Occupy Ann Arbor is excited to have the opportunity to participate in the Global Teach-In on April 25. If you haven’t heard about this global dialogue, the Global Teach-In is designed to address the general problems associated with the “Triple Crisis”, i.e. economics, environment, and reliance on unsustainable energy supplies. The backers, conveners, and participants in this event (which include Ann Arbor’s Alan Haber and U.M. SMART fellow Dr. Jonathan M. Feldman, now at Stockholm University) have assembled some remarkably well-conceived ideas for SOLUTIONS to these problems. This is not a “list of complaints”, with which we are all probably all too-familiar. The Global Agenda page of the Teach-In site goes into considerable detail on three main topics. It talks about “Democracy Networks” and how the concentration of power in large corporations and banks has placed serious constraints on democracy. It talks about Green Jobs and Planning, via a “Green New Deal” that expands investments, manufacturing and infrastructure related to alternative energy and mass transportation. And it addresses the idea of an “Alternative Financial System” to tackle the problems created by bailing out banks and extending tax breaks to the ultra-rich. The common justification for this “economic exceptionalism” is that it will prevent further economic catastrophes and prevent the imposition of austerity measures on the general populace. The fallacy of this argument is becoming clearer every day; this special treatment of banks and the elite have merely strengthened their ability to continue to manipulate government policy and lowered their accountability. If you want to take part in this amazing event, get on board by attending a Tuesday Direct Action meeting, a Sunday Unity meeting or General Assembly, or simply dropping a line HERE. As of this writing, it looks like we still may need technical support, and the specifics of Ann Arbor’s presentation for this global dialog have yet to be fully defined.
