The First Of US
Building collective power: A visionary timeline of the Direct Democracy citizenship
Intro
Our political leaders don’t work for us. They work for a of sociopathic billionaire ‘elite’, devoid of empathy, highly organized and efficient, motivated by money and power and ready to risk all life to be the top dog. Their plans and actions cause suffering on billions, destructive wars and threaten the planetary ecology.
A concept called “the wisdom of the crowds”, states that large groups of people are collectively smarter than individual experts and make better decisions.
There is no bigger power on this planet than people working together in a highly organized, cohesive network and taking back the responsibility of our lives through collective governing.
This vision is based on the Direct Democracy Platform: The necessary online technology, together with a new paradigm of empathic social interaction that can lead to us, the people, governing this planet in a caring and creative way.
The transformation of people from competitive, irrational and blinded by ideologies individuals, to members of an all-encompassing, highly organized, powerful community, is a process that is embedded in this vision.
Based on the above understandings, a group of people came together, and we set in motion the plan to save ourselves and life on the planet from the greed of the few.
We will take back our power and responsibility to govern together, with knowledge and with the common sense to care, heal, restore, evolve and prosper.
We will be known as The First Of UsThe following is not a precise plan of expansion, more like an inspirational map of possibilities, to open up our minds to our potential. This is an interactive document. The links will take you to some analysis of each concept, in the Addendum at the end of the article.
Although this timeline looks like a specific set of goals, actual growth may happen more chaotically. At times it will lag, other times it may jump forward.
We also recognize the potential of what is called “the 3.5% rule”: It states that once 3.5% of the population join in sustained protest, they change things for everyone.
So, here is an inspiring set of steps that we can take, and their potential.
You can read the article in a standard way, or jump to different stages of the potential growth by clicking on the titles:
5: The core group
50: The example
500: The pioneers
5,000: An initial collective force
50,000 citizens: Flexing our power
500,000: Changing the world
5,000,000: An inevitable ‘silent revolution’
5 members: The core group
We learn how to function as a group. We practice and experience the moderation principles. Our differences do not set us apart, they are our power of viewing things from all angles. Our synthesis is transformative.
I learn the pleasure and the power of a group that harmonizes and works together. My mind is not restricted by my biases and my personal experience. I can now benefit from the power of many well-meaning minds.
We set an example for social conformity for the next members. They learn our ways, adjust and add to our growth. We build the respect, trust and camaraderie that will characterize our community building.
We plan our next steps.
Each one of us is an ambassador of the project. We learn how to present the idea in our own way. We share outwards and gradually bring in more people.
If everything around you looks dark, look again.
You may be the light.
Din Muhammad Rumi - 1207-1273
50 members: The example
By now not every member is on the ‘same page’ politically. We learn to discuss issues without ‘ideological speak’.
We learn to stay on topic. We learn how to moderate and how to teach new moderators.
Among us there may already be a few activists. Members of other groups. Specialists that contribute in their own way. They bring in their experience. They also spread the word to their network.
We learn how to govern ourselves without permanent leaders. We form task groups. Task managers lead their small team to completion of their goal; then withdraw and receive a reputation badge on their profile.
Discussions start. Each positive interaction gets thumbs up. It also adds rep points to our profiles, for people to follow our history and see our contributions to our common cause.
We pool money and use it to create the Platform. $50 a month will get us $2500 a month, which may buy us the support of a techie. Goal: 3 months to a basic functional Platform. 5 months to improve it.
We test drive the Platform. We plan for improvements and new features.
After we have a functional home, we start spreading the word. We formulate the ‘onboarding experience’ for new members.
Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.
Margaret Mead - 1901-1978
500 members: The pioneers
We form thematic groups on the issues that move most of us. Homelessness. Environment. Social justice. Income inequality and fair pay. Health care. Democracy, etc. Groups set up their own forums on their issues. They gather information. Discussion is moderated, so that the forums become a repository of knowledge for anyone joining in the future. Emphasis in organizing all content, so that it’s easily searchable and usable. Think tanks introduce innovative ideas and problem-solving.
Events: Groups organize local and online events, focused on specific issues.
We reach out start attracting the presence of larger thematic groups to the Platform; racial justice, environmental activism groups, anti-corruption, Unions etc. They benefit from our moderation system and learn how to govern themselves without leaders.
They share their cause with all of us. They start bringing their population in.
We also form local groups on the subject of direct democracy and local issues, wherever we have several members.
