Gar Alperovitz's Blog, page 3

Building a System-Changing Response to Trump and Trumpism at All Levels

In this op-ed for  Truthout , originally published on November 30, 2016, Democracy Collaborative co-founder Gar Alperovitz discusses the possibilities for designing a new system in the Trump Era:

Any serious perspective on how to respond to the election of Donald Trump must begin by recognizing that his victory flowed in substantial part from the growing global crisis of capitalism, which demands a specific strategic response. The response must begin with — but also go beyond — the urgent work of defending, wherever and however possible, the individuals and communities most at risk.

At the most obvious level, our collective response must build upon the energies illuminated by Bernie Sanders’ “democratic socialist” campaign, Black Lives Matter, climate justice, the mobilization in Standing Rock against the Dakota Access Pipeline, the Green Party, LGBTQ activism, immigration activism, People’s Action and many, many other efforts. It must also find ways to bring such energies together with the community-level organizing aimed at democratizing the economic system from the ground up, starting with the development of alternative institutions and building toward a larger vision.

Read the full article hear.

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‘All Resistance Is Local’: A Plan of Progressive Action for the Trump Years

 

 

 

Originally published in The Nation   on November 29, 2016.

In this forum for The Nation, Gar Alperovitz explores what the election of Donald Trump means for local organizing — particularly at the level of cities, which will inevitably play a central role not only as sites of resistance to Trump’s agenda, but also as the birthing ground for new progressive strategies.  Other contributors to the discussion, “‘All Resistance Is Local’: A Plan of Progressive Action for the Trump Years,”include Heather Gerken (Yale Law School), David Bollier (Commons Strategies Group), and Gary Gerstle (University of Cambridge). Here’s an excerpt from Gar’s contribution:

Cities—along with a handful of states—are the most important places left in America under Democratic control. They will inevitably play a central role not only as sites of resistance to Trump’s agenda but also as the birthing ground for new progressive strategies. An explosion of new forms of democratic ownership suggests how new power can be built and how foundations for long-term political change can be established.

In cities all across the country activists have been developing worker-owned cooperatives, community-based land trusts and financial institutions, and publicly owned broadband networks. Some have even launched efforts to take over and municipalize electric utilities as a way to address climate change. ­Mayors, realizing the potential, have begun to respond to this new wave of organizing and institution building. In New York City and Madison, Wisconsin, funds have been allocated to help build worker cooperatives. In Santa Fe, Oakland, and Philadelphia, intensive city-sponsored explorations of municipally-owned banks are underway.

Read the full article here.

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Gar Alperovitz’s Conversation with Ecological Civilization: Alternative Futures Conference

On October 28, 2016, Gar Alperovitz spoke to community members and activists at the Alternative Futures: Pathways toward Ecological Civilization Conference in Claremont, California about the Next System Project and the possibilities and strategies for building the next political economy. Learn more and hear other speakers at the Alternative Futures Conference here.

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Michael Reading of Toward Ecological Civilization Interviews Gar Alperovitz

Gar speaks to Michael Reading from the California organization, Toward Ecological Civilization, about the Cleveland Model, the Pluralist Commonwealth, and designing a community-sustaining political-economic system.

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What’s Next with Peter Buffet: Gar Alperovitz on Quantitative Easing for the Planet

On October 7, 2016, Gar Alperovitz, co-founder of the Democracy Collaborative, joined Peter Buffet on his radio show, What’s Next, to discuss the possibility of using quantitative easing to avert climate crisis by buying out the fossil fuel industry and transiting to green and renewable energy.

Hear the full radio show here.

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Systemic Crisis and Systemic Change in the United States in the 21st Century

This new working paper by Gar Alperovitz, Gus Speth, Ted Howard, and Joe Guinan from The Next System Project—prepared as an invited contribution to the “After Fossil Fuels: The New Economy” conference in Oberlin, Ohio from October 6-8, 2016—explores the intersections of systemic economic and ecological crisis, and propose that only a break with the mechanisms of corporate capitalism is capable of guaranteeing a sustainable future.

The challenge of mounting an adequate response to climate change has to be understood within the context of the larger systemic crisis facing the United States. The perpetuation of generalized austerity and the continued reliance on traditional— and manifestly insufficient—policy solutions which do not address the underlying drivers of inequality, poverty, and ecological overshoot is especially wrongheaded given the historically unprecedented productive capacity our nation enjoys, and the growing consensus on the fundamentals of post-scarcity monetary theory. As the ecological rift widens, we must recognize the incompatibility of core features of the current corporate capitalist system with a sustainable, just, and equitable future…

Read the full paper here.

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Presentations from the 2016 World Beyond War Conference [Video]

Gar Alperovitz spoke on the following panels at a conference hosted by World Without War, an organization that strives to replace a culture of war with one of peace in which nonviolent means of conflict resolution take the place of bloodshed. The organization hosted their #NoWar2016 conference at the American University School of International Service in Washington, D.C. from September 23rd to 26th. The conference was comprised of a series of panels and workshops, plus an awards ceremony and a protest action. Video courtesy of TheRealNews.com:

Capitalism and transition to Peace Economy

Gar Alperovitz speaks after an introduction by David Hartsough

Jodie Evans speaks in response to Gar Alperovitz

Q&A session with Gar Alperovitz and Jodie Evans

Peter Kuznick and Gar Alperovitz give remarks and participate in a Q&A session after a screening of Peter Kuznick’s and Oliver Stone’s Untold History of the United States

 

See the conference agenda and other livestream archives of the events here.

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An animated view of The Pluralist Commonwealth

Here’s an animated view of what a next system grounded in democratized ownership of the economy and real sustainability might look like and illustrating how we are already creating this society using innovative community-based institutions like cooperatives, public banks, and community land trusts – just to name a few.

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Six Practical Steps Building The Next System From the Ground Up

Originally published in Yes! Magazine on September 7, 2016.

From the “buy local” movement to public banking, communities are quietly laying the groundwork for a more democratic, cooperative, and people-centered economy.

“Many years ago, while researching the history of the U.S. decision to use atomic weapons on the people of Japan, I came to understand something: There was something deep at work in the American political and economic system driving it toward relentless expansion and a dangerous, informal imperialism. I began thinking about how to fundamentally change America out of concern with what America was doing—and is still doing—to the rest of the world.

Many experiences since—especially working in the U.S. House, Senate, and at upper levels of the State Department trying to resist the war in Vietnam; and thereafter with activists in the antiwar and civil rights movements—taught me something important: It wasn’t enough to stand in opposition to the injustices America inflicted on the world and its own people. It was equally important for these movements to operate with an idea of what they want instead…”

Click here to read the full article in  Yes! Magazine. 

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Background Briefing with Ian Masters: Gar Alperovitz on Building a 21st Century Populism

On September 5th, 2016, Gar Alperovitz, co-founder of the Democracy Collaborative, joined Ian Masters on his radio program, Background Briefing, to discuss building upon the momentum generated by Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaign. Gar speaks about the potential to transform the energy of the Bernie campaign into a 21st century populist movement–starting at the grass roots to build up community initiatives such as worker cooperatives and regional banks.

Hear the full radio show here.

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