Fascinating video lecture by Dylan Ratigan. I'm in the process of reading his recent book, Greedy Bastards: How We Can Stop Corporate Communists, Banksters, and Other Vampires from Sucking America Dry. It's an extremely well written book that succinctly explains many of the problems faced by Americans (including chapters on Wall Street and Health Care). In this video from October, 2013, however, Ratigan suggests that writing the book was a waste of time, although it might serve as a useful inventory of issues. I have a hard time believing that Ratigan believes that. Seeing him deliver his talk, and receiving several impassioned email blasts from him, it sure seems that he is still putting up a good fight, though it is a fight that will be extremely difficult to win, and maybe he is exhausted from the fight. Dylan writes (in a mass-emailing that I received today) that he wanted to tell "stories of those using distributed power to solve old problems in new ways." I'm all for grass roots action and organizing, and I do believe in the power of reframing. But to win back the country, we will also need people like the author of Greedy Bastards to identify particular issues, lay out the history and propose workable solutions. Occasionally David beats Goliath, but it's a great story because it only rarely happens. I'm wondering whether Ratigan was demoralized by the long battle, has taken refuge away from the battle, and is gearing up to get back into the game. that is my hope.

Here's the scenario: Jeremy Paxman continually tells Russell Brand that he has not right to be heard because he doesn't bother to vote. Brand explains to Paxman that voting is a farce that makes voters complicit in the rampant political/corporate corruption. Invigorating discussion that is well worth your time.