S3 E41 | The Best of Times

S3 E41 The Best of Times

Discussion topics in this episode:

• Coming off the heals of two republics we want to paint the picture of what an egalitarian future may look like.
  

• How does self-rule translate into the economy? How do we leave behind the concrete plantation that was built by the owners of the system?
  

• Competition is good and centralization is problematic without proper checks and balances in place. We use adversarial (one side versus another) setups to do things like finding the truth through a court case or like supply and demand in economics or the checks and balances among our co-equal branches of government.
  

• Automation is coming for all repeatable tasks and will eliminate related jobs. This includes many roles from middle management to delivery drivers.
  

• The ability to be free is granted to all through the ability to participate in the economy in the way that they choose.
  

• • Imagine if healthcare and schooling were rights, not expenses or debt, since a healthy republic needs citizens who understand how to work it.
    
  • Imagine having the right to equal pay for equal work for egalitarian sake.
    
  • Imagine the astounding possibilities if all our brains were free to create at will rather than only a selected few.
    

• Calls to Action:
  

• • Arm yourself against the fear that is driven by false notions of socialism or communism or any ism because those are just ideas, not systems that we can implement.
    • China and Russia are more capitalist or even fascist in their current implementations of governance and economy.
    • The one Marxist thing they retain is central planning committees that are deeply seated in politics.
      
    • The U.S. uses a set of distributed economic planning committees consisting of public and private institutions, the Federal Government, and the boards of companies across industries.

• • Enter progressive values, they are not socialist, they are not communist, they are generally humanistic and equalizing. If they are not, then they are not progressive. Look at their details for yourself and develop a more informed opinion.
    

• • A job doesn’t have to be your future, but make it better in the meantime: Unionize! Remember your time is worth more than money.

• • Informing one another of doughnut economics and lie of scarcity. We covered some of this in S2 E25 New Economics a la Doughnut.
    

• • Have a conversation with your neighbor, not to win, just to discuss and understand their perspectives whether or not you agree with them. It’s for awareness sake.
    

“We The People” image by Serge Shop.

Voices

• Michael V. Piscitelli
• Raymond Wong Jr.
  

More info

• We tend to take for granted the fact that we have weekends, a “fourty-hour” work week, and abolished child labor so they can attend schools instead. These are a set of conditions that have been hard fought for and won by historical labor and progressive movements in the United States.
  

• We have transcripts located at the end of each podcast episode’s page on our site. Check it out, but know this: It’s all AI and not us. So thank you in advance for forgiving any and all errors.
  

• Please feel free to share your thoughts through our Contact Us page or like us on Facebook.
  

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed on this podcast are for listener consideration and are not necessarily those of the show or its sponsors.

Special thanks to

• Our ongoing supporters, thank you!
  
• Our sponsor CitizenDoGood.com .
  
• Intro music sampled from “Okay Class” by Ozzy Jock under creative commons license through freemusicarchive.org.
  
• Other music provided royalty-free through Fesliyan Studios Inc.
  

Transcript

The following transcript was taken using AI technology. We cannot vouch for its accuracy. Read at your own risk. These are time-stamped from the day we recorded and unfortunately not name stamped.

