Time to Remake the Economy Into OUR Economy By Kevin Zeese and
Margaret Flowers Co-directors, Its Our Economy
www.itsoureconomy.us
Slide 2
1. Describe the current economic and political environments and
where they are going. 2. Describe the two-pronged approach to
change economic and political power. 3. Describe what to do to
create the new democratized economy that benefits people and the
planet. OBJECTIVES
Slide 3
US GDP AND PRODUCTIVITY UP
http://www.wealthdaily.com/articles/2012-economic-
forecast-a-surprising-and-profitable-trend-emerges/3347
http://itsoureconomy.us/2012/11/the-myth-of-u-s-
manufacturing-decline/
Slide 4
CORPORATE PROFITS ARE UP
http://itsoureconomy.us/2012/12/two-charts-show-how-the-
priorities-of-us-companies-have-gotten-screwed-up/
http://itsoureconomy.us/2013/01/corporate-profits-
have-grown-by-171-percent-under-obama-highest-rate-
since-1900/
Slide 5
JOBS ARE DOWN The percentage of Americans with jobs is at its
lowest level in three decades. (The shaded areas of the chart
represent recessions.) http://itsoureconomy.us/2012/10/heres-whats-
wrong-with-the-economy-charts /
Slide 6
INCOME IS DOWN http://itsoureconomy.us/2013/0
2/the-collapse-of-america-in- two-charts/ Incomes for bottom 90% of
Americans only grew by $59 on average between 1966 and 2011
(adjusted for inflation), according to David Cay Johnston. During
the same period, average income for top 10% of Americans rose by
$116,071.
Slide 7
RECOVERY FOR WHOM?
Slide 8
Higher taxes on the wealthy encourage investment in business
and job creation. Lower taxes on the wealthy leads to hoarding.
TRICKLE DOWN DOESNT
Slide 9
WEALTH INEQUALITY IS GROWING http://itsoureconomy.us/2013/
01/history-shows-want-to- control-deficit-spending-seek-
full-employment/ http://itsoureconomy.us/2012/12/t
wo-charts-show-how-the- priorities-of-us-companies-have-
gotten-screwed-up/ The end of progressive taxation coincided with
the beginning of the growing wealth divide.
Slide 10
WHO HAS THE MONEY?
Slide 11
No Conspiracy Theory A Small Group of Companies Have Enormous
Power Over the World WHO HAS THE POWER?
http://itsoureconomy.us/2012/11/no-conspiracy-theory-a-small-group-
of-companies-have-enormous-power-over-the-world/ A major scientific
study identified a number of companies with outsized control over a
huge portion of the earths economy. 147 Superentities were found to
control 40% of global wealth.
Slide 12
Recession or worse? Instead of full employment, regulation of
finance and investment in social infrastructure, we see: False
crises and debates Privatization Austerity Debt-based Economy WHERE
ARE WE HEADED?
Slide 13
SOLUTIONS TO EVERY CRISIS The people can rule better than the
elites Evidence-based solutions to every crisis supported by
supermajorities: Tax the rich and corporations End the wars, bring
the troops home, cut military spending Protect the social safety
net, strengthen Social Security and improved Medicare for all End
corporate welfare for oil companies and other big business
interests Transition to a clean energy economy, reverse
environmental degradation Protect worker rights including
collective bargaining, create jobs and raise wages Get money out of
politics http://october2011.org/standwiththemajority
Slide 14
Two simultaneous paths: 1. Protest to expose crises. 2. Build
systems that reduce wealth divide and replace current systems.
Human need, not corporate greed. HOW DO WE CHANGE DIRECTION?
Slide 15
What do you do in a crisis? Time for ICU: Independent Clear
Uncompromising BE BOLD!
Slide 16
Policy changes that will create real solutions: The 99% Deficit
Proposal on October2011.org Create a fair tax system/ guaranteed
national income Shift military spending to create economic security
Invest in CFNF energy economy Erase student debt/ free higher
education End foreclosures and evictions Strengthen Social Security
Medicare for all Public jobs program HOW DO WE SOLVE THE DEFICIT?
End the wars and tax the rich!
Slide 17
The Great Turning is a name for the essential adventure of our
time: the shift from the Industrial Growth Society to a
life-sustaining civilization. The ecological and social crises we
face are caused by an economic system dependent on accelerating
growth. This self-destructing political economy sets its goals and
measures its performance in terms of ever-increasing corporate
profits in other words by how fast materials can be extracted from
Earth and turned into consumer products, weapons, and waste. A
revolution is under way because people are realizing that our needs
can be met without destroying our world. We have the technical
knowledge, the communication tools, and material resources to grow
enough food, ensure clean air and water, and meet rational energy
needs. Future generations, if there is a livable world for them,
will look back at the epochal transition we are making to a
life-sustaining society. And they may well call this the time of
the Great Turning. It is happening now. - Joanna Macey THE GREAT
TURNING
Slide 18
What are the values? Solidarity, cooperation, sustainability,
democracy? Organize using those values! WHAT TYPE OF SOCIETY DO YOU
WANT TO LIVE IN?
Slide 19
Alternative & local currencies/ Time banks/Barter Free
stores Participatory budgeting Move your money Public Banks THE NEW
ECONOMY: MONEY http://itsoureconomy.us/2013/03/how-public-banking-
made-the-us-colonies-properous/
Slide 20
B corporations Community banks Local investment Taxpayer
investment Progressive taxation Participatory taxation End the
debt-based economy THE NEW ECONOMY: FINANCE
Slide 21
Eviction resistance Incentives to restore property Housing
cooperatives Collectives/intentional communities Litigate bank
mortgage fraud Community land trusts THE NEW ECONOMY: HOUSING
http://blinktag.com/projects/irvine- community-land-trust/
Slide 22
Community gardens CSAs Grocery cooperatives Farmer training
Farmer markets Seed exchanges Local distribution Buy local
campaigns THE NEW ECONOMY: FOOD
http://www.cityweekly.net/utah/article-14620-utah-co- op.html
Slide 23
Worker co-operatives (WSDE) Mondragon model Evergreen Model
ESOPs Guaranteed income Living Wage Non-union workers movement THE
NEW ECONOMY: JOBS http://www.peri.umass.edu/fileadmin/pdf/publishe
d_study/spending_priorities_PERI.pdf
Slide 24
Non-corporate practices Healthy San Francisco Single payer
health system Medical school rural track THE NEW ECONOMY:
HEALTHCARE
Slide 25
Carbon-free nuclear-free energy economy Public ownership Energy
cooperatives Feed-In-Tariffs THE NEW ECONOMY: ENERGY
http://cleanenergyaction.org/learn-more/feed-in-tariffs/
Slide 26
Public transportation Car sharing Bike rentals Walkable/bike
safe cities THE NEW ECONOMY: TRANSPORTATION
http://blog.oregonlive.com/commuting/2012/05/portland_on
ce_again_nations_to.html
Slide 27
THE NEW ECONOMY: EDUCATION Reverse privatization End testing
industry Free college education Tenured professors Unionized
teachers
http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/12/03/students-seize-
cooper-union-room-to-protest-possible-tuition/
Slide 28
Fund Our Communities Alternative foreign policy Real security
THE NEW ECONOMY: PEACE
Slide 29
Shift the Power, Democratize the Economy Its Our Economy
ItsOurEconomy.US Build power and resistance Occupy Washington, DC
OccupyWashingtonDC.org Democratize the Media Clearing the FOG
(Forces of Greed) Radio Show ClearingTheFOGRadio.org
ClearingTheFOGRadio.org REMEMBER, ITS OUR ECONOMY
