[diggers350] RE: Re Election?- Rejection!

[Mark Barrett]

Great slogan James

Wouldn't it be great to get Peoples Assemblies - and the need for one, with
real sovereignty, in every neighbourhood - onto the mainstream radar this
election, and then build from there..

Mobilising against the General Election and beyond
Movement building discussion and planning in London
All welcome
3pm-7pm Saturday 30th and Sunday 31st January
Downstairs at the Foundry, near Old Street tube

Can the localists unite?

How about Peoples Assemblies, festivals of people power - with attitude - at
Town Halls across the country
Could be quite easy to organise, and effective..

Thoughts?

Mark
2010/1/7 james armstrong <james36armstrong at hotmail.com>

>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
> From: james36armstrong at hotmail.com
> Hello ,
> If we want the land, we need a central body as the
> holder of theland in the name of the people.
> The land will have to be bound into the constitutional set up to protect it
> for ever.
> A people's`Assembly is such a body.
> An election approaches and now is an appropriate time to canvas for such an
> Assembly.
>
> There are many moves afoot for change in the system of government and I
> want to
> show the advantages of an Assembly over the  proposal, which I think
> inadeqaute, to set up a system of referenda on upcoming issues.
> I admire that inititative but think there is a flaw in the  goal, of
> referenda/ums on demand.
>
> The flaw is that it is reactive  and ephemeral
> - just the defects that allow HMG to ignore one million demonstrators in
> Feb 2003.....as they contemptuously  ignored the Charter signed by one
> million Chartists in 1840's.
>
> An Assembly of the people, sitting as the third chamber of government (or
> second if you abolish the anti democratic Lords) chosen by lot among
> literate people, - only this can have a continual presence and act as
> raporteur having a continuous dialogue with H of C who are the people's paid
> servants- though little do they act like it!.
> Its main job is to set  the agenda of debate and generally set the
>  parameters within which the H of C operates.  It is patently obvious that
> the  elected members cannot be relied on to control their own excesses.
>  Also they are in turn ,hopelessly controlled by the cheque books of the
>  industrial and financial and even foreign political  lobbies.  (I am
> thinking for shocking example where more than 50% of Tory members are
> 'Conservative Friends of Israel' and many socialists in Labour Friends of
> Israel
> The assembly needs a 'wild card' to be used in extremis , with  which to
> demote any MP who is suborned by a lobbyist.
>
> This Assembly is the direct voice of the  people holding the (merely)
> elected H of C to account.
>
> Without a constantly sitting Assembly control of MP's, and control of the
> government  is impossible.
>
> Also the right of a referendum does not address the main problem - the
> country is run by the cheque books of the  party funders and the financial,
> political and industrial `lobbies.
>
> This proposed Assembly system is a suitable development of democracy for
> free, educated evolved self conscious men and women with their sights on the
> future, not on the horribly flawed precedents of the past.
> James, Dorchester.
>
>
> > Date: Thu, 7 Jan 2010 18:01:57 +0100
> > From: info at iniref.org
> > To: press at iniref.org
> > Subject: Early general election? Help swing the pendulum towards
> democracy reform
> >
> > TOWARDS CITIZEN-LED DEMOCRACY
> >
> > OPEN CAMPAIGN FOR UK PARLIAMENTARY ELECTION EXPECTED IN 2010
> >
> > FRAME ONE
> >
> > Setting the scene
> > Most politicians oppose strong democracy, the sort in which the
> > electorate, citizens are able to participate effectively. Once elected,
> > politicians want to be in charge without having to worry about
> > interference by the people who elected them. The people's view is that a
> > bit more control of politics and the ability to better steer our own
> > public affairs would be good for all of us.
> >
> > Many people feel that politics and government in Britain do very little
> > for them. A large majority agree with the essential principle of direct
> > democracy, that an agreed number of voters should be able to put forward
> > a proposal and demand a referendum about it. This reform would give us
> > "partial direct democracy" -- parliament and government would continue
> > to function much as before, doing most of the work of running the
> > country. From time to time though, on some public issues which we
> > select, the electorate would take over responsibility to decide a matter
> > of law or constitution directly. This is a very effective way for the
> > electorate, The People, to influence and guide what politicians do in
> > our name.
> >
> > To obtain this reform we need straightforward guidelines for the new
> > methods of democracy. We can model them on other countries. The most
> > obvious way to proceed would be by passing a law in parliament which
> > provides working rules, e.g. for the citizens' law-proposal and
> > veto-referendum.
> >
> > To get a law like this passed we clearly need a majority of MPs in the
> > House of Commons. A bill would be presented by a political party or a
> > group of convinced MPs.. How can the electorate, We The People, arrange
> > for the necessary majority to emerge? The rapid answer is "an effective
> > reform campaign". Some ways to do this have already been published (2).
> > One effective tactic is to show prospective MPs that they will ONLY be
> > elected if they promise to support the campaign, and the direct
> > democracy reform law in parliament. How can this be done? Here's the
> > secret: In the run-up period to elections we must approach candidates,
> > party campaign offices and central offices, with the message
> >
> > SUPPORT PEOPLE-POWER DEMOCRACY (PLEASE) OR LOSE MY VOTE !
> >
> > GO TO FRAME TWO
> > The election-campaign plan-of-action
> > http://www.iniref.org/tactic2.html
> >
> > 1. Background detail about citizen-led democracy is available via
> > http://www.iniref.org/index.enter.html
> > 2. Available on request
> >
> > I&R ~ GB
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
>
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>



-- 
"We hear men speaking for us of new laws strong and sweet /Yet is there no
man speaketh as we speak in the street.”
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