Citizens Prerogative Podcast Closed Caption Transcript
S3 E41 The Best of Times

12:44:49 In times like these and being a citizen is a big job. Thank you for joining us to celebrate the virtues of self rule and debate, the state of our republic.
12:44:58 Welcome to the citizens prerogative podcast. This is the voice of your nerdy host Michael biscuit Telly and we are blessed with a co host whose passion for our republic precedes him everywhere he goes, Ramin Wong Jr.
12:45:12 Hello Hello So glad to be here.
12:45:16 This is episode number 41. We are now in season three. And the title of this episode should be, maybe will be the best of times.
12:45:29 So we’re coming off the heels of Episode 40, where we took a fair amount of time talking about the new south and old rules.
12:45:37 And we really felt like, besides being soft on the call to action that we’re going to revisit later.
12:45:44 We wanted to paint a picture of what to look forward to, you know, it’s one thing to look back and see the through line from history, how we’re in on the pendulum that starting to repeat itself, starting to swing another way.
12:46:02 Very important to have that context where we’ve been, because it is a bit of a playbook for where people want us to go.
12:46:11 But we want to present the alternative, like, let’s talk about what our country looks like our lives, look like more importantly what we really care about is our daily lives, what those could look like as an alternative to the concrete plantation we live
12:46:28 on today.
12:46:39 So, let me run down some of the topics.
12:46:43 One of the things that one of the ideas that we’ve been mentioning is egalitarianism and theoretically that’s nothing new but it’s an old word we don’t hear it thrown out very often but I think it’s time to revitalize it because there’s a lot of ugly
12:46:57 words that are getting a lot of airtime out there and just briefly like if I do a very simple little right click and I’ll look up on a gal Attarian.
12:47:08 It’s relating to, or believing in the principle that all people are equal and deserve equal rights and opportunities. Very simple, equality egalitarianism, this is what the Republic was founded on, who was intended to be equal long time ago obviously
12:47:27 is very different than today but we’re, we’re here today, and we want to paint the picture of what we want tomorrow to look like. So, how do we pay forward, how do we present self rule, how does it translate into the economy right so we harp on the economy
12:47:44 we have we want to talk about the economy we want the economy we deserve.
12:47:48 And we need, you know, our laws to help facilitate that these things don’t exist in isolation from one another.
12:47:58 So, let’s, we’re going to talk a little bit about how to leave the concrete plantation behind or what types of things we can put in place to help make that more part of the past, than our future.
12:48:10 We’re gonna talk a little bit about competition.
12:48:13 And we’ve already talked about how centralization is problematic but we’re going to go into that a little bit more. We’re going to remind everybody that automation is coming, and paint the rosier picture of possibility for the future.
12:48:33 So let’s go ahead and jump into, I think, the rosier picture, and then from that we can pull in and talk about how certain things get solved. And actually, when we talk about the rosier picture.
12:48:47 The idea that automation is a problem that’s coming from our jobs goes away.
12:48:52 Because the reality is, and I’m just going to put this to bed right now. The reality is, is we want automation, we all want automation, our human brains are not designed for repetitive tasks.
12:49:05 We were not designed to be factory workers. That is not our biology that is not our evolution.
12:49:14 And so, automation is going to come and it’s going to free us. It’s going to free us from these toils, but in order to be free from those soils, we also have to.
12:49:24 We need to hear a higher calling.
12:49:27 We need to hear in an innate calling about what it is that drives me What is my purpose as a human on this Earth right now. This Purpose Driven Life which is a phrase I’m stealing from, I believe some religious books or something.
12:49:43 But we’re going to bring it back home to that because purposes is motivating.
12:49:48 And it should be motivating right shouldn’t just be money money money money money money money, but money is not purpose money as a facilitator, and allows us to transact in order to conduct business but money in of itself is not an end.
12:50:05 It’s just a means,
12:50:10 if you could take happiness and actually sell it.
12:50:16 It’d be the greatest commodity in the world, but you can, what people do is they package, the illusion of happiness. They package, a solution to your problems and be at what we have today.
12:50:31 Major pharmaceuticals, a vehicle to get you to work stretchy pants that are made of elastic so it doesn’t matter if you eat that extra turkey leg during Thanksgiving.
12:50:43 All of these tools are meant to enable you as a consumer, and what we really have to do is back up a little bit and diversify our intake we’re really good at consuming tools that enable us.
12:50:58 The problem is, is I think we’re being driven too much about what tools we need to buy. We’ve been told, what we should consume. And I really feel like the freedom of choice is missing, because you’re probably looking at me like, well, what else can I
12:51:11 consume you’re absolutely right. There is a limited finite ability to consume they want you to only take in certain pieces that can make you feel I don’t know that you’ve got control of your waist size because of those stretchy pants.
12:51:25 That’s what I felt when I use them, which I’m out of stretchy pants down by the way.
12:51:31 All right.
12:51:32 I’m working my way out of stretchy pants, not there yet. I
12:51:41 know it’s a good way to shine the light on consumerism so for a long time that was maybe it still is a major economic drive right unlimited growth and consumerism to fuel it.
12:51:56 And now the climates going off a cliff so we know, we know there’s gonna be another way that we have no choice but to figure out another way. And we’re more than creative they’re more solutions that we need.
