisionswhich are not the subject of a referendum must be madepossible at every level of government. To be effective, whenthe people's wish is established, it must be binding ongovernment.
* The right of any person or organisation to petitionParliament or its equivalent to take or not to take aparticular course of public policy must be unimpeded.
* An elected 'citizen jury' can be the prime informationand opinion source on a given constitutional or legislativematter. The 'juries' would then be a platform forparticipatory democracy, where the electorate makes thefinal decision by vote.
* Electronic democracy ('eDemocracy') is the most efficientmeans of empowering citizens or their local nominees toparticipate in the democratic process. Modern electronicand communication 'smart' technologies must beimmediately developed to ensure that the 99%:
* receive reliable, timely and succinct information;
* can participate in debate on strategic decisions; and
* as already successfully introduced throughout theworld, have their votes accurately recorded by electronicvoting.
* Video conferencing, virtual classrooms and internetcommunities as a forum for debate must be financed bygovernment.
2.3.2. People Fully Informed
* It is the duty of taxpayer-funded politicians and publicservants to timely and comprehensively inform the peopleof all matters relating to their strategic decisions.
* The bases for decision-making must be provided in one-pagesummaries in point form for the people's decision.Full detail must be available if requested. Inappropriatecomplexity of information provided should be taken asfraudulent or evidence of lack of understanding by thepresenters of the 'information'
2.4. War and the Judiciary
* War ultimately treats the 99% as 'canon fodder'. Theinitiation of any form of war, including the 'war on terror',unmanned aerial vehicles, land and underwater drones, and'special services' attacks must comply with internationalagreements and be the subject of national vote by a properlyinformed people.
* Appointment of the judiciary at all levels and decisions onmandatory sentencing must be made by the people.
2.5. World Organisations
2.5.1. General
* There must be true democratic decision-making processesglobally.
* There must be a revamp of all international bodies andinstitutions, and review of:
* their structure and cost;
* all rights of veto, such as in the UN Security Council;
* the 'one-dollar-one-vote' principle, which favours therichest countries;
* international legislation; and
* agreements between any international organisation andnations.
* World organisation heads, senior officials and regulatorsmust be appointed by vote of the people.
2.5.2. Corporate Influence
The undemocratic influence of global corporations and theirlobbyists on the UN and its agencies, on the EU and otherinternational organisations has been detrimental to internationalpolicy making and development strategies.
The UN '3 Sisters' (the World Trade Organisation (WTO), theInternational Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank) have anoverwhelming influence on international affairs. They underminenations by favouring global corporations on matters such astied loans to nations, privatisation of people's assets and tradeliberalisation:
* corporate lobbying has demanded unfair loans andtrade rules which have undermined the fight againstpoverty, hindered rather than helped poor countries,and has allowed corporations to violate environmental,social and human rights and labour standards; and
* public-private partnerships support corporationsin opening up markets and in facilitating access togovernments.
* By means of cooperation between all nations and thestrategic decision-making available to their people:
* the WTO, IMF and World Bank must be reconstitutedor replaced; and
* the influence of corporations and their lobbyists on allinternational organisations must be strictly regulated.
