5 ms·

Occupy.

angersock 15y ago
What? No. That's rubbish. The failure of the Occupy movement has been that it is primarily been driven at an emotional level, and (if my own experiences have shown anything) has lacked serious thought. So, here, we're all designers/engineers/entrepeneurs, let's talk about this. Goal: Fix what is broken with the US federal government. Constraints: Any proposed solution cannot disrupt current economy significantly (avoid riots, breaking public services, hurting people. etc.). Any proposed solution must be straightforward in implementation and simple in explanation (average Joes and Janes need to be able to get it--no GNU cat() implmentations, please). Any proposed solution must gracefully integrate or deprecate existing systems where possible (see defense, messaging [postal service], FCC, IRS, etc.)--this need not include existing legislative organs, however (those are command mechanisms, which probably would need to be replaced wholesale anyways). Any proposed solution must allow active participation by the governed and allow for expression of their will. This implies any solution must allow for equal, open, and easy access to the functioning of the government. Suggested starting point: 1. Identify what is actually wrong with the government. EDIT: Updated example list of existing systems example. Added constraint for "expression of governed's will".
- scarmig 15y ago
  Any proposed solution cannot disrupt current economy significantly (avoid riots, breaking public services, hurting people. etc.). I think you're missing the point of the Occupy movement.
- mladenkovacevic 15y ago
  I think before any fixing takes place.. a lot of people still need to be convinced that something is broken. Identify and visualize the "broken wheels". And no vagueness either: Name names, quote figures and compare track records to campaign platforms then get that information out there in clever, "viral" ways. Large, detailed infographics might seem popular with us nerds but general population needs very specific, dramatic examples of just how fucked up things are.
- jsaxton86 15y ago
  Lawrence Lessig argues that the fundamental problem in government is money. Getting elected is expensive, so candidates have to build a network of donors, which creates an obvious conflict of interest if they get elected. A decent introduction to Lessig's ideas can be found here: http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/blogs/national-affairs/lawrence-lessig-on-how-money-corrupts-congress-and-how-to-stop-it-20111005 http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/blogs/national-affairs/... Public financing of elections would be a definite step in the right direction and meets all of your constraints.
  - roc 15y ago
    It's worth noting that Occupy movement was started in the pursuit of one clear, simple, publicly and plainly stated goal: to get the money out of politics. [1] Everyone who pushed forward the meme that the Occupiers had/have no clear agenda did nothing but expose their own ignorance, ineptitude or intellectual dishonesty. [1] http://www.adbusters.org/blogs/adbusters-blog/occupywallstreet.html http://www.adbusters.org/blogs/adbusters-blog/occupywallstre... "Beginning from one simple demand -- a presidential commission to separate money from politics"
    - eli 15y ago
      I'm sorry, but I just don't agree with that. This is the first time I've ever heard of that specific demand, and I've been actively seeking information about the movement. Feel free to blame "the media," but I've personally asked more than a few people at Occupy to be specific about what they were demanding or what success looks like and I never heard anything like that. I heard a lot about jobs and employment. A bit about the banks having too much power. And one person talked a lot about middle east politics.
      - roc 15y ago
        > "I've been actively seeking information about the movement." You've been looking for information, yet never read the original call to Occupy? Or were you just keeping an eye out for more background information in what is provided to you by the press?
- jacoblyles 15y ago
  Actually, it sounds like you're describing the Tea Party movement. While it remains to be seen if it has run out of steam, it made a big impact on the 2010 elections.
- presidentender 15y ago
  The "Occupy" movement identifies the problem as "money in politics." You will have a difficult time convincing them otherwise.
gojomo 15y ago
Except: the Occupy protests mainly caused problems for city and local officials. Cities and localities have issues, too, but are far more representative of and responsive to their own residents' needs than Congress. (None of the cities blessed with Occupy camps proposed censoring the internet, for example.)
- _delirium 15y ago
  > None of the cities blessed with Occupy camps proposed censoring the internet, for example. Mostly because internet regulation has been federalized. When they can, cities attempt to ban things left and right; many of the Supreme Court precedents on film censorship involve municipal statutes. Not to mention their love of "free speech zones".