Among us we now have some considerable budget power, for whatever purpose we decide to pool money. Example: A one-time contribution of a $100 average makes us $50,000. Example of a use for that: a few short videos on social media, showing our plan and progress and calling out for people to join.
A digest newsletter will help people get the main subjects in short form, complete with links to the relevant discussions.
Time for a ‘gamified’ onboarding system that includes short videos and questionnaires, to teach new members how we function and emotionally and mentally prepare them to be a positive part of an organized community. Basic learning will let them in, optional side projects will earn them experience and rep points.
Social economy starts among us: If there are enough members in one area, they form a Timebank and barter services. People help people.
We start experimenting with our consensus building and voting system. We open up to the world, the issues that we care about. We invite new people to participate in the discussions. We crowd source information on our issues of interest. Some people already start suggesting solutions and recording ideas in our think-tanks. The Platform, being open source, may be already gaining interest from groups of the world that want to practice direct democracy.
I have a dream!
Dr Martin Luther King, August 1963
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5,000 members: An initial collective force
We start prioritizing the issues we want to address. The Platform automatically focuses attention on upvoted issues that people find more urgent to deal with.
Moderators consolidate similar points of view, adding their upvotes and creating a clear reading environment. There’s but a few points of view on every issue, when ideology is removed, and logic is applied. We treat them all equally.
The issues start being discussed in depth in the relevant forums. People with special knowledge share and set a tone.
The social function of the Platform has enough activity to keep members coming back.
Social: 5000 social media accounts call out to join the discussion. Example: ‘Out of the following 6 issues, what would you prioritize, if we, the people, set out to solve them? Join us and make your voice count’.
Articles start coming out, based on our crowdsourced information and discussions. Our issues are being talked about.
Budget: An average contribution of $20/mo, or as decided and suggested by our collective, will get us a budget of $100,000 a month. How we can manage that, is discussed in a forum.
At this point we can finance a podcast, a Youtube channel, maybe even a radio station. We can pay investigators to get us much needed information.
Alliances form. Thematic groups ally with each other, consolidate power and set out on common goals, focusing on one cause every year.
First goal: At this stage, our investigative, deliberating and voting power may already be able to take on a single issue and solve it. An example might be ‘homelessness in Los Angeles’.
Social: ‘We’re taking on homelessness. Join our voices and bring the solution’. A success can be reproduced elsewhere and sets the tone for things to come.
Make love, not war.
The hippie movement, late 60s, early 70s
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50,000 citizens: Flexing our power of creation
Already able to file a referendum in several States. Enough voices to start changing the narrative. Enough money and power to expose corruption, or start litigation. Enough to invite whistle blowers that will feel protected.
Social economy: Enough population to initiate different forms of economy, to raise our individual financial comfort and build our collective power. Timebanks. A crypto. Crowdfunding. Micro loans. A credit union. A non profit fund to support the neediest in our community. People hire people. Worker owned corporations. New businesses spur among us that employ people from the community.
Land ownership: A non-profit housing association invests in land in different States and builds affordable housing for our members. Opening the projects to other people in need of housing, drives our numbers to a fast growth.
A city or our own: 50,000 people X$200 = $10,000,000. That buys 2,000 acres of forested farmland in Texas, with water and wildlife, to develop into a semi-autonomous paradise town of organic sustainability, safety, innovation and happiness.
The corporate media acknowledges our cause and reproduces our messaging or becomes irrelevant.
Our health: A cohesive group of this size, deserves medical and therapeutic treatment guaranteed for all of us, focused on our health, not for the profit of shareholders. Doctors and therapists among us, serve affordable, caring treatment, at a fraction of the cost of the US system, while still making a living. Removing the parasitic insurance industry also focuses on solutions-oriented care.
On social: ‘We are working on a solution to fair taxation. Join our voices.’
Global impact: First success stories start making their way around the world. Organizations of citizens use the open source platform to set up their own Direct Democracy initiatives. Possibly, a couple small countries endorse the system. News makes it’s way back to us. We spread it to our audiences too.
Narrative power: If 50,000 people from all walks of life can interact creatively and bring change, this can happen anywhere in the world.
The Paradigm Shift has started.
“We want it all, and we want it now!”
France. The wave of consciousness of May ‘68.
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500,000 citizens: Changing the world
We start taking on larger projects. We have money power, voting power, narrative power. We draft legislation, open source, simple but detailed, with no complicated politico language, dark corners and evil intents. We share it widely for people to see what is possible with collective work.
