National Initiative for Democracy Radio Show with Evan Raviz, November 26, 7-9 pm
Evan Ravitz has been championing the National Initiative for Democracy, written by former US Senator Mike Gravel. The National Initiative empowers people to share law-making power with representatives, similar to ballot initiatives in 24 States, but at all levels from national to local and with several improvements. The People as check and balance against legislators, Congress, lobbyists, and money!
Senator Gravel among others tried to get Congress to ratify a similar National Voter Initiative in 1977, but of course Congress refused to share power (as also happened in 1917 and 1937.) Since then, Gravel discovered that the Founders had the same basic problem: the existing 13 Legislatures refused to share real power with the upstart USA. The Founders pondered and "resorted" to their First Principle ("The People are Sovereign.") and decided to have The People ratify the Constitution, at the Constitutional Conventions.
The National Initiative, is the most powerful reform since the Constitution, to make real the promise of "government by the people." The National Initiative consists of the brief Democracy Amendment and the more detailed Democracy Act. Similarly, YOU can now vote to ratify the National Initiative at Vote.org!"
Initiatives put the people in the drivers seat. Responsibility brings more responsible people: more people vote in States with initiatives. In Switzerland, centuries of national initiatives result in the highest newspaper readership in the world.
Initiatives are competition for legislators, which brings more representative behavior from representatives. The National Initiative will break Congress' monopoly on national legislative power.
People are less influenced by money than representatives. This study and book show that people favor "grassroots" initiatives over "big money" initiatives while the Associated Press shows Congress usually votes the way big money wants.
When legislators make mistakes they cover them up --to protect their careers & egos. Citizens lack the coverup incentive but have incentive to fix mistakes: regular people suffer more than the privileged. Thomas Jefferson said "The will of the majority is the natural law of every society and the only sure guardian of the rights of man; though this may err, yet its errors are honest, solitary and short-lived."
Large, diverse groups of independent people make better decisions. The award-winning book "The Wisdom of Crowds" shows how and why. The National Initiative is endorsed by a wide variety of movers and shakers.
Evan Ravitz is an activist, performing artist, programmer/analyst, writer, and has led a very adventurous life.
Questioning War- Organizing Resistanceis hosted by local activist, Carol Brouillet, a longtime activist who organized three conferences on Strategies to Transform the Global Economy and (the first) marches on her Senators and Congresswoman in January 2002 to Demand a Congressional Investigation of 9-11. She publishes the Deception Dollars, and Co-Founded the 9-11 Truth Alliance, and the Northern California 9-11 Truth Alliance . She organized premieres of films, educational events, marches, rallies for 9-11 Truth, the San Francisco International Inquiry into 9-11, and produced the film Behind Every Terrorist- There is a Bush. She is also a mother of three boys and has held a weekly Listening Project in downtown Palo Alto since October 2001. She ran for Congress in 2006 on the Green Party ticket on a 9-11 Truth, Peace, Impeachment platform. Past shows are archived at http://mp3.wtprn.com/Brouillet07.html
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