The great escape.

It has been a rough year (or a little over 200 of them). In democratic or republican district. Both the same. There is plenty of critique out there what is wrong with our society.

There are movements that define what is the goal - a just or even "more just" society, with different levels of income equality or inequality, or with none of it all.

Everybody knows just what that *that* is. It is a new place in the history of mankind  where people will be happy, safe, not spied on and policed  to death and not divided by the color of their skin or their sexual orientation, where people will have guaranteed  healthcare and a living wage. People will have jobs and food to put on their table. Our infrastructure will be  functioning and in great repair, simply-  a paradise. And how to get there? That is an easy answer. All you have to do is support NGO's and this and that movement with this exact amount of dollars. We must resist. Right? The talk of the day is activism. 

Online or fake activism that is. Repost this idiotic meme 3 times or someone will die this day. It is almost a chain mail scenario at this point. And while you're at it send  us more money for our cause. Make it reccuring monthly contribution. Then we will come back asking for more when something happens even though we had nothing to do with the thing that happened. We will own it and take all the credit for it. That is why we need more money to do some more "good." Keep on sending it. The highest amount you ever sent us is right there to remind you how much you need to send us.

I would like to take a moment to talk about this trap of middle-of-the-road fake *ism that we are facing.

Most of these movements that I have met are only prolonging the inevitable demise of the world that we know. They are not working for me or you, they are working for their own good or for the shadowy existence of some corporate or individual semischizophrenic wealthy sponsor behind them. When they are done with this flavor of the day issue,  they move on to another one with new fancy name like 'your revolution' or 'let's nip this in a bud' or 'pink pantsuit' or 'armagedon is coming'. These people are there to give you the illusion of meaningful resistance to the system that you think should be better and could be working better. It is just that - an illusion.  You have to determine your own destiny.  You cannot wait for someone else to tell you what is it. You have to look inside what is it you want and go for that.

We might not necessarily agree on what we are heading to and for  in this change, but I would like to introduce some meaningful ways to get there:

Our society runs on the consumption of corporate goods and generated cashflow with the byproduct being sales tax.  That sales tax is then used in local politics and services and in many cases in public-private partnerships that strip you naked even further. Let's make sure we will cut the access to this teat first. I am not advocating for some tax evasion, I am advocating for using your buying power a bit more wisely. If you are not happy with your county or city, take your purchases elsewhere.  Minimize your purchases to absolute necessities. Do not fall in  to the trap of new shiny objects. Fix your old things if you can.  Buy your clothes in a thrift store or garage sale. Get your produce, meat and dairy directly from the local farm and pay cash if it is feasible in your area. If you can, grow some of your own. It is easier done in a group. If you think the next county over is doing better, take your purchasing power there. If you live on the state border you can take it out of state. If you live on the national border you can take it even out of the country. Don't forget that lots of things can be purchased in bulk online. Again this can be organised in  group purchases. Think twice about who you buying from. 

Now let's attack more of the arms of this mafia-like octopus.

The corporate goods are harder to sell without add placed in the MSM. Stop consuming MSM.  The MSM is fueled by media companies and media-like entities. Cancel your subscriptions, you cable, your satellite, your xm, your movie online services and  the data services on your cell phone. You don't need it. Basic phone with text and call will do. Over-the-air TV and over-the-air radio will do, too. It can be a very strong statement to clock off  the endless circus of infotainment.

The circle of power would not be complete without the relationship between this and politics on every level and the donors. 

Just like  national and  state politics - your local politics  and infrastructure should not be run like "a friends and family" stock company. Start calling your representatives about your issues in person. Do not expect some NGO to do it for you.  Find one issue that is close to your heart and call them every week or every day about it. Go to your own town hall meetings and tell them what you think.  Do not send just an angry email, send real factual letters. Keep things polite but firm. 

I am based in New York so my favorite lines are: Why do we have  first-world taxation with third-world services and infrastructure to show for it? Why do we have roads like  a postwar country? Why is our public transportation so unreliable? Why do we not have universal healthcare yet?

The last bit that will have an impact - if you take your money elsewhere - I am talking about banking.

One single private account amounts to nothing but masses of departing  individual accounts amounts to a problem. Find a financial institution that is local and anchored in the community. If it is a credit union, even better. Take all your financial needs there. Cancel all the credit cards that you don't use. Tell them why. Tell them that you don't need them. Keep just one for travel and for other emergencies, that - unfortunately - is the only one you need since  tickets for the air travel cannot be purchased with cash anymore. Use cash wherever it is possible.

People are charitable beings. 

So why not take all the money you would give to some cause and make your own 'emergency fund' in your own community or give it  directly to somebody who needs  help?  It will do a ton of good without the byproduct of someone making living from 80% of it and taking the decision-making about who is going to get helped away from you. 

Talk with and help your neighbors. You might not even know that they go days hungry or lonely.  Our society is atomized and people are easily singled out in that bubble behind  the  TV and computer screens  and that is no good. Remember that it takes a village (minus Clintons)to raise a child, but it takes a country to start a movement and effect a change.