If half a million people can govern themselves without leaders and produce legislation that makes sense, any population can do it.
People start wondering why politicians fail to produce good for all, while people themselves can. We show how a good-sized city with similar population could be run collectively, or at least with active participation from its citizens.
Lawsuits. Protection of unions and activist organizations under attack. Protection of whistle blowers. Scientists that have been silenced can speak and be heard.
Politicians run on our agenda, but find that they are under oversight, scrutiny and criticism by our collective.
Money power: A one-off contribution of $50 average, makes us $25,000,000.
Revocable representation: If we so choose, we can run third Party and elect someone at the national level that will only act as directed by our collective. When our representative gets threatened or gaslighted, the next one from our midst just steps up and takes their place the same day. No leader to extort or bribe. As with our experience with task managers, the representative steps down anyway, when task is finished, or after a year of service.
Working with other DDP initiatives from all over the world, on common struggles and aspirations. A new world has begun.
Another world is possible
Social Forum, Seattle 2001 -…
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5,000,000 citizens: An inevitable global ‘silent revolution’
We are already the population of a small country. President electing power. System changing force.
Mobilization: A call for a peaceful march to Washington can bring 10 million people in the streets, highly organized and with specific demands. A force that cannot be called illegitimate and answered by police or army violence. A general strike called by us and joined by 10s of millions across all industries, all on the same day, with our focused demands, enforces our will. A government falls after such an event. The new one finds a new structure of power in place, to serve. The people.
Justice: Crooked politicians of all sides go to jail, including for past crimes against humanity. Corporations are made to pay reparations for crimes such as the 2008 crisis. Execs go to jail and serve exemplary harsh sentences.
Income equality: The push for fair taxation and taxing the ultra-rich is unstoppable. Billionaires are no more.
Peace: It’s improbable that the people’s interest would be on waging wars. Other countries would not feel threatened any more and trust starts building. Empathy and negotiation can solve international issues.
Corporate greed no longer corrupts the third world. Charismatic leaders will start the transformation to democracy in countries ravaged by imposed dictators.
A period of unrest in authoritative countries may ensue, until they also evolve as citizen driven. The world will be looking over that transition.
Real democracy: Eventually there may be no need for a government as we know it, since all decisions will be made by the people.
When America makes it, the world changes. Humanity evolves.
Give me a place to stand and I’ll move the earth.
Archimedes, ca 300 BC
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Hundreds of millions of people globally
The potential for a global human federation is unlocked. Reactive governments and oppressive regimes around the world are starting to dissolve and their peoples join the human collective. Hunger is getting solved. Wars are in the past. Resources are shared by all. Climate crisis is starting to reverse. The healing of the planet’s biosphere has began. All life is sacred and protected. People, not corporations assisted by an emergent AI, shape humanity’s path to the future. The stars are the new frontier.
Is that a future worth fighting for, for you? We have already set it in motion. Join us when you’re ready.
Imagine all the people, living life in peace…
John Lennon 1971
Addendum:
Wisdom of the Crowds
“Wisdom of the crowds” is a theory that states that a large group of people are collectively smarter than an individual expert. The theory assumes that the collective knowledge and opinions of a group are better at decision-making, problem-solving, and innovating than an individual.
The theory requires a large group with diverse opinions, but the collective error, the difference between the average opinion and the true value, has to be small.
Recent research has shown that collective decision-making outperforms the wisdom of crowds. Wisdom of crowds and collective decision-making in a survival situation with complex information integration - PMC (nih.gov)
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The potential for chaotic jumps forward:
A prominent politician or a famous person joins, boosts our recognizability at an earlier stage. A wealthy person makes a big donation that propels us. A law firm offers pro bono work for our cause and we file a lawsuit against corrupt officials that brings us national visibility. A prominent reporter writes about our project, or a film maker documents our first steps, we get eyes on us all over the world. A fended-off attack by big interests gives us a publicity boost and galvanizes us.
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Rapid change: The 3.5% rule
The "3.5% rule" states that no government can stand up to 3.5% of the population mobilizing against it. The rule is based on research by Erica Chenoweth and Maria Stephan. They studied 323 violent and non-violent protests that occurred between 1900 and 2006. They found that every campaign that mobilized at least 3.5% of the population in sustained protest was successful.
