it might work if the goals of the contract have more to do with issues and less to do with getting politicians elected / unelected.

If you're in California, you have an alternative: check out the Peace and Freedom Party. http://peaceandfreedom.org/

Another party is just another problem. Political Parties usurp power that should be reserved for the people.

Obama has shown he doesn't really care about Progressives. We can meet and plan and call and email and vote and get him elected and he'll still be at best a Centrist who pays lip service to Progressives.

I'd rather spend my time and energy even in a failing effort to elect a true progressive which is what our country truly needs and power brokers will never allow.

If only Van weren't trying to steer us toward a Party whose solutions are only marginally different from those of the Rethugs.

Van, honey, the Dims just aren't all that into you. Get a clue.

Didn't all of the USA hear it all before from the current president when in campaigning mode?

I'm with you........PUKE on the nightmare that is falsely called the American Dream! Ask the generations of poor how they feel about the decades and decades of bullsh*t promises and the scraps via govt. cheese logs, welfare and Section 8 and crap schools and bars not books for THEIR kids. kill capitalism before it kills YOU! Ecotopia is waiting for us!! Socialism is the only way.

Galenwainwright wrote:

Rebuild the dream?

How about wake up from the nightmare, shake off the decades of Rip vanWinkleism, and start behaving like adults to confront the dire consequences of resource depletion, environmental collapse and economic collapse.

'Dreaming' is how we got in this mess in the first place.

- - - -

I agree.

You're suppose to be Progressive? Progressives are NOT defeatist! Of course the "Rebuild the Dream" is a marketing tool for the Democratic Party! BUT it's for ALL Americans Not just Democrats! You don't see Republicans trying to do this do you? They are tearing our way of living down and tearing it to shreds, and making a mockery of everything that this country has been built on over decades. Things that Republicans and Democrats have done to better our country. They are even trying to dismantle Our Constitution!! NOW we NEED to Rebuild the Dream and go Forward NOT backward, like the GOP is trying to do..

No, I'm afraid not. It's the left tea party instead of the right tea party.

Agree. I'll add, the "we are not broke" slogan is just a feel good slogan and Van Jones' simplification is dishonest. In the same way, the conservatives' statement that "we are broke" is a simplification and is dishonest. Fact is, scores of millions of Americans are not only broke, they will be overly-indebted for most of their remaining lives. As a whole, voting Americans, led by both Democrats and Republicans have led us here by voting for and passing legislation that reduces taxes, lowering social benefits (e.g., letting schools fail), and redistributing government funds to programs such as war that overly benefit the rich. This is the honesty that Van Jones fails to mention. As a country, sure, the US isn't broke, in the sense that if we liquidate US assets (e.g., selling national parks and resources) or transfer the wealth from the rich to government coffers, we could pay our debt. In that sense, Greece isn't broke either. But that isn't the point Van Jones is making. I will give credit to Van Jones for correctly pointing out that part of the solution is putting more tax burden on the rich, simply because that is where much of the wealth is concentrated in this country (other wealth is sitting in offshore corporate accounts); however, transferring some of that wealth won't cure our debt problems as long as Americans have the mentality to buy into needless wars and not fund their own children's schools.

Part II.

"Hating on America's government - and wrecking America's infrastructure - is patriotic" is the third idea Van Jones calls a lie. I can understand where he is coming from. From a peace perspective, though, I have seen that criticizing the government and wishing for peace has been called "unpatriotic" and "hateful to the United States" as well. I do not believe that criticism of the government and wishing for peace are hateful or unpatriotic.

I do believe that wrecking infrastructure can be hateful, but also can clear the way for a new, sustainable infrastructure that we need. We need an infrastructure for public transportation that has a negligible impact on the environment. We need a new and/or revitalized infrastructure for affordable healthcare for all people. We need for the disparity of wealth between the CEOs of insurance companies and the people who need healthcare to be reduced.

I would prefer it were the health insurance companies disbanded, but with a transition plan for the people who are employed by the companies so that they can obtain more ethical, sustainable work. I want for the CEOs of all companies who are rich to just decide to opt out, retire at a reasonable income, and stop exploiting people. So basically, I want a graceful, gentle parachute for the CEOs so that they and their families are not frightened. Preferably Gaia would provide this naturally for these people so that it just happens without a hitch.

I wish Van Jones success in getting people to engage in rebuilding the American Dream in a sustainable manner and with the goal of long term sustainability, and I ask that this vision include kindness, forgiveness, and that rebuilding include sustainability in terms of wages, health, and especially the environment.

I have sympathy for many of the organizations that Van Jones mentions: AFL-CIO, SEIU, MoveOn.org, etc. I have volunteered for an effort that SEIU has helped with, and have contributed to moveon.org even though I'd seen moveon.org as being aligned with the Democratic Party. I have great sympathy for many who vote for the Democratic Party but I also have a lot of criticism for the corporate funding and militarism promoted by the Democratic Party. However, I realize that the heart of progressives is still represented in many ways within the Democratic Party, and that the heart of good people is also represented in the Republican Party albeit manifested in unfortunate ways within both. We must recognize common ground, and in a way that is beneficial to the health of most, if not all people and the environment!

On July 5th, Van Jones invites us to go to rebuildthedream.com and share ideas. I think this is good.

There is criticism based on the history of political campaigns and parties, and this is mentioned in the threads of comments below this video but I think we also have to recognize that opportunites are born in mixed circumstance, and that action and progress can transcend circumstance.

Spiritually I like the words, "Contract for the American Dream." I can see it as a way of making a covenant with a dream, a process similar to "making a covenant with God."

I would like us to transcend "they" and "our" in the phrases "their turn" and "our turn" that Van Jones says. I would like "them" to be "us" and "us" to be "them." I know this is so in so many ways. "We're going to rebuild the movement that stands for liberty and justice for all," Van Roy says at the end, and I think the "all" part if this is good and the intent is good. I'd also like for us to consider mercy. :)

So this is my long, yet brief analysis of this video!

You have to instill a reason. People respond better when they have a GOOD amount of anger to get on the ball and start responding. Van isn't instilling Hate he's instilling anger, an awakeining in those people so they will want to stand up and fight for what's right. He's also doing it in a calm manner NOT yelling and screaming and wringing his hands. His demore is calm his words are right on! The rest of your post is Great and is JUST what Van was saying.