12:52:08 It’s just having the will, the knowledge to enact them not to be fearful of change to consider the change we want and fight for it. That’s a really valuable use of our time.
12:52:24 I think it’s our you said automation right so I think the big piece that people are missing here is that the same way we’ve, we’ve managed self rule for the last couple generations, is problematic right us as citizens need to become informed and understand
12:52:41 what automation means to us and and what it can how it can be applied some of us understand like I agree, automation is necessary, repetitive tasks they cause problems.
12:52:53 That’s why when people. So many people die on the road because they fall asleep while driving, because that is such a boring task, especially on long distances.
12:53:02 And that’s why it’s primed for automation, but the question is, should you have the freedom to override that car, or should that car override you. That’s where policy comes into play.
12:53:14 And we have the choice in the new economy, who’s in the driver’s seat. And one thing we have to make sure as we’re driving the current system. And that’s why the call to action has been so I think pretty heavy on this one in getting engaged and making
12:53:28 sure I call it the right to override Michael, that’s the policy, when it comes to automation, will there be a right to override on the automation, or are you over overwritten for the public good.
12:53:40 It’s that’s the debates, we need to start having now, because those policies are coming.
12:53:46 No, that’s, that’s exactly right, and it’ll be interesting. As always, when we head into new territory.
12:53:53 We’re going to learn the hard way.
12:53:58 So with that, let’s go ahead and pivot.
12:54:01 You know, and touching on freedom, we feel, money is kind of required in the current system in order, the more money you have the free Are you are.
12:54:11 I think there’s a clear and present relationship to those things.
12:54:17 And we need to move towards a model that divorces that scarcity, that breaks down, you know, the systems that are maintaining the status quo.
12:54:33 So once we’ve done that everybody gets a shot right everybody should have an equal shot, if we are in an egalitarian state where it’s self rule, where we right elect our representatives and the representatives actually represent our needs perspectives
12:54:53 and opinions and not those of their finance ears.
12:54:59 We can bring about all kinds of monumental changes for the betterment of our system above others.
12:55:07 Because at the end of the day, it’s a global race. It’s a global race for determining who will be free. In what ways. Make no mistake about.
12:55:21 They’re already all kinds of variations and freedoms around this world and in the United States, depending on where you are in the class structure in the equality structure, you have more or less freedoms, but we love to say opportunity.
12:55:37 So yeah, you have the opportunity to play the lottery. In the United States, and strike it rich, are you set up for success. I don’t think so. I would argue or not.
12:55:57 the game. I have you bring up the lottery just it’s important for people to remember that the lotteries are set up to fund social services that the rich should be paying for it.
12:56:06 The lotteries were created, because the rich did not want to pay taxes and they had this really cool idea. Why don’t we just tax the poor, and then they get a benefit once in a while through payout the lottery is the biggest rather than you know what
12:56:21 tax on the on the on the poor, and it’s the biggest scam out there.
12:56:28 Ain’t that the truth.
12:56:31 Yeah, we’ll talk about abolishing lotteries later, or you know what they’ll go away once we don’t. People don’t feel like they need them anymore.
12:56:39 Excuse me.
12:56:40 The scarcity once the scarcity is not there, you won’t need it and I think that’s the problem you really said it right by saying freeing yourself from the concrete plantation Okay, the plantations.
12:56:54 They provided food. They provided a little bit of shelter they provided just enough so the those those slaves could survive well guess what folks. I didn’t know if you all notice but typically we all have enough money for just a little bit of shelter
12:57:08 probably not what we’d optimally want in most cases, some people have to cohabitate, and you definitely may struggle to get that food on your table or at least the quality of food you think you deserve, or you would like to purchase right, just enough
12:57:24 so servitude has not changed. They just move the needle up a little more. It’s at the right amount to give them the maximum shareholder return, which, which is just the new plantation owner in my opinion.
12:57:41 And it has its evolutionary roots in as much so as well. So, at some point, we’ve been making that we’ve been illustrating that picture so I don’t think it’s going to stop.
12:57:55 Let’s have a, let’s do our quick little break and then we’ll come back to what a better future looks like what is the system look like when it’s better.
12:58:07 Here’s the message from our sponsors they just didn’t do good,
12:58:12 even though you’ve heard it before, it’s still true. The war is never over and every battle counts. I know you are tirelessly demonstrating good citizenry on the daily through your actions and your words and you donate your time and your money to causes
12:58:25 that count. think you.
12:58:34 The time is now to deeply reexamined our current implementation of governance for the dawning of a new day.
12:58:40 We are the proud sponsor of the citizens prerogative podcast, a major partner and spreading the good word about civic club, and the power of change for us Hall
12:58:50 And citizen do good we want to empower all citizens to participate in their Republic and a reconstructive way with that goal in mind, we need your help to stay on mission and grow this community.
12:59:01 Please rate the podcast with five stars on iTunes, through the app on the web or on your device. If you don’t feel like you can give us five stars let us know why on our sponsors Facebook page citizen do good.