The '3.5% rule': How a small minority can change the world - BBC Future
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Moderation principles: The rules of engagement
Moderators are not people in power. It’s a temporary task and eventually everyone will take it on, in one form or another.
We start with a set of 3 “Rules of engagement” and aspire to improve them, adjust them or expand them if necessary, once we are a functioning collective.
Those are:
A. No personal attacks. You can challenge an argument, but not gaslight the author. Hard rule. A first insult will get the poster an infraction and the removal of the attack. A second one will get them ‘silenced’ for a period (maybe a couple weeks) and get recorded on their profile. More infractions would be considered intentional and will get someone banned. That will take care of professional provocateurs and trolls with no intention to be part of the collective.
B. Stay on topic. Everyone trails off. Moderators will point it out and help you clean up your argument so that it can become an integral part of the deliberation. A moderator will point out the similarities to other points of view being expressed on the matter. Since up-voting brings relevancy to the point of view, consolidating posts by different citizens that practically say the same thing, adds those upvotes and makes them stand out. Soft challenge, a growing process for all.
C. No ideological speech. Beliefs, biases, brainwashing. Moderators help clear out the point being made. They focus a post on the essence so that people with opposite pre-suppositions can see what you’re actually saying and possibly support it.
Soft challenge, since clearing up our minds from years of political brainwashing is a growing process for all.
Social Conformity
Social conformity is a type of social influence involving a change in belief or behavior in order to fit in with a group. Humans have a common tendency to adopt the opinions and follow the behaviors of the established group they step into.
Examples of conformity include wearing a uniform to work or school, following fashion trends, and following a typical career path because it feels like the safe thing to do.
In the context of the Direct Democracy Platform, newcomers to our network adapt to our behavior norms of non-aggression, non-competition and empathy. Non-competition refers to not fighting against each other, while arguments on ideas are desirable and necessary.
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Onboarding experience
Onboarding is a term used in the corporate world for the process of building human connections into the company. The goal is to create a social contract between the employer and employee. Social interactions can drive engagement, performance, and loyalty.
In our citizens network, we use onboarding to build community, cohesion and trust to our potential. There is amazing potential building trust and cohesion among the members.
Our Platform’s onboarding will include mandatory short lessons of accepted social behavior, with text and media, ending with a simple test. Voluntary tasks include filling out a profile, taking small challenges of social interaction, organizing a local or thematic group, etc. Voluntary achievements will earn you reputation.
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Social Economy
The social economy is already present across all sectors and employs 13.6 million people in the US. The objective of the social economy is to systematically put people first, produce a positive impact on local communities, and pursue social causes.
Yet, there is a lot to be done. As the human collective grows, we may find ourselves deciding to adopt a no-money society, and/or a socialist model of resource sharing. It is not our place to determine the economic structure path of that future human family. Till then, here are some economy examples we can use to improve our livelihood and solve local or planetary problems as income inequality, hunger, exploitation. Some of them overlap. The list is not exhaustive and not definitive. it can serve to open minds to the potential of a non-for-profit economy, that raises us all as opposed to a handful of elites.
Social assets: networks, organizations, and institutions, taking on housing, poverty, food insecurity, education, childcare, health, retirement, immigration etc.
Social enterprises: Cooperatives and revenue-generating programs of non-profit groups. Land trusts and other community corporations.
Workers' cooperatives: No more “working for the man”. We are the share-holders and the executives. Fair and sufficient income for everyone.
Credit unions: Non-profit, ethical banking, owned and operated by their members.
Social financing organizations: Crowd-funding. Community loan funds. Helping individuals with grants or low interest microloans or investing on bigger enterprises.
Timebanks: The evolution of one-to-one bartering. You offer a service to someone. That earns you credit in the timebank which you exchange for someone else’s services. Saves everyone time and money and builds community.
Training and skills development coops: Our social economy creates needs and new jobs. Skilled professionals train others for the specific needs of the growing social economy.
Mutual benefit societies: Collective insurance. Our own health care system where providers are part of our network.
Non-profit associations and foundations: Making resources available and goals accessible.
Professional unions. On the path to collective self-reliance, they armor workers and professionals on their fight for survival and justice.
Mutual stock ownership schemes. Investing in what makes sense for humanity. i.e. Green public transportation. Cleaning the oceans. Medical research on natural healing. Land stewardship.
Our own crypto, open sourced, armored with the knowledge of past failure. Crypto is based on trust. That’s a currency we have in abundance.