Michael Wayne

Democracy Beyond the Ballot Box: David Graeber’s True Vision of Democracy Democracy is Never Top Down, Nor is Voting the Sole Expression of Democracy

With democracy in the U.S. under fire, we know what we don’t want. But what is it we do want?

Democracy has a rich history. It’s been practiced throughout the world by indigenous cultures.

David Graeber knew this. He showed that democracy is never top down nor is voting its full sole expression.

Trump only cares about money, and to him and his cronies, Saudi Arabia is a goldmine. That’s why there was no shortage of billionaires at the state dinner held for MBS last night.

Bangladesh is latest country to sentence a former head of state: a former prime minister was sentenced to death for her role in a crackdown on last year's uprising that left 1,400 people dead. There is precedent for holding heads of state liable for their crimes. The U.S. should follow suit.

Mike Johnson might end up in prison, too.

Democracy as a Living Culture, Not Just a System Everyday Practices of Collective Power

What is democracy? It’s not just a system where we vote, choose & delegate power to others. It’s more than that. It’s a culture.

It's also a moral idea: that every human being carries intrinsic dignity, & no one should be governed without their consent.

As this culture dies, so does democracy.

How Zohran Mamdani Beat Citizens United The New York City mayoral candidate used an undervalued political strategy to battle against dark money.

If you want more outsider anti-oligarch candidates, then start replicating New York City's system of publicly financed campaigns in your city and state.

If you’re wondering what the future of the Democratic Party looks like, watch the young, brown democratic socialist on the TV right now.

Rupert Murdoch is a horse’s ass.

YouTube video by Zohran Mamdani for NYC Today is only the beginning.

Today is only the beginning.

Our time has come, New York. Our time is now.

That's what I've assumed is behind all the delay tactics--scrubbing Trump out of the Epstein files.

The American Mirage Economic Ruin and the Making of a Manipulated Majority

The last few decades made the American Dream die, as people struggle to pay bills & keep up. As this happens, they are prone to ideas of demagogues, like Trump, who promise he can fix it. It’s led to narrative capture & democracy failing. But the dream can be reclaimed by telling the truth.

He’s a bloated alcoholic.

Joseph Goebbels and the Authoritarian Upgrade The Revolution Will Be Televised: How Fascism Perfected the Tools of Modern Propaganda

Joseph Goebbels mastered the art of disinformation, convincing Germans that Hitler’s cause was true. He showed the same tools selling toothpaste can sell hate, obedience & mass murder-when wielded by wrong hands.

Now, those techniques are being used on Americans. We need to break the trance.

Trump will most probably offer him another job within his administration.

The No Kings protest of Saturday was largest single protest in US history.

What does 7 million people mean? That a growing & unstoppable force of people are pissed about the state of democracy.

Like Civil Rights movement of '50s/'60s, the democracy movement will continue until democracy returns.

everyone is welcome and encouraged to resist fascism, to fight back

but we can’t just go back to Clinton/Obama neoliberalism

it wasn’t working then, it got us where we are now, and it won’t get us out

The Virus and the Dream: Democracy at the Edge The Revolution Will Be Televised: Fixing the Wrongs of Democracy

Something is wrong in America & we all feel it. It’s a dread that whispers: can what is happening be real?

We're living through a clash of 2 opposing forces: a virus that spreads through disinformation & despair, & a dream that insists a more just, democratic future is still possible.

But he still hasn’t settled the war between him and Melania.

Either that or in a prison in The Hague, after being indicted by the International Criminal Court.

The Twin Threats to U.S. Democracy: The Right-Wing Long Game and Oligarchic Power The Revolution Will Be Televised: What's Taking the U.S. Down?

Democracy in U.S. is under siege, assaulted by 2 intertwined & mutually reinforcing forces: the right-wing long game & oligarchic & power. 

Together, they form a double-edged movement that is dismantling democracy, & they're succeeding beyond their wildest dreams. But they are not inevitable.

Trump lied? Shocking I say.

Toward a Conscious Democracy: Integrating Systemic Change with Inner Transformation The Revolution Will Be Televised: the series continues

Gandhi: “Democracy requires change of heart.” De Tocqueville: “Habits of heart” are foundation of healthy civil society.

America needs systemic transformation to create a society that works for all & needs an inner transformation. A society that allows people to flourish is both moral & spiritual.

I think signing this guy was a mistake. He took the whole team down.

There’s a very steal-everything-not-nailed-down-to-the-floor-before-the-entire-building-collapses vibe coursing through America right now.

Reclaiming Democracy: The Case for Direct and Participatory Democracy The latest post in The Revolution Will Be Televised series

Only a direct and participatory democracy will save the U.S. from autocracy. Right now, the U.S. is ruled by a tyranny of the minority, and only by taking power away from the monied interests and giving citizens more autonomy and the capability for self-rule will democracy in the U.S. flourish.

The part of the fascism that scares me the most and terrifies me that we're too late is how successful the technofascists have been in getting people to outsource their critical thinking.

This is why we need public banks.

Or is it she’s forgiving Trump for the monster he is.

They’ll make sure a few Democrats stick around and then assign those Democrats to do all that.