12:59:14 Also make sure you join our newsletter at citizen google. com, you’ll get updates every couple of months on all of our antics not just the podcast.
12:59:23 While you’re there, check out the shop which has special Teamer and provides a way to make a one time contribution that helps us pay for production and for hosting.
12:59:31 Feel free to share any suggestions you have directly through the Contact Us page. Thanks for your support.
12:59:39 Imagine a world where you walk into the hospital, and they don’t ask you any questions of your financial ability, they don’t ask about your insurance.
12:59:51 It just treat you.
12:59:55 Imagine a world where you choose the school that’s best for you. You get the education that’s right for you.
13:00:02 And there’s no concern of cost.
13:00:05 There’s no real concern of where your house sits because education is accessible and ample, and there’s more than enough room to go around, imagine that a school that says, Yes, we have space for you.
13:00:20 I try to imagine a world where when I walk into the office, my boss respects me, because they understand that the only reason they have money, is because I produce daily, and every day, they put equity into caring for me and understanding that nurture
13:00:35 min of my success, and my financial well being, translates to their success.
13:00:41 I would like to imagine a world where all of our brains are free to create at will. And yes, that means a basic income, where you can quit your job and make it work on the minimum, make it work on $2,000 a month, so you can create, so you can live your
13:01:03 fullest life, and you can find yourself free of the concrete plantation, which we’re all subject to, I beg you to find the person that’s free from it.
13:01:14 The way the system is built, it’s currently stacked against all of us, and I believe we have the ability to imagine a world without it hovering above me and you and us.
13:01:31 That’s a powerful vision.
13:01:35 And
13:01:35 I think those should all be rights.
13:01:42 You know, every, every human brain. I mean, we want to say every human embryo every fetus is special, but what’s truly special what’s truly, we have yet to automate recreate
13:01:59 even understand is the brain.
13:02:22 Hmm, heaven forbid we get to a point where we feel like we understand it to the point where it’s just a microprocessor like in our cell phone, or going there.
13:02:20 On some people’s lists of to Do’s, I guarantee you that they’re figuring out how to upload themselves as we speak right now.
13:02:25 But that’s not here yet. And in the meantime, there’s so much more work we can do before we even have to get to that point where that’s the primary concern.
13:02:37 Equal access to health care equal pay the education you want, and the choice to do the freedom to do to choose what you want.
13:02:54 And through that people will feel purpose.
13:03:15 When people feel free to choose how they want to contribute.
13:03:05 When people are lucky enough to have explored and learned about themselves and the world around them, to know what they do when they lose track of time.
13:03:18 You know that. If you’ve never had that moment, then please stay hungry for it and keep looking for it.
13:03:25 And those of you who have had that moment you know exactly what I’m talking about, whether it was wrapping presents one time for the holidays, and you just lost track of time.
13:03:35 You were so engrossed in getting that perfect edge. The way it looked when you’re finished, sounds silly sounds stupid, but it’s beautiful. When, when we’re left to our creative despite devices.
13:03:54 And, and we’re using our own agency, not of the choices that were given to us but the choices that are available to all of us.
13:04:03 That is powerful, that is motivating.
13:04:07 That gives people, purpose, I believe, what do you think you’re, you’re definitely hitting a chord with me I believe that in, in the absence of purpose, people will try to find it in other things, and and when you I was just thinking of the free radical
13:04:24 as you’re driving on the freeway it’s a lovely day, everyone’s driving a nice consistent speed, but you have the ones that are dodging and turning and cutting in and out and just trying to get a little further ahead.
13:04:35 And I think we need to get to a place where we don’t necessarily blame them. We need to understand that our system has forced them into a place that the only freedom they have is to overtake you on the road, maybe in every facet of their life.
13:04:49 They’re so heavily locked into that concrete plantation, that this is the only freedom they have the freedom to drive fast but you’re getting in the way of their freedom.
13:04:59 I think what we’re trying to say is, Once people have the outlets to create once people have the outlet to find their purpose, then they’ll simplify driving to just what it is, it’s expanding resources at the cost of the Earth’s environment.
13:05:11 And it’s something we should do responsibly and efficiently and making sure that everybody gets off the road alive. And then, and that’s because I’m sorry but the energy of all I’ve got to drive and I’ve got to be to have a cool car and all of this, that’s
13:05:31 just because the outlets are not available we didn’t let that investment banker, be the artist, they should have been.
13:05:40 That’s why they drive like that nuts, Frank, I’m, I know it’s a little bit a simplification of it Mike but that’s my take. They’re just trying to get it out there just trying to be heard.
13:05:54 And I don’t know how to tie that to greed, but in my mind that selfishness in that green that sense that I, it’s my right.
13:06:05 Regardless of the cost.
13:06:08 You know, regardless of consequence.
13:06:11 That’s morally wrong.
13:06:14 It’s the gateway, it’s the gateway in my opinion right Michael so if your day to day come you can is a cognitive dissonance of the homeless people you pass on the road, and you’re expanding all of this fumes and you smell it right you’re in traffic you’re
13:06:27 like oh god that exhaust, but you don’t put it all together. The admit enormous toll right, it gets easier and easier for the other structures, because our base every day we wake up and dive into cognitive dissonance from what we’re doing.
