Date: Mon, 12 Apr 1999 20:25:30 +0200
From: peoples@post4.tele.dk
The peoples have no say.
All economic and political power is concentrated in the trans-
national corporations, their mass media monopoly and their
politicians.
And from their point of view people are only of interest
1. - as slave labour, only to be kept barely alive at minimum
existence level, - this giving rise to the general class struggle -
but at the same time also
2. - as consumers to keep the profit machinery running at
maximum speed. The great potential of this other more pleasant role of ours so
far has only been exploited to a very limited extent and only
for defensive purposes.
So let us expand the class struggle with exploiting this
potential in an OFFENSIVE strategy:
Let us utilize the contradictions existing within the robbers'
castle to our advantage and disarm their imperialist struggle
over markets and resources before it now once again will lead
to world war.
Let us utilize the fact that it is our money the robbers are
fighting over, and play the predators out against each other,
before they succeed in completing the monopolization process.
Why should we always remain on the defensive although the
salesmen are completely dependent on our willingness to buy
their products !
GLOBALLY
the consumers' power may be utilized for internationalization
of the corporations.
This strategy of the formative World Parliament of THE UNITED
PEOPLES for saving our planet has web site address
http://www.unitedpeoples.net (under construction).
REGIONALLY and NATIONALLY
the consumers' power may be utilized for the people's takeover
of the ownership or part of the profits of national companies
or local corporate production or distribution enterprises.
In each country a United Peoples Party or, to start with, a
Consumers' Power Committee, "CPC", comprising all progressive
organisations, movements and individuals is formed.
The CPC may comprise a group of neighbouring countries.
The analysis of the market and identification of the products
and enterprises to be targeted is carried out by progressive
professional economists/NGOs/students under the guidance of
the CPC.
The enduring motivation and consent of the members of the CPC
organisations and rest of the population first of all is
achieved by setting up a precise and prioritized list of the
welfare benefits their contributions will bring about, and by
means of an independent control with openly published
accounting of the outcome.
The list should include easily perceptible and visible items.
The tasks of the members will be, as consumers, to buy,
respectively boycott continuously or for a specified period of
time the products pointed out by the CPC, and to motivate rest
of the population to do the same.
EXAMPLE :
Three enterprises, A, B and C, are selling almost identical
products and share the market as follows:
Shares of market:
A B C
xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Profits:
A B C
xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Depending on the market, the strength of the CPC, etc., each
one of the enterprises is asked either
A) - if it is willing to turn over the ownership to the people,
if it is chosen as the only one to survive, the stockholders'
invested money to be paid back over a specified period of time,
or
B) - how great share of its extra profits it will allot to the
people, if it is chosen as the only one or one of the few
enterprises whose products will not be boycotted.
If, for example, A and B bid highest, the CPC may choose to let
A and B share C's market and share C's profit with the people,
rather than let either A or B get complete monopoly:
Shares of market:
A B
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Profits:
A B CPC
xxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxx
Everything of course will be based on a written agreement
beforehand.
CONCRETE EXAMPLES
Bangladesh
Population: 120 millions
The CPC will include at least Bangladesh Agricultural Farm
Labour Federation with 100.000 members spread all over the
countryside, the Bangladesh Garment Workers & Employees
Federation in the cities and the Revolutionary Unity Front
with 6 member organisations.
At least in this context it is a great advantage that only very
few people have TV-sets. People therefore are not so brain-
washed as in other countries.
Two thirds of the population being illiterate, people are used
to the personal communication that the members of the CPC
organisations will use in meetings all over the country.
And the corporations cannot counteract the campaign by means of
their TV monopoly.
Only the two radio stations (governmental) may become a problem.
Thailand
Population: 60 millions
The progressive trade unions with 200.000 members, the Assembly
of The Poor in the rural areas, the Slum People in the urban
areas and the Fisherfolk's Federation represent at least 80
of the population.
The present situation in Thailand invites playing the patriotic
card in a general campaign as outlined in a "Press Release"
like this:
" The CPC comprising the following organisations representing
more than 80 % of the population
1. - are very concerned and upset about that Thai enterprises
are being given away to foreign robbers.
For the first time in her long history, Thailand is being
colonized.
2. - propose that at least the enterprises most essential to
the people, including the media, be kept on Thai hands
3. - offer one or a few of the enterprises within each branch
the following arrangement:
3.1. In the future we will prefer the products of the chosen
enterprise(s) and boycott all others
3.2. In return, the ownership of the chosen enterprise(s) will
be turned over to a collective comprising all of our members.
Each enterprise will be managed by a professional team referring
to the CPC.
This is the only way the ownership with certainty can remain on
Thai hands.
3.3. The present stockholders will get their invested money
back over a period of 5 - 15 years, the period depending on the
profitability of the individual enterprise.
4. We call for other organisations to join us in this effort."
Ole Fjord Larsen,
Co-organizer of the formative world parliament
of the united peoples