Occupy.

What? No. That's rubbish. The failure of the Occupy movement has been that it is primarily been driven at an emotional level, and (if my own experiences have shown anything) has lacked serious thought. So, here, we're all designers/engineers/entrepeneurs, let's talk about this. Goal: Fix what is broken with the US federal government. Constraints: Any proposed solution cannot disrupt current economy significantly (avoid riots, breaking public services, hurting people. etc.). Any proposed solution must be straightforward in implementation and simple in explanation (average Joes and Janes need to be able to get it--no GNU cat() implmentations, please). Any proposed solution must gracefully integrate or deprecate existing systems where possible (see defense, messaging [postal service], FCC, IRS, etc.)--this need not include existing legislative organs, however (those are command mechanisms, which probably would need to be replaced wholesale anyways). Any proposed solution must allow active participation by the governed and allow for expression of their will. This implies any solution must allow for equal, open, and easy access to the functioning of the government. Suggested starting point: 1. Identify what is actually wrong with the government. EDIT: Updated example list of existing systems example. Added constraint for "expression of governed's will".

scarmig 15y ago
Any proposed solution cannot disrupt current economy significantly (avoid riots, breaking public services, hurting people. etc.). I think you're missing the point of the Occupy movement.
mladenkovacevic 15y ago
I think before any fixing takes place.. a lot of people still need to be convinced that something is broken. Identify and visualize the "broken wheels". And no vagueness either: Name names, quote figures and compare track records to campaign platforms then get that information out there in clever, "viral" ways. Large, detailed infographics might seem popular with us nerds but general population needs very specific, dramatic examples of just how fucked up things are.
jsaxton86 15y ago
Lawrence Lessig argues that the fundamental problem in government is money. Getting elected is expensive, so candidates have to build a network of donors, which creates an obvious conflict of interest if they get elected. A decent introduction to Lessig's ideas can be found here: http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/blogs/national-affairs/lawrence-lessig-on-how-money-corrupts-congress-and-how-to-stop-it-20111005 http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/blogs/national-affairs/... Public financing of elections would be a definite step in the right direction and meets all of your constraints.
- roc 15y ago
  It's worth noting that Occupy movement was started in the pursuit of one clear, simple, publicly and plainly stated goal: to get the money out of politics. [1] Everyone who pushed forward the meme that the Occupiers had/have no clear agenda did nothing but expose their own ignorance, ineptitude or intellectual dishonesty. [1] http://www.adbusters.org/blogs/adbusters-blog/occupywallstreet.html http://www.adbusters.org/blogs/adbusters-blog/occupywallstre... "Beginning from one simple demand -- a presidential commission to separate money from politics"
  - eli 15y ago
    I'm sorry, but I just don't agree with that. This is the first time I've ever heard of that specific demand, and I've been actively seeking information about the movement. Feel free to blame "the media," but I've personally asked more than a few people at Occupy to be specific about what they were demanding or what success looks like and I never heard anything like that. I heard a lot about jobs and employment. A bit about the banks having too much power. And one person talked a lot about middle east politics.
    - roc 15y ago
      > "I've been actively seeking information about the movement." You've been looking for information, yet never read the original call to Occupy? Or were you just keeping an eye out for more background information in what is provided to you by the press?
jacoblyles 15y ago
Actually, it sounds like you're describing the Tea Party movement. While it remains to be seen if it has run out of steam, it made a big impact on the 2010 elections.
presidentender 15y ago
The "Occupy" movement identifies the problem as "money in politics." You will have a difficult time convincing them otherwise.

gojomo 15y ago

Except: the Occupy protests mainly caused problems for city and local officials. Cities and localities have issues, too, but are far more representative of and responsive to their own residents' needs than Congress. (None of the cities blessed with Occupy camps proposed censoring the internet, for example.)

_delirium 15y ago
> None of the cities blessed with Occupy camps proposed censoring the internet, for example. Mostly because internet regulation has been federalized. When they can, cities attempt to ban things left and right; many of the Supreme Court precedents on film censorship involve municipal statutes. Not to mention their love of "free speech zones".