13:06:43 We all join traffic we don’t think like, hey you know what if we all didn’t go into work we wouldn’t be stuck in traffic for an hour a day. Hey, what about that.
13:06:52 What happens solidarity.
13:06:57 Yeah. So, we’re painting this picture, it’s not too different than pictures we’ve painted in the past but it’s worth reiterating because there aren’t a lot of great visions out there are a lot of.
13:07:09 I mean, maybe Bernie.
13:07:13 There was a big you know there’s a big push for some of the ideas that Bernie Sanders was pushing and whatnot.
13:07:18 And I’m just throwing that out there as the most recent like political upheaval.
13:07:25 But if we start transitioning to call to actions about how to make these things a little bit more material or concrete for people’s lives.
13:07:38 Some of it comes back to education, awareness and knowledge, and not all of us have equal access to that, nor do we have equal access to the skills required to teach ourselves to learn facts of our own accord right rather than just ingest whatever’s available
13:07:56 whatever confirms my idea whatever confirms my bias or my feelings, because the logic is not a field
13:08:07 logic is facts, it’s sort of true and false I mean it’s pretty bullying.
13:08:15 It’s pretty basic. But when you have a feeling that something needs is supposed to be that way and that’s how you feel but you don’t have any information or facts actually back it up and you’re probably not in a good place, you’re not in a good place.
13:08:29 It’s not your fault. I want to be clear, I mean we should be clear propaganda is very good, you know, everybody knows by men for a reason that they’re there are there are there ways that we are triggered their their phrases that we are locked in on, and
13:08:44 It’s an entire industry to parallel business and how to get you to buy or get you to sign up or join, or whatever it is, right. I think season two, you can look at some of our conversations around these corporations that created unnecessary routines like
13:09:15 shaving and things like that that just, just to create more product to create more sales. They made people they have shamed people into shaving especially women into shaving their body it’s weird.
13:09:28 That’s good for business good for profit.
13:09:31 Now for people. But that’s not the point. Right.
13:09:35 Oh, too many bees.
13:09:37 So, let’s start running down the call to action bullets and we’re doing okay where I’m, you know, we’re, we’re in the 25 minutes zone arm yourself against fear.
13:09:50 Fear driven by false notions of socialism or communism or any ism, because those are just ideas, not systems we can implement, and most of them are pretty old ideas I would argue, they’re not new.
13:10:04 They’re just painting areas of the scale the sliding bars, we choose through the laws we implement exactly what programs, we want and how to pay for them.
13:10:17 And it doesn’t require us to lose our republic. It doesn’t require us to lose our vote. It doesn’t require us to lose democracy. Okay, democracy is very compatible with whatever programs we want to pass under the law, provided, it’s creating egalitarianism,
13:10:36 it’s within aim, not to treat any group of people different from one another, especially among citizens aspiring citizens as well I would like to see treated equally but I understand that there’s not a vote there.
13:10:52 I think, I think the hippies in the room would appreciate that, that we’re trying to say that there is, there is an equality.
13:11:00 That can that can happen, that we are that the egalitarians idea is that if we have access across the board.
13:11:21 It’ll be more more as more, I think,
13:11:25 Thinking about the more more is more concept.
13:11:29 How do you fight bad speech or improper speech with more speech.
13:11:35 Right how do you fight inequality by just putting more out there making more available. Right.
13:11:43 You don’t, we don’t necessarily have to tear anybody down from the highest castle that they’re in. But I think as a consequence of creating equality, their distance from the bottom will automatically decrease, will they suffer.
13:11:59 Will the wealthy suffer, by having one less billion.
13:12:05 I think, I think we all know the answer is no, they won’t suffer because suffering happens below 100 K.
13:12:13 I think that the the fear is important we we put an ocean there so when we’re dealing with these, these these old ideas and tropes.
13:12:22 We’re talking about fear and fear is a powerful emotion, and that’s why it’s been such a successful message that’s why dropping a word like communism invokes a deep emotion so those fear emotions are really what’s driving the current system.
13:12:37 And what we’re instituting and again, I’m sorry, going back to the hippies, that would love this, we’re preaching love because that’s the counteract Love is the counteract to fear which has been ingrained in the system which drives us all to act the way
13:12:52 we do. So I believe that when you go into this please understand that people are driven by fear are locked into the emotion and the only way you can kind of counteract that is with a power of love, and I’m talking about solutions that benefit all of us
13:13:07 that are inclusive, not telling people they’re wrong.
13:13:12 Yeah, and there’s no zero sum game here people will put you know it’s like well who’s gonna pay or whatever.
13:13:17 There’s more than enough. And we’ve, we’ve had that conversation too It’s like the way that’s the way the system is structured. Others benefit significantly more than everyone else.
13:13:29 And the levers don’t need to be adjusted to that degree they can be adjusted to other degrees.
13:13:35 That creates opportunity for everyone.
13:13:38 Excuse me, and gives everyone a pretty fair shot.
13:13:42 And what better way to fight crime. I mean, this isn’t necessarily in our bullets but it came up in a previous conversation we’re having around this idea that, you know, the more money people.
13:13:56 Some people have, the more they stand to lose. And the more they have the, the greater than number of people who have the last.
