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Happy Birthday, America! And Many More?
Jul 04, 2008
Are we the ones who will witness democracy's demise? I don't think this is what poet June Jordan had in mind when she wrote, "We are the ones we've been waiting for."
It could happen.
When a small segment of the population has a disproportionate amount of the wealth, it's called a plutocracy. When a small group controls money, government and the military, that's fascism. When one religion dominates, it's theocracy. When leaders lie to the people, start a war, flaunt national and international laws, trash the environment and amass a monstrous debt, that's just plain terrifying. Many fear the democracy of we the people is dangerously close to crumbling, overtaken by one of the other systems of government.
But it won't.
First hundreds, then thousands and now millions of patriotic Americans have boldly asserted that they are the one's we've been waiting for and have chosen to devote their time and talents to assure that government of, by and for the people will not perish from this land.
A massive, vibrant progressive movement has emerged to restore and strengthen democracy. It's grown up from the grassroots, not handed down from national leadership. People are connecting to one another through conferences and workshops, in meetings at coffee shops, community centers, churches, mosques and synagogues and through the internet in amazingly creative ways.
They are educating themselves and others about critical issues and envisioning a better future for all. Books and articles are being written by experts and activists. Bloggers are having dialogues that raise and examine important issues. Citizen journalists are reporting on news that the corporate media ignores.
They've formed hundreds of organizations and are implementing thousands of projects to get ordinary citizens involved. They are exploring the spiritual progressive values on which our country was founded. They are protesting when the current administration and Congress propose or enact policies that aggravate problems instead of leading to solutions. They support those office holders who are standing up for our rights. Dissent is an essential part of democracy.
And they are working to get progressive candidates elected to office at every level of government, from city councils to Congress and the Presidency. Then they will hold these elected officials accountable.
Now is the time for every citizen to actively participate in democracy to best of their ability. To volunteer instead of shopping. To talk to people with differing viewpoints, rather than just those who agree. To contribute money instead of buying a new handbag or golf club. To make phone calls instead of watching a reality show on TV.
This is real: citizens taking responsibility for the future of their country.
This is democracy in action!
Phyllis Stenerson lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Phyllis@progressivevalues.org - www.ProgressiveValues.org.
An Urgent Message From Our Co-Founder
Dear Common Dreams reader, It’s been nearly 30 years since I co-founded Common Dreams with my late wife, Lina Newhouser. We had the radical notion that journalism should serve the public good, not corporate profits. It was clear to us from the outset what it would take to build such a project. No paid advertisements. No corporate sponsors. No millionaire publisher telling us what to think or do. Many people said we wouldn't last a year, but we proved those doubters wrong. Together with a tremendous team of journalists and dedicated staff, we built an independent media outlet free from the constraints of profits and corporate control. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. Building Common Dreams was not easy. Our survival was never guaranteed. When you take on the most powerful forces—Wall Street greed, fossil fuel industry destruction, Big Tech lobbyists, and uber-rich oligarchs who have spent billions upon billions rigging the economy and democracy in their favor—the only bulwark you have is supporters who believe in your work. But here’s the urgent message from me today. It's never been this bad out there. And it's never been this hard to keep us going. At the very moment Common Dreams is most needed, the threats we face are intensifying. We need your support now more than ever. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. When everyone does the little they can afford, we are strong. But if that support retreats or dries up, so do we. Will you donate now to make sure Common Dreams not only survives but thrives? —Craig Brown, Co-founder |
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Are we the ones who will witness democracy's demise? I don't think this is what poet June Jordan had in mind when she wrote, "We are the ones we've been waiting for."
It could happen.
When a small segment of the population has a disproportionate amount of the wealth, it's called a plutocracy. When a small group controls money, government and the military, that's fascism. When one religion dominates, it's theocracy. When leaders lie to the people, start a war, flaunt national and international laws, trash the environment and amass a monstrous debt, that's just plain terrifying. Many fear the democracy of we the people is dangerously close to crumbling, overtaken by one of the other systems of government.
But it won't.
First hundreds, then thousands and now millions of patriotic Americans have boldly asserted that they are the one's we've been waiting for and have chosen to devote their time and talents to assure that government of, by and for the people will not perish from this land.
A massive, vibrant progressive movement has emerged to restore and strengthen democracy. It's grown up from the grassroots, not handed down from national leadership. People are connecting to one another through conferences and workshops, in meetings at coffee shops, community centers, churches, mosques and synagogues and through the internet in amazingly creative ways.
They are educating themselves and others about critical issues and envisioning a better future for all. Books and articles are being written by experts and activists. Bloggers are having dialogues that raise and examine important issues. Citizen journalists are reporting on news that the corporate media ignores.
They've formed hundreds of organizations and are implementing thousands of projects to get ordinary citizens involved. They are exploring the spiritual progressive values on which our country was founded. They are protesting when the current administration and Congress propose or enact policies that aggravate problems instead of leading to solutions. They support those office holders who are standing up for our rights. Dissent is an essential part of democracy.
And they are working to get progressive candidates elected to office at every level of government, from city councils to Congress and the Presidency. Then they will hold these elected officials accountable.
Now is the time for every citizen to actively participate in democracy to best of their ability. To volunteer instead of shopping. To talk to people with differing viewpoints, rather than just those who agree. To contribute money instead of buying a new handbag or golf club. To make phone calls instead of watching a reality show on TV.
This is real: citizens taking responsibility for the future of their country.
This is democracy in action!
Phyllis Stenerson lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Phyllis@progressivevalues.org - www.ProgressiveValues.org.
Are we the ones who will witness democracy's demise? I don't think this is what poet June Jordan had in mind when she wrote, "We are the ones we've been waiting for."
It could happen.
When a small segment of the population has a disproportionate amount of the wealth, it's called a plutocracy. When a small group controls money, government and the military, that's fascism. When one religion dominates, it's theocracy. When leaders lie to the people, start a war, flaunt national and international laws, trash the environment and amass a monstrous debt, that's just plain terrifying. Many fear the democracy of we the people is dangerously close to crumbling, overtaken by one of the other systems of government.
But it won't.
First hundreds, then thousands and now millions of patriotic Americans have boldly asserted that they are the one's we've been waiting for and have chosen to devote their time and talents to assure that government of, by and for the people will not perish from this land.
A massive, vibrant progressive movement has emerged to restore and strengthen democracy. It's grown up from the grassroots, not handed down from national leadership. People are connecting to one another through conferences and workshops, in meetings at coffee shops, community centers, churches, mosques and synagogues and through the internet in amazingly creative ways.
They are educating themselves and others about critical issues and envisioning a better future for all. Books and articles are being written by experts and activists. Bloggers are having dialogues that raise and examine important issues. Citizen journalists are reporting on news that the corporate media ignores.
They've formed hundreds of organizations and are implementing thousands of projects to get ordinary citizens involved. They are exploring the spiritual progressive values on which our country was founded. They are protesting when the current administration and Congress propose or enact policies that aggravate problems instead of leading to solutions. They support those office holders who are standing up for our rights. Dissent is an essential part of democracy.
And they are working to get progressive candidates elected to office at every level of government, from city councils to Congress and the Presidency. Then they will hold these elected officials accountable.
Now is the time for every citizen to actively participate in democracy to best of their ability. To volunteer instead of shopping. To talk to people with differing viewpoints, rather than just those who agree. To contribute money instead of buying a new handbag or golf club. To make phone calls instead of watching a reality show on TV.
This is real: citizens taking responsibility for the future of their country.
This is democracy in action!
Phyllis Stenerson lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Phyllis@progressivevalues.org - www.ProgressiveValues.org.
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.