New possibilities for creating a system that works for all

Many think that by definition, our socio-political-economic system is the best that is possible. It assumes that people are primarily self-interested and accounts for this by promoting a competition for achieving collective choices in politics and the market. To assess the merit of our system we should answer such questions as ...

• How well does our system provide food, clothing, shelter and services for all?
• How equitably does it distribute wealth?
• How well does it help us responsibly manage planetary resources?
• How well does it employ the gifts of people (in jobs)?
• How well does our system promote individual freedom and choice?
• How well does it promote wise collective decisions?
• How well does it maintain the peace vs. promoting war?
• How well does it involve all of us in making collective choices?
• How well does it promote spirituality, community, human values?

University of Maryland Political Science professor Gar Alperovitz said recently ... “The question people are really interested in, that I'm interested in and I suspect some of you are is ... 'Is there any way to conceive of changing the political-economic system of the most powerful system in the history of the world?'" At the Center for Wise Democracy we answer "YES!" We think this change can be facilitated safely, where we build on what we have and choose something even better. The benefits are HIGH the risks are LOW.

Key to system change is to provide a way that we—all of us— can come together as "We the People," reflect on our situation and design changes that all of us want. Paradoxically, even if we don't make any of the changes, just adding this new We the People conversation is already a fundamental change to how we make collective choices. The Wise Democracy strategy (see the handout) can facilitate this "We the People" conversation into being.

• See the informal video below “How to Save the World ... Fast and Easy.” It’s 23 minutes of overview, plus 35 minutes of questions and answers with Joe Shirley.

• Hear the AUDIO interview of Jim Rough, "Wisdom of the Circle," by Jarett Sanchez on from The Next Step podcast, Oct 27, 2009
• Read the book “Society’s Breakthrough! Releasing Essential Wisdom and Virtue in All the People” by Jim Rough 2002.