13:14:10 And they worry about that, like, the bigger the difference, the more the fear, even the rich have, because the more they have to lose. And then there’s more of us who are suffering, and may find out that they’re hoarding.
13:14:22 You know, it’s very fundamental it’s.
13:14:24 There’s a lot of fear to go around and their sphere from every position on the field.
13:14:29 And so when races, the system is driven by fear. It is literally every human hooked into it, who can’t see outside of it can’t separate themselves from it can’t see it objectively, as an outsider is hooked into fear and scarcity, there isn’t enough.
13:14:47 I’m not gonna have enough, I gotta keep, I gotta keep racing, I gotta keep running I gotta keep climbing, as the ship sinks.
13:14:55 We just have more ships still more ships, but any case, I digress.
13:15:01 I talked a little bit about progressivism progressive values.
13:15:05 So a lot of name calling going on out there, and there’s actually facts around some of this stuff there’s you know material aims and goals. So if somebody can’t tell you can’t describe to the world they want your child to live in, in a way that you find
13:15:21 appealing.
13:15:23 Then, they don’t have a vision for the world where is that as appealing for you or your children, what they are probably selling you is a fear.
13:15:32 Oh, it won’t be as good as it is today. It’s not good today.
13:15:38 No, no, that’s not the argument that’s not the start of the debate. Oh, you’re going to lose all of the goodness you have know what we have is not enough.
13:15:47 And we know it for a lot of reasons and so you know I’m not trying to espouse any particular political values but I want people to have open minds around these ideas because progressive values are not socialist.
13:16:02 They’re not communists. They’re humanistic and equalizing and anywhere, you see someone that calls themselves a progressive or has been called the progressive and they’re not putting things ideas concrete policies that are going to help equalize and make
13:16:19 them more humanistic egalitarian system, then they’re not progressive. I mean look at the details so you can use. You can say somebody as a communist, but you don’t know.
13:16:31 You have no idea because communism doesn’t even exist, it’s just an idea, a human can’t be a communist human can’t be a progressive.
13:16:38 You may have certain values that align with certain ideologies and then you people propose a solution, solutions to our problems.
13:16:59 And hopefully, to make things better for all of us, not just for me, not just for my family, not just from my elite car Dre, but for all of us, because we can, because we know that’s what’s better for our children.
13:17:05 I mean right i think you have a really good line.
13:17:10 For people who have children and what world do you want them to grow up and one where they’re fearful that they can lose everything. And make no mistake, it doesn’t matter whether you’re a millionaire or billionaire you can lose it all.
13:17:21 The system is set up that way.
13:17:23 Right, you could be a Rockefeller or you could be a hearse or whatever.
13:17:30 It’s it’s terrible think that you know your family could be lost to this American system the tragedy, the tragic side of capitalism right and we just think that you can live without tragedy in that sentence.
13:17:48 In that sense, but if we get away from these scarcity economics and if children live in a world where they see that there is a social safety net, and they don’t see people struggle that’s just kind of the ideals again.
13:18:01 Pushing love instead of fear, that’s that’s the system, frankly, loving us, you know, I never expected the government to love me. But, in a sense, that’s the best way, a government can nurture, its citizens and sure it’s there for the ultimate protection.
13:18:19 Yeah, our government should reflect our values and in a republican style that we have the representative system self rule of it that we have.
13:18:29 I do want to thank citizen, do good because they’re putting out posts about communist articles from China, so they’re, they’re putting out some pretty clear examples and I don’t think they get any play in the media, but the the Facebook page has some
13:18:43 good posts about specific Chinese policies and play, which show you the, what actual dictators look like, and what actual Marxist communism looks like.
13:18:57 That’s just a speech now communism as a buzzword they literally have no clue, compared to what we live like and what the Chinese citizens of like, or the years of China.
13:19:17 as communism, several versions, including in China. So take a look at that.
13:19:27 That’s not. There are no proposals coming out of the Communist Party of China, that you’re going to see carbon copy and being proposed in the United States Congress I don’t believe now the minute that starts happening.
13:19:42 Then we have a then start looking for people who are colluding with the Chinese or the Russians, that’s a whole nother ballgame.
13:19:52 But there’s evidence.
13:19:53 But don’t worry about that right. Don’t worry about that we, your only concern is to worry about your job right, Mike, in the American ideal Your job is your future.
13:20:04 Your job is all that matters. That’s what we’ve been programmed to think.
13:20:09 Yeah Oh gosh, I can’t remember the title of the article but basically, you know, nobody needs a job, a job does not have to be our future.
13:20:21 It, it really doesn’t then that’s that as a function of the concrete jungle, jobs or what were created by and for the sustainment of, you know, these companies, one way or another, but not for the betterment of society by any degree.
13:20:40 But what can we do in the meantime because, I mean, a lot of people are doing something right now right the great resignation purpose driven people are like, you know what, this job or these jobs people were working up to three or more jobs to try and
13:20:54 make ends meet, makes no sense, makes absolutely no sense and people realize that people realize during the pandemic Life is too short. Corporations have unlimited lifetimes, if they run themselves correctly.
13:21:06 We have short lifetimes, relatively speaking, so we do have to start waking up and putting ourselves first collectively.
