TAKE ACTION

     There are many things that can be done by individuals before it is too late to save our country. Most of us do not have a lot of power to make big changes, but a lot of people making small changes can help. By being aware and making others aware of what is going on, allows us to make smart decisions cutting through the propaganda, lies, hype, distractions, and fear that we face everyday. Thus allowing us to bring up the real issues and take actions that will bring our democracy back.

     HERE ARE SOME ACTIONS TO TAKE IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER

    Shop local, use local banks or credit unions, vote against Wall Street, carpool, bike, bus, use hybrids or electric cars. support local farmers, use CSA's, recycle, reign in consumerism, recycle, avoid corporate food, use bamboo and hemp, grow native plants, use only organic fertilizers and sparingly, go solar or use heat pumps, insulate homes and businesses, get restaurants to have local and organic choices, eat bugs,grow a vegetable garden, save old growth forests, start an anti-GMO group, support public education, join and support activist organizations, e.g. Vote Smart, Start discussion group, star a petition drive, write or call your representatives, write articles for the newspaper, start your own blog, run for office, join a protest, bumper stickers, buy USA, attend school board and town meetings, plan ahead for catastrophic events, keep up-to- date on events.

BROAD SCALE POLITICAL ACTIONS

CHALMERS JOHNSON'S TEN STEPS ( Dismantling the Empire, pp. 194-196)

  1. We need to put a halt to the serious environmental damage done by our bases planet    
       wide. ...

  2. We must end the burden of our empire of bases and of the "opportunity costs" that go
       with them ...

  3. We must end the use of torture.  (Drones)

  4. We need to cut the ever-lengthening train of camp followers, dependents, civilian
      employees of the Department of Defense, and hucksters -- ...  (amenities)

  5. We need to discredit the myth promoted by the military industrial complex that our
       military establishment is valuable to us in terms of jobs, scientific research,
       and defense. ...

  6. As a self-respecting democratic nation, we nee to stop being the world's largest exporter
      of arms and munitions and quit educating third world militaries. ...
      (Formerly School of the Americas)
  7. Given the growing constraints on the federal budget, we should abolish the Reserve
      Officers' Training Corps and other long-standing programs that promote militarism in
      our schools.
  8. We need to restore discipline and accountability in our armed forces by radically scaling
      back our reliance on civilian contractors, private military companies, and agents working
      outside of the military chain of command ...
  9. We need to reduce, not increase, the size of our standing army and deal with the
       long-term wounds our soldiers receive and the combat stress they undergo.
 10. To repeat the main message of this essay, we must give up our inappropriate reliance
       on military force as the chief means of attempting to achieve foreign policy objectives.

ELECTIONS
   1. Repeal Citizens United
   2. Shorten period of campaign
   3. Insure right to vote
   4. Public financing
   5. Fact checking
   6. Demand transparency for large donations

ECONOMY
   1. Reduce inequality
   2. Tax reform
        Close corporate tax loopholes
   3. Invest in infrastructure

LOCAL

    1. Buy local
    2. Local banks and credit unions
    3. Framers markets
    4. Co-ops

INTERESTING SITES

The Big Benefits of Postal Service Banking

 What’s the True Impact of the Alternative Economy- Researchers Decide It’s Time to Find Out by Eban Goodstein and Robin Hahnel — YES! Magazine

Young Adults Love Walking, Biking, and Buses—11 Reasons That’s Good For Everyone by Jay 

Walljasper — YES! MagazineCities Are Now — YES! Magazine

Sanders to Iowa AFL-CIO- It's Time for a Political Revolution - YouTube

Douglas Jack oueeiijayii's webcam video October 6, 2011 09-38 PM - YouTube

Charter for Compassion

We're Young, Passionate, and Bent on Justice- Why #BlackLivesMatter Is Irresistible by Adrienne Maree Brown — YES! Magazine

Alternative Currencies Are Bigger Than Bitcoin- How They’re Building Prosperity From London to Kenya by Raúl Carrillo — YES! Magazine

A Brief History of Happiness- How America Lost Track of the Good Life—and Where to Find It Now by Sarah van Gelder — YES! MagazineWhen the Grandmothers Awoke by Jennifer Browdy — YES! Magazine

Can the Left and Right Unite to End Corporate Rule- An Interview with Ralph Nader and Daniel McCarthy by Sarah van Gelder — YES! Magazine

PARTICIPANT"S ACTION PLANS

PEGGY AND FRANK'S ACTION PLANS

   Peggy and I are becoming involved in encouraging Americans to eat bugs as does most of the rest of the world. Our son, Bill has started a company called BUGS FOR DINNER and our whole family is involved.

One of the goals is:
HOME BREEDING UNITS:  The goal is to create a home breeding unit that accommodates a number of different edible insects. We’d like to distribute these free to families in need. First in the US and then worldwide. Families can farm their own insects To grow bugs, you just add your daily leftovers to the bug breeding unit and the bugs feast on what would typically be thrown out. If there are not enough table scraps, garden weeds also work well. The insect breeder would supply a daily dose of protein, vitamins and minerals free of charge. The target insects are crickets, ants and fly larvae. The breeder would supply enough insects for daily harvesting after a few months of growth and development of the insect colonies. Larger breeders could be developed for community projects. Insects eat a lot of what we don’t want. Then, they become a super-food. Our goal is to create a home breeding unit that accommodates a number of different edible insects distributed free to families in need.