13:21:14 How do we do that today, immediately. Well, you may not be able to quit your job, but if you aren’t a part of the Union unionizing is one of the tools in the toolbox that people don’t like talking about, but we have the National Labor Relations Act that
13:21:32 was passed many years ago.
13:21:34 And we have rights, we have rights as citizens in the united states that if you choose to sell your life time your time in life, limited you choose to sell that by the hour.
13:21:48 You should be allowed to demand living wage. You should be allowed to demand working conditions that don’t shorten your life, even further, not only you’re not getting paid.
13:22:01 But now you’re getting black lung, or whatever, right. This is the heart of unions and we’ve talked about unions on and off again at the best in the best of times, unions are a group of humans acting in solidarity for our collective self interest against
13:22:22 individual corporations acting again in their own self interest right it creates an adversary environment, which is how the legal system how many of our systems are set up right, you need to put two things in opposition to each other and hope they come
13:22:35 to equilibrium.
13:22:46 It’s free market economics at play. So, participating in a union is simply participating in free market economics established by our laws, I mean I worked for a corporation for many years and for many years.
13:22:52 For instance, they used to say we’re not allowed to compare our salaries are not allowed to talk about how much money we get, or any of that stuff. We’re not allowed to compare those notes wonder why I wonder why they didn’t want us comparing our notes
13:23:03 about who gets paid what.
13:23:05 Even though, how many people are doing, like the same work.
13:23:09 Some people are doing it better than others but it didn’t mean they’re getting paid better.
13:23:14 I’m not talking about the big bad union worker in the room right the one that takes fees and and profiteers and we’ve got we’ve there’s been issues with with unions we get that, but that’s because the whole system is wrought with scarcity fear it’s completely
13:23:30 rotten from the middle so where you can just say unions are this way or that way we we suggest a new union, a new economy, including new unions, where where employees just say, if your value is not recognized, then you form and unions is not always exist,
13:23:52 ladies and gentlemen. They came at inflection points where the the the employers and the powerful and the wealthy had taken too much equity. So they rose up.
13:24:05 And and I would argue and I think we largely argue throughout the organization that we’re at that inflection point for unions to take their. Take the proper place, and maybe responsible progressive unions, you know that don’t need tons of administrative
13:24:19 fees right that’s the big issue I have with unions is the administrative like really need tons of money to run a union, I don’t think.
13:24:29 Yeah, that’s it. I like that’s a very good point because because none of this was designed from the star for equilibrium sake.
13:24:38 Right.
13:24:40 It started out for the wealthy by the wealthy for the sake of greed and retaining power and all that stuff for a lot of reasons, we won’t go into it now, but, and then unions were an add on as like a ballast, like, Oh, you know, the things got a little
13:24:57 too unwieldy so you put a submarine out in the water and it doesn’t have the ability to write itself right it doesn’t have balance inside where it can fill with water, air, depending on how it needs to orient itself in the water unions were added on like
13:25:12 a ballast because the thing was tearing itself apart and people were getting gunned down, every time they strike, because, heaven forbid, they didn’t want to work seven days a week.
13:25:23 20 hours a day.
13:25:25 And now we don’t remember those days we don’t remember those days where there wasn’t a weekend.
13:25:29 But we have a unions to thank for the weekend, we have a long struggle of people losing their lives for us to have two days off every week. I think we deserve three.
13:25:41 And we’ve made. We’ve put forth evidence that threes, even better than two.
13:25:47 But the whole point of this is like Be careful about demons, be careful about any demonization there are no angels there are no demons they’re just a bunch of people running around trying to deal with the idea of scarcity.
13:25:58 And it doesn’t always bring out the best in us, but we need to use the tools we have available. While while we’re in this system but to raise point. The system has run its course.
13:26:09 This system is old and tired, and it’s feeling it on a global scale because we export it.
13:26:18 We didn’t necessarily make it better.
13:26:20 We just exported the worst sports parts of it to other states that didn’t have our laws that didn’t have unions. We didn’t export unions, with globalization, right.
13:26:32 And we exported the pollution as well.
13:26:37 So it’s, it’s really come down to, you know, I think it’s a neighbor conversation, I’m going to go there now and say that I believe that the big fix is not necessary.
13:26:48 I mean, I hope that the work we do here will translate and will transcend and it’ll reach a bunch of people but the best work I’m doing right now is with my neighbor, with my friends and family, and I am discussing in these discussing these ideals.
13:27:03 This is the most powerful thing you can do, and just have a conversation with your neighbor, not to win it. But just to discuss and understand each other, and you may find that you have way more in common.
13:27:15 This is the challenge, most people want to have a one level deep, we talk about a deep being deep dive. Okay, we they only want to do one level deep and say communism and then run off.
13:27:27 It’s not that simple. And if they’re not willing to talk to you about it, they’re probably not worth your time but if they are open to engaging and discussing.
13:27:36 You just have to keep trying to imply, what the benefits are for all of us, what are the mutual benefits not, what are we trying to fix or what are we trying to close because their interests are different, and the definitions don’t align.
13:27:49 But what does a line is, what do you want for your family.
13:27:53 What do you want for your child. What do you want for your neighbor. Do you want your house to be safe, all of these questions are primary questions when you start asking them those things, and you can tie it back to essentially their world.
13:28:08 This is the most difficult thing we’re gonna have to do Mike is, is meet people in their world, because all of us, especially Americans, we all come at from an argument from our perspective, but literally stopping and letting people tell us their perspective
13:28:21 and their concern and addressing their concern. We never do that and I blame our leaders and politicians because we most of us say, I’ve got the solution and I know this and this is what you need.
13:28:35 But in fact, we should say, the next question should actually be, what do you think would make it better.
13:28:40 What do you expect as the minimum for you and your family, because guess what, no one’s asking them that go politician has ever asked that.
13:28:50 Wouldn’t they address it.
13:28:55 You would hope that they would.
13:29:01 But that is not the motivation right now is it.
13:29:16 So consensus. All we have is power so aside from unions consensus, the more unified the American people are on a policy. When we get you. We’ve seen it time and time again right when we get strongly behind something marketing principles humanistic values
13:29:23 I mean if we can all of us could finally get on the same page with humanist values.
13:29:30 Then we would have a common foundation to come from right and I think that’s what you’re going to use the word humanist but but the idea that you know we’re all born into suffering.
13:29:41 We all experience hunger. Right. We all experience fear, all these things.
13:29:47 And if we were to come together under self rule and establish a system where together we help mitigate those things for all of us here would be so much better.
13:29:58 It would be so much better. It would be so much better for future generations and of course that requires us to be in harmony with our environment, which we can do.
13:30:07 We can do all these things.
13:30:10 It’s expensive, we will have to tax the rich, very clear billionaires will have to pay taxes, it’s it’s very important that we understand that when these systems are applied equity is a concern in New York, I just want to point out when they did the broken
13:30:25 windows policy they decided they were going to prosecute broken windows, because it wasn’t something they largely chased after. By doing that, though they thought they could eliminate crime because you take care of that base.
13:30:37 But what we’re saying is that the real approach should have been the broken windows policy should have been to find out why people were breaking windows in the first place.
13:30:46 But I think they already know right, we already know why people are breaking those windows, because they don’t have anything, they don’t have the basics.
13:30:55 So if we provide the basics. Doesn’t that fix breaking the windows prosecution is never the answer. The system is dead, because that’s our current solution right now to keeping property in check, and keeping property protected.
13:31:09 What if we gave everybody the freedom of property.
13:31:12 The freedom to have or choose where they put their money to their purchase property, or have a sense of self and a home. Again, I can’t stress enough that solutions are expensive.
13:31:25 But the benefits. I think will reap the benefits through the loss of corruption, through the loss of repair constant repair of the economy.
13:31:35 And it’s, it’s funny because it’s one of those fundamental things sharing means caring.
13:31:41 And we’ve lost track of the sharing and.
13:31:44 And we are all in it together.
13:31:48 I think after reaganism people got, they really believed in the gated community, they really got it in their mind that once they drove home to their gated community they were safe and separate.
13:32:00 But that’s not true.
13:32:02 None of us are safe in separate we’re all together, and none of us are safe. we’re all in the same boat crawling the same system.
13:32:09 And the best way to eliminate crime is to eliminate poverty and pass away to eliminate poverty is give people what they need to lift themselves out of it.
13:32:21 Period.
13:32:22 It’s, it’s very simple. It’s fantastically simple but what’s not a part of that is extra power extra rights for the most wealthy and the system we have today empowers them more than everyone else which is why they like keeping it the way it is.
13:32:43 And then there’s the promise for all of us who’ve been downtrodden all of our lives if we win the lottery tomorrow I get to be that King.
13:32:52 That’s not right. I think we know that inherently.
13:32:57 This lottery, and scarcity. Hunger Games concrete plantation system has run its course.
13:33:07 Ah, so have that conversation. You know, if you can’t unionize. Thank you, Ray have that conversation with your neighbor, make it a discussion. Learn more than you teach.
13:33:18 We all can afford to learn from one another right now, because we only know our experience. So, once we learn others experiences, we’re going to see we have so much in common, especially if you aren’t talking to somebody who’s never had to work their
13:33:31 whole life.
13:33:32 How interesting the conversation would be if you talk to somebody who’s never had to work their whole life. They’re still fearful.
13:33:40 They still have concerns issues, problems, just different.
13:33:52 They’re still human.
13:33:47 They’re still plugged into this system that causes this cognitive dissonance against our internal moral compass.
13:33:58 Follow your compass. Talk with your neighbor.
13:34:01 I think that’s going to do it.
13:34:05 We’ve been your hosts, thank you to Mr. Raymond one Junior.
13:34:10 And thank you, Mr Pisco Telly it’s truly been a neighborly conversation I say between states.
13:34:18 I feel blessed.
13:34:20 It’s been something that’s for sure. As per usual, information on this another episode, head over to citizen do good, calm and click on podcast while you’re there, hit up the Contact Us page and leave a comment, we’d love to hear from the community.